2degrees

2degrees
Two Degrees Mobile Limited
Type Private
Industry Mobile telecommunications
Founded 2009
Headquarters Auckland, New Zealand
Products GSM and UMTS (3G) mobile networks and retail
Website 2degrees Homepage

2degrees is a U.S. and British owned[1][2] mobile phone provider operating in New Zealand with 580,112 customers[3] (12.5% of New Zealand's population). They launched on 5 August 2009 after 9 years of planning. 2degrees currently offers prepaid and pay monthly mobile services. 2degrees has spent $250 million building its network in the main city centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, plus the tourist destination Queenstown. Their network will work with GSM and UMTS mobiles compatible with the competing Vodafone and Telecom XT networks. In areas without 2degrees coverage handsets will roam on Vodafone's GSM and UMTS network.

2 Degrees now has launched full services (900mhz GSM & 2100mhz UMTS) in Hamilton and Tauranga. Both these areas are now mobile broadband zones, providing New Zealands cheapest Prepaid Mobile Broadband. As a part of the new cellsite build programme cell sites have recently been constructed in or are in the process of been constructed in Whangarei, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Hastings, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Levin, Nelson, Dunedin and Invercargill. 2 Degrees aims to have these cities mobile broadband ready as soon as practical, and many are in testing phase.

Contents

Naming

The name of the company refers to a local variation of the six degrees of separation concept.[4]

Network

2degrees was formerly known as NZ Communications and previously as Econet Wireless. Planning began in 2000 but details were not revealed until 11 May 2009 and pricing was announced a day before launch.

Standards and technologies

The company provides GSM 900 MHz (and, in selected areas, 1800 MHz) services on its own cellular network. Their GSM network supports EDGE,[5] a feature not supported by any other network in New Zealand. In August 2010, they introduced mobile broadband on their UMTS 2100 MHz.[6] The network has a few hundreds of cell sites installed, which has cost approximately NZ$250 million to develop.[7]

They have a national roaming agreement with Vodafone to provide seamless nationwide coverage even though they have only built towers in 6 cities. (expanding to 17 cities over the next few months)

New Features

2degrees have a number of new features not found on other New Zealand mobile phone networks, including:

  • Using USSD to check and top up account balance
  • The ability to get settings from the SIM Menu
  • EDGE data services

MNC and dialing codes

The mobile network code is 530-24. NZ-24 or NZ Comms may be displayed on the mobile phones network list.

The native STD prefix for the network is 022.[8] New Zealand has number portability, so customers switching from other networks may keep their existing mobile number.

Pay Monthly

2degrees launched its first monthly postpaid plan, aptly named Pay Monthly, on 17 September 2010. The plan ties the user into a month by month contract meaning that the maximum cancellation period is 30 days. The current 'entry' plan offers 60 minutes, 2500 texts to any network and 50 mega bytes of data for $29 a month with a special offer of an extra 100 minutes each month for the "life" of the contract. Differing from other network plans in New Zealand, the 2degrees Pay Monthly minutes carryover to the following months meaning that users can keep unused minutes for up to a year.

Inbound Roaming

2degrees (still called NZ Communications on the Three website and Telstra roaming site) is open to customers with handsets from some foreign networks, including Three, Telstra and Orange UK.[9] These foreign customers can place calls using 2degrees cell sites in major New Zealand cities.

Expansion

In February 2011 2degrees announced[10] that they had obtained financing for a further $100 million network expansion. No particular details were forthcoming, but 2degrees has obtained government licenses for wireless spectrum in the Hamilton and Tauranga regions which seem likely areas[11] for new cell towers.

History

In 1999, the New Zealand Government auctioned off 3G spectrum radio spectrum licence. Rangiaho Everton claimed that the auction breached the Treaty of Waitangi because she believed radio spectrum is taonga and the government has no right to sell it. Everton lodged a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal, which was upheld. (Wai 776) The National government of the day ignored the Waitangi Tribunal and kept on auctioning the spectrum. It was not until Labour won the 1999 election that Māori were allocated one of the four 2 GHz 3G spectrum licences at a discounted price plus $5 million to develop it.[12][13]

Currently, 2degrees is owned by Trilogy International Partners, a US venture capital firm specializing in mobile networks (51.52%)[14], Communication Venture Partners, a London-based company that invests in telecommunications and related software businesses (25.76%)[15], Te Huarahi Tika Trust (20.14%)[16] and KLR Hong Kong.[17]

In July 2009, General Enterprise Management Services, a Hong Kong based private equity fund [18], sold its 25.76 percent shares to Trilogy.

Phones

2degrees offers mobile phones from $49 [19] The iPhone will work on the network, 2degrees are currently deploying their 3G network better suited to the iPhone, 2degrees have recently activated Vodafone's 3G network as part of their nationwide roaming agreement.[20] 2degrees currently has 6 retail stores open, one in the Sylvia Park Shopping Mall, one in in Newmarket, both in Auckland, one in Wellington, one in Hamilton, one in Tauranga and one in Westfield Riccarton in Christchurch, with plans to open more stores nationwide. They also offer their products at supermarkets, petrol stations and convenience stores.[21] They also have a kiosk store in St Lukes Shopping Centre, as well as Sylvia Park Shopping Mall in Auckland.

