Vodafone NZ recently announced they are changing their name to One New Zealand (One NZ for short) in early 2023!
Vodafone’s rebranding is an exciting step forward that will benefit heaps of Kiwis. Read on to find out why!
Vodafone has been one of the most well-known brands in Aotearoa for the last few decades. They are one of the three mobile network providers in the country, alongside Spark NZ and 2degrees.
Vodafone began in 1998 when Vodafone Group Plc (British multinational telco company) acquired the New Zealand operations of Bellsouth (American telco company). In 2019, Vodafone NZ was bought by Infratil Limited and Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Vodafone has an extensive network that reaches more than 98% of Kiwis. They provide both mobile and broadband services. They also have large rural coverage, HD Calling, and 4G roaming to over 130 countries. Currently, they have the largest 5G network in Aotearoa.
Vodafone’s network also services the MVNOs, Kogan Mobile and MyRepublic.
The transfer of ownership to Infratil and Brookfield Asset Management in 2019 was the start of a shift in direction for Vodafone.
Over the past four years, Vodafone has spent nearly a billion dollars to upgrade its Smart Network and introduced 5G coverage. They improved their Hybrid Fibre Coaxial and Wireless broadband services and began offering fibre broadband.
Plus, they brought the majority of their call centres back to Aotearoa and gained full ownership of all their retail stores.
It’s clear that Vodafone has shifted to focus more locally rather than globally. These last few years demonstrate the company was laying the groundwork for a bigger change.
After years of major changes for the company, Vodafone announced they’re rebranding to One New Zealand.
The company believes that the new name better reflects their legacy in the country as well as where they’re heading in the future.
That future is 100 percent focused on New Zealand, says Jason Paris, CEO of Vodafone New Zealand.
"Now, it is time to take the next step. To become One New Zealand. One team of over 3000 employees, with one focus on one country and on one goal, to unlock the magic of technology to create an awesome Aotearoa,” says Paris.
The new name also brings a major logo and design shift away from the well-known red to a new green.
The rebranding may also save the company millions of dollars as they no longer have to pay yearly branding fees to Vodafone Group, which are estimated to cost between $20-$30 million. These savings will likely be spent on One NZ’s network and services.
One of the exciting things about Vodafone’s name change is that it means there are going to be heaps of new customer initiatives!
These include:
One Good Kiwi:
A brand new digital charity platform where One NZ will donate $1.2 million a year to different charities that support rangatahi.
One Plan:
One Plan is a new mobile plan that has unlimited data and max speeds for $80 a month. Perfect if you stream, hotspot and always use lots of data.
Refreshed retail stores:
All of Vodafone’s retail stores will be getting a new design. The red and white theme will be replaced with a modern minimalist design incorporating grey, beige and One NZ’s signature green.
One NZ will still retain the things Kiwis have come to love about Vodafone.
This includes the company’s connection to the Vodafone Group’s technology. "We're keeping the things our customers value like Vodafone global roaming and IoT [the internet of things], as well as access to Vodafone Group IP [intellectual property] through our partner market status,” says a Vodafone NZ spokeswoman.
They will also continue the Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation. After 20 years and $50 million donated, Te Rourou will continue to invest $2 million per year into ensuring better outcomes for rangatahi.
Paris says too that, “We are committed to supporting Te Ao Māori and normalising the use of Te Reo through Whārikihia, our Māori strategy, and through honouring the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We also support numerous digital equity and youth programmes.”
Also, their nearly quarter century long support for the Vodafone Warriors (soon to be One New Zealand Warriors) will continue.
Vodafone’s name change means that the company can invest more into local services and products in Aotearoa. Thus, Kiwis will have even better choices for their mobile and broadband needs. We can already see this happening, with the new One Plan!
Plus, One NZ is striving to be known worldwide for delivering top notch customer service. So, you can expect to have an awesome experience if you become a One NZ customer!
If you’re already a Vodafone customer, you may be stressed about the changes. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do a thing. Your plans will stay the same and you’ll see more exciting new services becoming available to you in the near future.
One NZ signals an exciting new future of better products, services, and savings for Kiwi consumers!
While you wait for One NZ to fully launch, head to Broadband Compare to get the best savings on your broadband plan!
Broadband Compare is a comparison website where you can compare different broadband providers and plans to see which one is right for you!
Best of all, it’s super easy to use!
Just follow these simple steps:
Alternatively, if you’d rather chat to a friendly human, then give our customer support team a free call on 0508 22 66 72. They’ll help you out!
To get the best broadband plan for your life, head to Broadband Compare!
