Wired unlimited broadband unavailable

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Wired unlimited broadband unavailable

nodrub

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#238032 29-Jun-2018 18:48

Am currently on a Spark unlimited wired ADSL plan with solid connection for 12 years.

Entered my rural address to sign up for Skinny wired ADSL unlimited broadband offer.

"unavailable at your address" is the response.

From Skinny unlimited broadband questions page this:

"Who can get Skinny Unlimited Broadband?

Anyone who can get a wired broadband connection in New Zealand can get Skinny Unlimited Broadband (ADSL or VDSL)."

No ifs, buts or caveats.

However, on looking at the fine print related to unlimited on the Skinny home page I see "Broadband not available everywhere."

No help from call centre.

So Skinny, which is it?

Linux

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#2046196 29-Jun-2018 19:36

@nodrub Some rural locations have cabinets called Conklins and these have limited capacity and long waiting lists

Customers can only move up the waiting list as customers disconnect

A fixed line broadband connection is not guaranteed either its best effort

John

nodrub

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#2046483 30-Jun-2018 17:09

Thanks Linux, cabinet is a conklin which Chorus says will not be upgraded anytime.
Seems odd that if I change providers I would lose my connection and go to the end of the queue to wait to be re-connected.
Oh well...

yitz

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#2046485 30-Jun-2018 17:14

Skinny / Bigpipe did not offer fixed line broadband in BUBA / Conklin areas but that might have changed with their very recent move over to the Spark network.

If there are limited ports you should still be able to churn ISP without losing your connection as long as you don't hit the disconnect trigger too soon. Now Skinny is also on the Spark network that might pose an interesting scenario though.

Will need a response from a rep to confirm on both fronts. @LivingSkinny

tdgeek

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#2046491 30-Jun-2018 17:29

yitz: Skinny / Bigpipe did not offer fixed line broadband in BUBA / Conklin areas but that might have changed with their very recent move over to the Spark network. Will need a response from a rep to confirm. @LivingSkinny

Its still BUBA, whether you connect to Spark, Skinny or Tdgeek Internet Services Inc. (51% Trump owned)

Lorenceo

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#2046498 30-Jun-2018 17:33

yitz: Skinny / Bigpipe did not offer fixed line broadband in BUBA / Conklin areas but that might have changed with their very recent move over to the Spark network.

It hasn't.

yitz

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#2046500 30-Jun-2018 17:34

Yes but my understanding is Ventures specifically did not provision connections in BUBA only areas while their main brand Spark does and have always done (obviously since the Jetstream days).

Lorenceo:
It hasn't.

OK, guess that answers it then.

So technically the statement "Anyone who can get a wired broadband connection in New Zealand can get Skinny Unlimited Broadband" is not 100% correct as OP has pointed out as they do not service areas with legacy copper broadband infrastructure whereas others (e.g. Spark) do. I would assume if ports were full they would have different text for that or at least the call centre staff have access to facility to check.

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Linux

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#2046518 30-Jun-2018 18:23

Changing ISP you will not lose your connection (port) and I don't blame Skinny not wanting to deal / support with customers connected to a Conklin cabinet

John

richms

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#2046528 30-Jun-2018 18:57

Why would any ISP want to provision on those and have their speedtest scores and youtube HD ratings dragged down by the 100-200 kilobit speedtests everyone would be doing to show their friends just how trash their internet connection is?

Perhaps if no ISP would sell on that gear, then it would get replaced so that chorus would get some income?

Richard rich.ms

nodrub

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#2048894 4-Jul-2018 12:15

Thanks to you all, a most informative discussion.