Digital infrastructure investments boost regional living

While work previously was thought of as a place you go, it is increasingly a thing that you do – a part of life that is no longer bound to a specific location, thanks to incredible developments in digital infrastructure. After adjusting to the rapid changes brought on by COVID-19 last year, being able to get things done anywhere is becoming the new normal.

These digital developments create potential for much more flexibility and free-range working, and the possibility to create better work/life balance – whether that means spending time with the kids, exercising on your lunch break, being out in nature, or even just ticking off more mundane tasks like laundry in between work and meetings. Some people are also rethinking where they live, and if relocating to the beach or a new town is a possibility for some or all of their time.

At Vodafone, we’re seeing more team members apply to work outside the traditional city hubs - be it Nelson, Mangawhai or Mt Maunganui - and commute to the office periodically, instead of daily. For teams based in big centres, we’re agreeing to ‘balanced working’ options, such as spending three days in the office to facilitate collaboration and connections, to complement the flexibility of getting work done from home. This trend is also showing up in many other organisations, as the upsides of remote and flexible working, enabled by digital infrastructure, come into focus to complement time spent in the office.

With mobile phones and 24/7 connectivity, work doesn’t always start and finish at a set time or place. While we also need to ensure we prioritise work/life balance and switching off, there are lots of positives as more people can make choices about where and when they get their work done amidst their other priorities. Spending more time in regional New Zealand isn’t just about holidays anymore. It can be about lifestyle.

For Vodafone NZ, a high priority for 2021 is to help close the geographical gaps between the digital haves and have nots, so that more of Aotearoa has access to next generation technology necessary to carry all this data – which given the regional housing boom, is increasingly important. The challenge is that someone visiting or relocating to somewhere like the Coromandel now expects to have the same digital connectivity as they have in the city – with growing expectations of having additional digital conveniences like Uber at their fingertips.

To deliver on these rapidly changing consumer preferences, New Zealand is going to need significant additional digital infrastructure investment now, and into the future.

At Vodafone, we’re investing heavily into urban and regional Aotearoa in 2021 and beyond. We are putting significant resources into improving regional networks, growing 5G availability both in cities and regional centres, expanding and strengthening 4G coverage, adding capacity in our core network to support the data growth, and building or upgrading cell sites across the country. Pumping millions of dollars into regional economies in particular will allow more communities to participate in the digital economy.

We’re starting with Palmerston North and the Bay of Plenty, and will be progressively rolling out new technology into more parts of the country. We already have 5G live in parts of Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown - with more locations to come.

However, enabling digital infrastructure isn’t a cheap or fast exercise. A new cell site can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months to build - and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars - making the economics challenging in areas with small populations.

This means that in order to be worthwhile, new towers have to serve a significant number of people - or be part of a shared infrastructure programme.

As well as building new Vodafone infrastructure, we’re proud to play a role with the Rural Connectivity Group (RCG), contributing expertise and knowledge to a joint industry and government programme. The 400-plus additional 4G cell sites we’re collectively building nationwide as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI2) will make a massive difference to many Kiwis living in some of the more remote and rural parts of the country.

Another way we can make the financials work better is through the use of newer, more efficient technologies, and the retirement of older, end-of-life technologies as we go. On top of better connectivity, replacing the old with the new also has a positive environmental effect, as modern digital infrastructure often consumes less power. The future of the internet means better benefits to people, with reduced emissions which are kinder on the environment.

Due to the energy efficiency of 5G and other new technologies, over the next three years, Vodafone expects to see a reduction of at least 10% in electricity consumption.

We also need the support of local communities to build cell sites in their area. Under the Telecommunications Act, digital communications providers like Vodafone can locate a cell site, including our cabinets and pole, subject to the conditions as set out in the National Environment Standards 2016. Letters are also sent to neighbours to inform them of the process.

Most of the time people are very pleased that we are building a cell site and increasing the local digital infrastructure, but sometimes people are concerned about safety elements, so we try to reassure them that mobile cell sites and towers are safe - and we often refer locals to the Ministry of Health or World Health Organisation if they want more detail.

Ultimately, what this investment means for people in the area is the freedom for work and everything else to come with you. Better social connections, and the ability to work, live and play wherever you are. With the latest digital infrastructure offering more possibilities than ever in the way of connectivity and things set to improve even further this year, Kiwis are now more than ever able to call the shots about the kind of lives they want to live. Wherever they want to live.

Sharina Nisha

Head of Network Services, Vodafone NZ