Why?

A very long time ago, while searching for a place to live, I noticed a significant gap: there wasn't an easy way to check what services (DSL and mobile service being key at the time) were available at potential addresses.

The coverage maps provided by mobile service providers at the time were insufficient, lacking the details necessary to understand the full picture. Additionally, ISPs might indicate that VDSL was available, but the actual speeds you could expect were heavily influenced by your proximity to the nearest cabinet or exchange.

Although this information was somewhat accessible, it was in disparate data sources, and it wasn't presented in a user-friendly format that allowed for easy location-based searches.

Around this time, Google Fusion Tables emerged as the go-to solution for plotting large sets of spatial data. This led to the creation of the first version of GIS Geek, a website designed to conveniently display this information.

Now, GIS Geek is in its fifth major iteration and is utilised by thousands each month. It remains true to its original purpose: helping people understand what services are available and where.

How?

The data that powers GIS Geek primarily comes from freely available information provided by Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) and Chorus.

In New Zealand, any entity wishing to transmit or receive registered spectrum services, which includes all cell networks, is required to register their spectrum details with RSM. Similarly, Chorus, who own the majority of copper fixed line services, provides information about cabinet details and rollout schedules.

Data provided by RSM is updated nightly. Chorus is updated on an ad hoc basis.

Who?

GIS Geek is owned and developed by JGrah.am Limited. You can read about any updates or plans for the site on X.

Why Restricted?

Originally, Google provided a set number of hits per API for their services. However, this changed to a credit system across all their APIs. Prior to this shift, the costs to run GIS Geek were mainly time investment and minor hosting fees. But post-change, the Google API fees increased significantly. The situation escalated during the Covid 5G conspiracy theories, leading to exorbitant costs due to huge traffic spikes from Facebook Anti-5G groups.

To manage this, we now require user registration to access information, effectively reducing these spikes and maintaining manageable site traffic.

What does "Free^*" mean?

Thanks to our subscribers and supporters, GIS Geek currently covers its operating costs. While we hope to keep the site free, this might not always be the case. Our goal is to continue providing this valuable service at minimal or no cost to our users.

Subscribers gain access to enhanced map features, data exports and email alerts, helping to support the ongoing development and maintenance of the site. Learn more about subscriber benefits.

Cell Towers

The cell towers layer is generated using RSM APIs to access licences from a list of cell service providers (e.g., OneNZ, Spark, 2Degrees), focusing on the frequencies they operate on. Each licence is linked to a location, but there's no direct information about associated licences per tower. Therefore, we group licences by location to create the "cell tower" layer.

Point To Point

Like the cell towers, we gather data on all registered frequency point-to-point (PTP) links from the RSM APIs. This layer displays links that have both a "Receive Configuration" and a "Transmit Configuration(s)".

Land Mobile Radio

Similar story, all of the land mobile radio (LMR) data comes from the RSM APIs. LMR licences are primarily used for voice communications, but there are many other uses.

Fixed Line

Chorus previously provided public information on their cabinet rollout/upgrades. However, in the new era of UFB, where they don't hold exclusive rights, this information has become "commercially sensitive" and is no longer shared. Our current cabinet location and name data is from 2016 and may be outdated. The exchange data, however, is more current as it has been crowdsourced.

The broadband data is from November 2019. While the location information might be old, the capabilities it indicates are accurate. Note that proximity to a Chorus cabinet doesn't guarantee good service – the quality of service depends on the length and quality of the copper connecting it to your home.

For those interested in fixed infrastructure, we recommend also checking out the National Broadband Map.

Photos

We allow logged-in users to contribute photos of the infrastructure sites featured on GIS Geek, specifically our cell towers, point-to-point links, land mobile radio sites, or fixed-line cabinets. Submitted photos are reviewed before being made public. Users can optionally add captions to their photos.

As an example, see the OneNZ Methven location.

Location Information

We allow logged-in users to suggest corrections for the locations of infrastructure sites (Cell Towers, PTP Links and LMR Sites). If you notice a site appears slightly misplaced on the map, you can propose a more accurate location directly from the site's detail page. These suggestions are reviewed by an administrator. If approved, the corrected location will be used on the map and detail pages, helping to improve the overall accuracy of the data for everyone. A notice will indicate when a location has been adjusted based on user feedback.

I don't think this Tower / PTP / LMR exists.

You're probably right, in some cases. We plot licences to operate spectrum, plotted by location, as registered with RSM. Generally, if there's a licence, it's likely that a tower or link exists. However, sometimes licences are registered prior to installation or activation.

This Tower / PTP / LMR is in the wrong place.

Again, you might be right in some instances. We plot locations exactly as received from the RSM API, without making any manual adjustments. There are scenarios where data might be incorrectly entered against a licence - such as mixing up receive and transmit locations, or just entering incorrect coordinates.

While we previously didn't have a way to adjust these directly on GIS Geek, logged-in users can now suggest corrections for site locations. These suggestions are reviewed, and approved changes help improve accuracy for everyone. However, if you believe the underlying data registered with RSM is incorrect, we still encourage contacting RSM directly, as corrected source data will automatically update on GIS Geek.

What services are running on the tower?

This information is known only to the service provider. We make educated guesses based on the frequencies providers are known to use for certain services. For instance, OneNZ's use of 3500MHz for their 5G rollout is well-documented, so we assume licences on this frequency are for 5G. However, in cases like Spark's 2600MHz frequency, which is used for both 4G and 5G, it's harder to distinguish the service.

How does the Cell ID data work?

The Cell ID data is sourced from opencellid.org. They provide an API to access this data, which is then periodically updated on GIS Geek. This data is crowdsourced and thus may not always be accurate, especially in less urban areas. It's displayed based on proximity to the tower location, but users should apply their judgement regarding its accuracy. If you know of a better data source, please get in touch.

The links back to RSM on Tower or Point to Point locations don't work?

If you're experiencing issues with these links, it might be because Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) updated their Register of Radio Frequencies (RRF) to have a requirement to be logged in. Once logged in, they should work as expected.