In 2020, Huawei celebrated 15 years connecting New Zealand

(Originally published December 2020 in Auckland, NZ)  Huawei, the leading global provider of information and communications technology, infrastructure and smart devices has celebrated its 15th year of business in New Zealand. Over the last fifteen years, the company played a significant role in transforming the country’s telecommunications infrastructure and made substantial investments in the local communities.

After establishing its Auckland office in December 2005, Huawei first partnered with 2degrees to build its nationwide mobile network. The challenger operator became the third major player in the mobile market and drove healthy competition for Kiwi customers by halving the prevalent pricing for prepay mobile. By 2012, 2degrees reached its one million customer milestone and the two companies extended their technology partnership, launching a 4G LTE network in 2014.

Since then, Huawei has continued to work across all directions of New Zealand’s telecommunications industry, bringing the leading innovative solutions for the country’s main operators. In 2008, Huawei helped to drive more choice for end-users by building Vodafone’s fixed-line broadband Red Network. Additionally Huawei worked with Chorus across both phases of the Rural Broadband Initiative.

Partnering with Ultrafast Fibre and Enable, Huawei has supported the roll-out of fibre connectivity to approximately 270,000 homes across the Central North Island and Christchurch. Across these projects Huawei has helped to build 30 per cent of the technology behind the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband program.

Huawei continued to expand the capabilities of 3G and 4G networks through a strategic partnership with Spark. In 2016 the two companies launched the first 4.5G site in the Pacific region, opening the door to wireless home broadband with fibre-like speeds, a product that has now been adopted by 22 per cent of Spark’s broadband customer base. In 2018, the two companies trialled the first 5G network in New Zealand.

At the same time, Huawei has continued to deliver a range of cutting-edge consumer devices and sold over 1.2M handsets in New Zealand. In 2017, Huawei launched the world’s first smartphone with Te Reo Māori language Operating System. This year, the company won the Canstar Award of the Most Satisfied Customers of Smartphones in New Zealand for its P series line.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners and customers for the strong and lasting collaboration over the last fifteen years.” Says Yanek Fan, Managing Director of Huawei Technologies New Zealand. “Building on a common history, values and interests, we are eager to take these partnerships beyond 2020 to help expand the country’s digital architecture, advance its innovation and ensure that every New Zealander can directly benefit from technology.”

Throughout the last 15 years, Huawei has also made significant investments in community and sport partnerships throughout Aotearoa. Some of the most notable projects include the Seeds for the Future Programme, 100 Piano Project and partnering with Wellington Phoenix FC and Emirates Team New Zealand. Most recently, Huawei got behind the Kiwis for Kiwi charity to help protect New Zealand’s iconic bird and Lance O’Sullivan’s MAiPODs to bring healthcare services into the regional areas that currently lack them.

“Our commitment to New Zealand has been unwavering, and we plan to continue helping our customers and partners reach their end goals through our state-of-the-art technology and ongoing investment in innovation,” adds Yanek Fan. “We have come a long way in 15 years, and are excited about what’s next.”