Extensive efforts by Vodafone to provide Splendour In The Grass punters with basic mobile coverage beat out those of Optus and Telstra at Australia’s No.1 winter music festival.
The Vodafone decision to send two 4G cell-on-wheels (COWs) to the 4G-less north Byron Bay Splendour site proved to be a winner after major competitors Telstra and Optus refused do to the same for their customers among the 30,000 in attendance over the three-day event.
Telstra won over festival-goers at last year’s Splendour by rolling out a couple of COWs, but backed down from a repeat showing after the festival refused to cave to the company’s payment demands for the amenity this time around. While Telstra and Optus users suffered through an often internet-less 3G experience, Vodafone jumped at the chance to provide a couple of mobile 4G units of their own.
ZDNet reported a number of frustrated users at the festival, unable to use smartphones due to the laggy service.
The move likely improved Vodafone’s unpopular standing in Australia after massive network losses in recent years, contributing to a drop down the major mobile carrier rankings.
Vodafone currently holds just five million single carrier customers, trailing both Optus (nine million) and Telstra (15).
An announcement on Monday will see Vodafone implement massive plans to expand its 4G network, which is currently adding 100 4G sites per month.
The company will increase its expanding 4G service by rerouting its 850MHz 3G network into a better 4G service, a spectrum that covers longer distances and penetrates buildings more effectively.
Photo: Getty Images
