We've been counting down to the end of the CDMA network since XT launched in 2009.

And now we know when it's going to happen – 31 July 2012.

If you’re on the CDMA network you'll be contacted soon by Telecom about your options. Essentially to stick with Telecom, you'll be joining the XT network.

CDMA customers can keep their phone number, contacts and any existing credit when they sign up to XT. And Telecom is offering a number of packages, including discounts on prepaid phones and plans which cost “$0 upfront for postpaid customers … to help CDMA customers move to XT”. (See "More information", below, for how to find out more about these offers.)

One reason why some users will be sorry to see their CDMA phones go is they perform better on the edge of some rural areas. We’re already at work testing XT phones in a rural setting, aiming to identify models that’ll perform similarly to CDMA phones at the edge of reception. We plan to publish the results in the next few months.

Of course you may not want to move to XT, though it's the network most likely to reach isolated areas. In this case you will be able to move your number but not your credit. But if you’re tossing up whether to switch to one of Telecom's competitors, then it's best to wait until just before the switch-off happens (or your contract runs out) and watch for competitors' offers. So now’s the time to check out each provider's rural coverage maps (see below).

More information

• Switching to XT - store.telecom.co.nz
• Telecom coverage maps – www.telecom.co.nz
• Vodafone coverage maps – www.vodafone.co.nz
• 2degrees coverage maps – www.2degreesmobile.co.nz

More from consumer.org.nz

• Mobile phones - test results, recommendations and our advice 

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