Need for speed

Uptake and expansion of 5G have been slow in this country, but that will change as new technologies arrive.

- Peter Griff

A couple of years on from the debut of fifth-generation (5G) mobile network services in parts of our main cities, the vast majority of Kiwis have yet to use them. I have a 5G-enabled smartphone and am a

sucker for a fast data connection. But the limited geographical coverage, and the continuing lack of compelling uses of the faster data-transfer speeds 5G offers, means I haven’t sought out the faster network.

2Degrees last month became the country’s third mobile network operator to offer 5G mobile plans, but only on three devices from Samsung and Oppo. If you have a 5G-enabled iPhone, you’ll be out of luck until a software upgrade allows it to access the network, probably next month.