One New Zealand, formerly known as Vodafone NZ, announced on Monday that it had inked a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to use its Starlink satellites to provide full cell coverage for New Zealand by late 2024. Initially, the technology will be utilized for multimedia and text messaging services, but eventually, it will be extended to voice and data services for currently unconnected regions in New Zealand.
According to One New Zealand, its mobile network currently covers 98% of places where New Zealanders live and work, but only 50% of the country’s landmass. One New Zealand CEO Jason Paris stated that the coverage will be country-wide once the service goes live, making it accessible even in remote areas such as boats, mountains, or farms. The two companies have released no financial details of the agreement.
