WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND:
One New Zealand said on Monday that it had signed a deal with billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Deal is to use the Starlink satellites of the US company. That is to cover all of New Zealand with cell service by the end of 2024.
One New Zealand said in a statement that the technology would be used first for text and multimedia messaging services. Later, it would be used for voice and data services in parts of New Zealand that are not currently connected.
One New Zealand’s mobile network reaches 98% of the places where New Zealanders live and work, but it only reaches 50% of the country’s land mass at the moment.
“When the service goes live, you’ll be able to use it anywhere in the country, whether you’re on a boat, a mountain, a remote road, or your farm,” said Jason Paris, the chief executive of One New Zealand.
The two companies haven’t said anything about how much the deal will cost.
