Vodafone blog

Vodafone to expand mobile coverage, adding 1,800 new base stations 

Bill Morrow, Chief Executive at Vodafone:

“Vodafone has a comprehensive network plan. We are building on the work we have undertaken over the last twelve months to progressively enhance coverage, increase speed and significantly improve customer experience.

“We are expanding the Vodafone network with the addition of 1,800 new base stations to improve coverage at selected locations in all capital cities and regional areas across Australia.

Sydney, May 3 2012: Vodafone customers will experience wider coverage with Vodafone planning to add more than 1,800 new base stations to its network.

Vodafone has already started incorporating more than 900 base stations into its network from the 3 mobile network and will draw on an expanded network joint venture with Optus, subject to ACCC approval, to access around 400 Optus base station sites and a joint agreement to build 500 new, shared sites over the next four years.

Bill Morrow, Chief Executive of Vodafone, said: “Vodafone is committed to developing a network that provides excellent coverage for our customers. We’ve listened to our customers and we’re responding to their demands by delivering a better, faster, more reliable network across Australia.”

“The expansion to our coverage is a significant step forward and is part of our evolution toward higher performance network speeds that will ultimately lead to our introduction of 4G. The key benefit of the expanded network joint venture will be that it increases the depth of coverage to Vodafone customers.”

Under the proposed extended network joint venture, which includes provision for a roaming agreement with Optus to commence in April 2013, Vodafone customers will gain access to hundreds of additional base stations in outer metropolitan and regional areas, increasing Vodafone’s network coverage to reach 96% of the Australian population.

Vodafone has invested more than $1 billion in its new network, making significant progress on its continuing rollout, with more than 1,100 new 850MHz 3G sites now operating and an additional 400 new 850MHz 3G sites scheduled to come online in the next few months.

Vodafone’s new 850MHz 3G network layer is already delivering improved indoor and outdoor coverage, providing important new coverage to reduce network blackspots and dropped calls, while also improving the experience for customers using internet-enabled smartphones, tablets and mobile broadband devices.

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About Vodafone Hutchison Australia
Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) operates the Vodafone, 3, and Crazy John’s brands. Formed in June 2009 following a merger between Vodafone Australia and Hutchison 3G Australia, VHA provides mobile services to over 7 million customers in Australia. www.three.com.au & www.vodafone.com.au