In short – just use your current mobile phone as you normally would.
The Mobile Black Spots programme extends mobile cellular coverage to certain sections State Highways and to certain tourist locations around the country where currently there is no coverage.
Customers of all three current New Zealand mobile network operators will be able to use the new MBSF coverage. It will just show up as network coverage like everywhere else in New Zealand where the mobile network operator has coverage.
The focus of Mobile Blackspots programme coverage on State Highways is to improve public safety. This will provide everyone with access to the emergency 111 network no matter what mobile network they are with. Drivers will see an area that they will be able to pull over and phone for help on the 111 network should an emergency or incident occur
The sections of State Highways to receive new mobile coverage have been determined based on the longest ‘black spots’ (with no coverage from any mobile network operator), the highest traffic volumes and the highest incident rates. The main public safety benefit of new mobile coverage is to reduce or eliminate drive time to mobile coverage so that emergency services can be called and notified in case of an incident on the road.
To achieve this, there will be ‘islands of coverage’ along State Highways where customers of all of New Zealand’s current mobile networks will be able to connect to any network and make a call. The coverage is the same as other 3G mobile cellular coverage around New Zealand.
You will see a sign like this on a State Highway showing you that mobile coverage is coming up:
Your mobile phone will then show bars of coverage as normal and you will then be able to make a call or send a text message.
As long as you are a current customer of a New Zealand mobile network, you will be able to contact emergency services by dialling 111.