Patchy coverage frustrates Vodafone customers

Maintenance work prevented some Vodafone calls and texts from being connected. Photo / Adrian Malloch

Vodafone customers experienced some of the frustrations felt by users of Telecom's XT network yesterday, as maintenance work prevented some calls and texts from being connected.

Trade Me messageboards contained complaints about no or intermittent coverage around the North Island.

Vodafone spokesman Paul Brislen said the problems were caused by a planned upgrade to fibre networks and mainly affected the Bay of Plenty.

"It's not that sites aren't working, it's that the amount of calls they can carry that is getting congested. Calls and texts are getting through, people have just had to try again."

The problems began overnight on Friday but it was unknown how many customers were affected. The network was to be fully operational yesterday.