Written by Nick Wood
One New Zealand has agreed to acquire small cell provider UK-headquartered Dense Air’s local operation, a move that will bulk up its mid-band spectrum.
Under the deal, One NZ will get its hands on 2×35 MHz of 2600-MHz spectrum, which it plans to put to use in its 4G and 5G networks before the end of the year, significantly improving the performance of its fixed-wireless access (FWA) services. Dense Air has the rights to this spectrum for another five-and-a-half years, and so One NZ won’t have to worry about renewal until the end of 2028.
The acquisition is in line with One NZ’s network upgrade programme, under which it has either built or overhauled more than 500 4G and 5G sites over the last 18 months.
“Back in July we re-tuned the network leading to a 30% speed boost on 5G. Now we’re making our mobile experience even better by making this spectrum available to our customers,” said One NZ chief executive Jason Paris, in a statement.
“Connectivity is our core business and we’re committed to offering our customers a brilliant mobile experience,” he continued “Adding this new spectrum to our network, we’ll continue developing our awesome 5G network and get ready for next year’s launch of our SpaceX collaboration, providing coverage like never before for New Zealanders.”
The financial terms of the transaction were not divulged, but a One NZ filing with New Zealand’s competition watchdog, the Commerce Commission, lifts some of the fog that has been surrounding Dense Air’s Asia-Pacific business lately.