Services

2degrees halved the prevalent pricing for prepay mobile in the New Zealand market, with voice calls costing 44 cents compared to 89 cents being charged by Telecom. SMS messages are charged at 9 cents compared to 20 cents on Vodafone and Telecom customers without a text plan. Customers will receive 300 to 500 free SMS messages per $30–$50 prepay top-up.[22] Also, customers will receive a special rate of 22 cents for on-network and landline calls, as well as 2 cents per on-network SMS, provided they have topped up within the last 30 days.[23] On 25 May 2010, 2degrees announced several new plans; $10 txt ($10 for 500 any network text messages; later upgrading to 1000, 2000, and now 2500 texts). $6 Data Bundles, $6 for 50 MB of mobile data, $10 for 100 MB of mobile data, and some calling plans. Currently Vodafone NZ offers $12 for 2500 any network SMS messages on a prepay plan, and Telecom's XT Network offers a $12 2500 any network text prepay plan. SIM cards are available for $5 instead of $30 charged by the other two companies, however, they only come with $1 credit compared with the $10 provided from the other networks (+$10, if details are registered online). 2degrees also sold $2 SIM cards with $2 credit. They also gave away free SIMs as part of their Chinwag & launch week campaigns and give them away with most new handsets.[24]

2degrees SIM card and packaging

Phone numbers

2degrees auctioned 85 special numbers on New Zealand auction website TradeMe for charity, raising over $65,000[25]. The highest selling number was 022 888 8888, likely due to the number eight being considered lucky in some Asian cultures.[26][27] New customers can choose their own number, on the 2degrees website.[28]

Marketing

2degrees is currently running commercials featuring Rhys Darby, a comedian who tends to make jokes and sketches about New Zealand life.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ Twose, Helen (16 July 2009). "Telco in shake-up weeks from launch". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10584744. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
  2. ^ Trilogy - Comcel
  3. ^ "2degrees could take one-third of the telco market: TUANZ". The New Zealand Herald. 22 March 2011. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10713109. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
  4. ^ Jenny Keown & Tom Pullar-Strecker (11 May 2009). "Wellington, Manukau frustrate 2degrees". Stuff.co.nz. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2400954/Wellington-Manukau-frustrate-2degrees. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
  5. ^ http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=85&topicid=37534&page_no=1#238184
  6. ^ http://www.telecommunicationsreview.co.nz/200907313418/2degrees-targets-$100m-market-for-roaming-tourists.php
  7. ^ Daniels, Chris (11 May 2009). "NZ's 3rd mobile network launched: 2degrees". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10571640. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
  8. ^ "Third mobile telco rebrands as 2degrees". Television New Zealand. 11 May 2009. http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/third-mobile-telco-rebrands-2degrees-2724433. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
  9. ^ http://www.three.co.uk/Help_Support/International/Going_abroad_Pay_Monthly/Destination_Details?content_aid=1214306364761
  10. ^ http://blog.2degreesmobile.co.nz/media/2degrees-invests-in-network-and-future-growth/
  11. ^ http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/telecommunications/slowly-cautiously-2degrees-rolls-out-3g
  12. ^ TVNZ Marae episode 21
  13. ^ http://www.3gnewsroom.com/country/new_zealand.shtml
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ [2]
  16. ^ [3]
  17. ^ Keall, Chris (15 July 2009). "2degress boss quits just ahead of launch". National Business Review. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/breaking-news-2degress-boss-quits-just-ahead-launch-105566. Retrieved 15 September 2011. 
  18. ^ [4]
  19. ^ https://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/shop?p_p_id=konakart_portlet_WAR_konakart_portlet&p_p_lifecycle=1&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-1&p_p_col_count=1&_konakart_portlet_WAR_konakart_portlet__spage=%2FSelectProd.do%3FprodId%3D76&_konakart_portlet_WAR_konakart_portlet_prodId=76&_konakart_portlet_WAR_konakart_portlet__sorig=%2FSelectCat.do%3FcatId%3D21
  20. ^ "2degrees launches mobile pricing". Television New Zealand. 4 August 2009. http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/2degrees-launches-mobile-pricing-2886330/video. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
  21. ^ http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/nzc-theme/pdf/2degrees-press-release7.pdf
  22. ^ "Pre-pay charges halved as 2degrees unveils prices". The New Zealand Herald. 4 August 2009. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10588590. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
  23. ^ http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/magic-top-up
  24. ^ http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/lost-sim
  25. ^ http://www.facebook.com/2degreesmobile?v=feed&story_fbid=149232068135
  26. ^ Numbers in Chinese culture
  27. ^ [5]
  28. ^ http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/mail-images/2degrees-press-release10.pdf
  29. ^ YouTube - Stay 2degrees

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