One New Zealand, formerly Vodafone NZ, signed an agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX to use the US company's Starlink satellites Monday to provide mobile coverage to 100% of New Zealand starting late 2024, a statement showed.
One New Zealand's network will work with SpaceX’s constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit to provide "direct to cell" mobile coverage across the country out to the territorial limit, the statement added, without revealing any financial details of the agreement.
"When the service goes live, there will be coverage across New Zealand whether you’re out on your boat, climbing a mountain, fixing a remote road or on your farm,” One New Zealand CEO Jason Paris said.
The technology would initially be for text and multimedia messaging services but would later cover voice and data services in areas of New Zealand not currently connected, One New Zealand added.
“This means the immediate communication issues experienced after Cyclone Gabrielle will be confined to history," said Paris. "It will give our customers more freedom with 100% coverage across the country and means New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses are safer with us."
One New Zealand's mobile network covers 98% of places New Zealanders live and work but currently covers only 50% of the country’s landmass.
Musk, the world's second richest person, has a real-time fortune of $202.4 billion as of April 2, 2023, according to Forbes estimates.
SpaceX aims to send thousands of Starlink satellites into Earth's orbit, establishing an internet-service constellation that would act as a low-cost alternative to remote land-based systems. In late March, SpaceX's 21st launch of the year sent 56 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
