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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
In a shock announcement here in New Zealand,
it was announced that Telecom NZ will be forced to un-bundle the Local Loop.
This decision was released due to a memo leaked to Telecom from the NZ Government Cabinet.
Investigations are continuing as to how this was leaked.
The NZ Government via Minister of Communications David Cunliffe said the news was released because it would have been unfair on the competitors of Telecom to not let it be known.
Oddly enough, the only other country not to un-bundle is Mexico.
New Zealand has languished at near the bottom of the OECD table of Broadband uptake since the table was started.
The problem is not the lack of competitor companies, it is the fact that the competitors have to re-sell what Telecom offers them.
When asked about the decision a Telecom spokesman said "This is a bad decision for NZ, it will hurt the advancement of technology investment in NZ"
The next day Telecom's competitor ISP's announced a NZ$2 billion investment in new infrastructure.
So, who is feeding us BS here?.
There was champagne all around from most competitors of Telecom, meanwhile Telecom shares took a dive.
End of the golden weather I suppose.
My heart bleeds. [Linked Image]

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Telecom NZ has had a monopoly on phone and internet services here since the Government sold it in 1987.
The NZ taxpayer paid for the construction of the lines and infrastructure, yet we are still over-charged for the use of these lines.
Always, the argument comes up from Telecom that they "own" the lines.
It was announced that people that have a fixed line in New Zealand will pay an increase in line charges to have a telephone line to thier house.
This was 3 months ago, my Line "Rental" went from $46.60 to $61.20 a month.
Telecom had a licence to print money, considering that a phone line is an essential service, who could argue?.
IMO, they got what was coming to them!.
Sure, un-bundling will take it's time to take effect, but at least the ball is rolling.
Apparently a lot of American investors in Telecom are running like rats from a sinking ship.
Thanks a lot guys, you really got your pounds worth out of us.
Good riddance. [Linked Image]

Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 869
Likes: 4
R
Member
Great news to see the unbundeling of the telecom network finally happening.

This company has dictated the overpriced phonesystem in this country for too long.

Good to see that the competition is already making big plans to invest in 21 st century technologies for lower prices.

It looks like another Fay Ritchwite ( Tranz rail )scandal re the leaked memo's, so the big investors could flog off their shares before the public could do so, and sell their shares at lot lower prices.

It's time that in this country a landline to cellphone call costs NZ$ 0.10 which is more like the European rates instead of NZ$ 0.55.

My hart bleeds too Mike [Linked Image].

Raymond [Linked Image]


The product of rotation, excitation and flux produces electricty.
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 354
K
Member
Right about those Telecom shares Rodalco. Telecoms "leaked" unbundling announcement reaks of dodgy practise. An investigation into share trading last week would surely reveal something.

Some major "restructuring" at Telecom in the near future ?

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,803
Member
Try 'Skype' on www.skype.com and talk over the net for "free" if you want to cut your phone bills.
It's free to download the install.
You need broadband and a minimum of Windows 2000 or XP, plus a Skypephone of some sort- see the webpages. I got a good 'Logitech' stereo headset for about US40. All calls to other Skpe subscribers are free, unlimited, while you and they are online. You can also call ANY normal phone or mobile at a fixed rate anywhere in the world for about 10 dollars for 10 hours of credit. You can even call the wife in the next room and order tea and biccies. I've used about $6.50 worth so far, calling Ireland, Scotland, England and Australia by 'Skypeout'.
Had it for about 3 months now.
OK, sometimes you get an echo and the other party sometimes sounds like they have their head in a bucket of water, but what do you want for nothing?
Recommended.

Alan


Wood work but can't!
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 1
C
C-H Offline
Member
Ahh, "unbundling". They've officially done that in Sweden too, but the state telco has figured out that it can drag its feet. They loose every case in court, but they still delay the competitors enough for it to be worth the fines.

I tried getting a ADSL subscription last week for my new flat from a private telephone company.
"You need a phone subscription first"
"But I thought you offered that too?"
"We do, but you have to call the state telco to open a subscription first and the cancel it."
"What!?!?"
"Yes. We can only transfer numbers, not create them."

Solution? I'll borrow the WiFi of some unsuspecting neighbour for the time being.

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Alan,
VoIP here in New Zealand is a waste of time at the moment.
I tried it on my "Broad-band" connection a few months ago.
It was skittery to say the least, with a huge amount of echo.
However, that is the way that Telecom NZ want's it.
VoIP would be in direct competition with thier "$5 weekends" and other such rubbish plans to try and tell us we are getting a good deal.
Telecom "packetises" the data leaving New Zealand in such a way that you cannot use anything that Telecom NZ disagrees with.
After all, they own the lines.
I hope they get all they deserve.
In other news, I've just had my ISP upgrade my download capacity from 1GB to 40GB, for the same monthly charge!. [Linked Image]
VoIP is just around the corner and it is about time.

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Anyone using an Internet connection in NZ having the same connection problems as me?.
I've never been dropped so many times in such a short period.
I knew that Telecom was having a problem with it's Dial-up and it's Broadband service to it's own XTRA customers, in the last few days, but now it's starting to seep over into other ISP's.
Could this be a way for Telecom to say to thier customers "Don't change ISP's, the others are just as bad".
I've never seen such disruption before.
It's taken me 3 goes at typing this message.
3rd time lucky?. [Linked Image]

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,803
Member
I have noticed that at certain times, weekdays, the response times slow down. At the moment, in the early evening period 7pm-10pm local time [ 1pm- 4pm EST, 7am-10am NZ ] response is so slow as to make reading various ECN forums or other sites impractical. Is this down to the increasing popularity of broadband [ADSL] services here and all the kids on-line plagiarising their homework? [Linked Image]

I have been told that broadband speeds are limited by the length and quality of the telephone line between the user's computer and the exchange, and that if you reside more than half a mile from the exchange there is no point in buying more than a 1 Mbps contract. Since I must be at least 3 miles from the nearest pop centre and the line coming down my lane appears to be held together with gobs of duck-tape, I'll stick with my 1.2Mbps contract for now- unless the above advise is not correct? Any other opinions?

Alan


Wood work but can't!

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