Wireless ISPs wary of 5G ‘land grab’

New Zealand’s Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) has warned that Vodafone’s 5G rollout and the planned spectrum reallocation being considered by the government could have serious implications for rural broadband users, reports Reseller News. According to WISPA chairman Mike Smith, some of the spectrum mobile operators are keen to claim is already used commercially by around 40 regional wireless internet providers, servicing around 70,000 rural customers. ‘Most can’t get internet any other way. If the government responds to the cellphone companies’ land grab, some of those users could face more expensive internet or even lose their hard-won connectivity altogether,’ he argued. WISPA is seeking assurances from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) that no decision will be made regarding spectrum reallocation until a public consultation has been held.