Spark launches new wireless broadband service

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Spark launches new wireless broadband service

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#1525862 4-Apr-2016 16:20

gorringS:

Other things is they charging for extra for caller id call waiting and voice mail. All these service on voip should be included as doesn't cost for server generate them .

You've clearly never gone shopping for a VoIP platform! Every single thing costs money when it comes to licensing.

tangerz

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#1525994 4-Apr-2016 20:03

eXDee:

More interesting would be getting details on future plans to use TD2300 for this service and any other technical details.

Given that the 70MHz chunk of 2.3GHz spectrum Spark recently acquired has to be put to use by the end of the year or they'll lose it, I'm guessing this is where it will be put to use. The service probably won't start out on that frequency, but once once Spark roll out 2.3GHz gear on their towers you can bet they'll move this data traffic there.

Certain models of the Huawei B315 modem/router they (and Skinny and Vodafone) already use for wireless broadband are capable of TDD-LTE on 2.3GHz.

ajw

1932 posts

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#1525998 4-Apr-2016 20:09

tangerz:

eXDee:

More interesting would be getting details on future plans to use TD2300 for this service and any other technical details.

Given that the 70MHz chunk of 2.3GHz spectrum Spark recently acquired has to be put to use by the end of the year or they'll lose it, I'm guessing this is where it will be put to use. The service probably won't start out on that frequency, but once once Spark roll out 2.3GHz gear on their towers you can bet they'll move this data traffic there.

Certain models of the Huawei B315 modem/router they (and Skinny and Vodafone) already use for wireless broadband are capable of TDD-LTE on 2.3GHz.

Yes the top one.

B315s-607: FDD 700/900/1800/2100/2600 & TDD 2300Mhz

http://www.store4g.com/huawei-b315/

matisyahu

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#1526020 4-Apr-2016 21:14

tangerz:

eXDee:

More interesting would be getting details on future plans to use TD2300 for this service and any other technical details.

Given that the 70MHz chunk of 2.3GHz spectrum Spark recently acquired has to be put to use by the end of the year or they'll lose it, I'm guessing this is where it will be put to use. The service probably won't start out on that frequency, but once once Spark roll out 2.3GHz gear on their towers you can bet they'll move this data traffic there.

Certain models of the Huawei B315 modem/router they (and Skinny and Vodafone) already use for wireless broadband are capable of TDD-LTE on 2.3GHz.

I hope that they build more cell sites because 1.8GHz struggles to reach my house which makes 2.3Ghz is out of the question. These are great moves by Spark but they need to start deploying 700MHz in urban areas which hilly terrane such as the Hutt Valley because God knows I've got no 4G signal and I certainly don't live in the wop-wops.

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

ajw

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#1526021 4-Apr-2016 21:17

kawaii:

tangerz:

eXDee:

More interesting would be getting details on future plans to use TD2300 for this service and any other technical details.

Given that the 70MHz chunk of 2.3GHz spectrum Spark recently acquired has to be put to use by the end of the year or they'll lose it, I'm guessing this is where it will be put to use. The service probably won't start out on that frequency, but once once Spark roll out 2.3GHz gear on their towers you can bet they'll move this data traffic there.

Certain models of the Huawei B315 modem/router they (and Skinny and Vodafone) already use for wireless broadband are capable of TDD-LTE on 2.3GHz.

I hope that they build more cell sites because 1.8GHz struggles to reach my house which makes 2.3Ghz is out of the question. These are great moves by Spark but they need to start deploying 700MHz in urban areas which hilly terrane such as the Hutt Valley because God knows I've got no 4G signal and I certainly don't live in the wop-wops.

No 4G coverage for me in Stokes Valley. Even marginal 3G on the spark network according to the coverage map.

alasta

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#1526035 4-Apr-2016 21:44

kawaii:

I hope that they build more cell sites because 1.8GHz struggles to reach my house which makes 2.3Ghz is out of the question. These are great moves by Spark but they need to start deploying 700MHz in urban areas which hilly terrane such as the Hutt Valley because God knows I've got no 4G signal and I certainly don't live in the wop-wops.

If these fixed location 4G services become a mass market option then the telcos will probably need more towers anyway to build capacity. Otherwise existing infrastructure is going to get seriously congested at peak times, even if they do utilise newly available radio spectrum.

ajw

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#1526037 4-Apr-2016 21:58

Especially with the shorter reaches of 2300MHZ and 2600MHZ. Wonder if vfone will also pitch fixed wireless broadband to the residential market.

Wonder if they increase the caps to at least 200GIG per month.

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ajw

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#1526070 4-Apr-2016 22:46

ubergeeknz:

gorringS: Other things is they charging for extra for caller id call waiting and voice mail. All these service on voip should be included as doesn't cost for server generate them

The provision of said services do have a cost attached. Features often carry a licensing cost. In addition, some services require infrastructure - for example the provision of voicemail requires both storage and media resource.

Also the provider must supply support for those services, which costs: there is training and documentation for staff, and CSR time assisting customers with the setup and usage of these services.

At any rate - the price of any commodity is not dictated by cost, but by what consumers are willing to pay ;) I think you'll find that charging extra for these services is standard practice in the industry, even though there are a few exceptions.

Wonder how this ISP gets around it.

http://uber.co.nz/phone/

grant_k

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#1526072 4-Apr-2016 22:54

ajw:

ubergeeknz:

gorringS: Other things is they charging for extra for caller id call waiting and voice mail. All these service on voip should be included as doesn't cost for server generate them

The provision of said services do have a cost attached. Features often carry a licensing cost. In addition, some services require infrastructure - for example the provision of voicemail requires both storage and media resource.

Also the provider must supply support for those services, which costs: there is training and documentation for staff, and CSR time assisting customers with the setup and usage of these services.

At any rate - the price of any commodity is not dictated by cost, but by what consumers are willing to pay ;) I think you'll find that charging extra for these services is standard practice in the industry, even though there are a few exceptions.

Wonder how this ISP gets around it.

http://uber.co.nz/phone/

I'm pretty sure that Uber are a 2Talk reseller as when I call an Uber customer, it's classed as an 'On Net' call from my 2Talk line. From what I understand, 2Talk use a system based around Asterisk which is open source, hence they don't cop any of the licensing costs mentioned above.

The quality of service provided by 2Talk is excellent these days so long as you know what you're doing and don't need any support. So far as value for money goes, nobody comes close to 2Talk.

ajw

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#1526077 4-Apr-2016 23:00

I still wonder why supported VOIP is not offered by more providers. And if this ISP can use 2talk why not other providers.

grant_k

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#1526079 4-Apr-2016 23:08

ajw:

I still wonder why supported VOIP is not offered by more providers. And if this ISP can use 2talk why not other providers.

I know of at least 6 or 7 different ISPs reselling 2Talk; mostly using RBI infrastructure, but some also have their own networks. One of these ISPs told me that they got a significant number of support calls for their VoIP service and hence needed to add a decent margin above what 2Talk charged in order to cover costs. However, without reselling a VoIP service, wireless ISPs cannot offer a complete solution so it makes a lot of sense to do so, if they have enough expertise and manpower to support it.

sbiddle

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#1526153 5-Apr-2016 08:15

ajw:

I still wonder why supported VOIP is not offered by more providers. And if this ISP can use 2talk why not other providers.

Lots do resell 2talk.

sbiddle

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#1526155 5-Apr-2016 08:17

ajw:

Especially with the shorter reaches of 2300MHZ and 2600MHZ. Wonder if vfone will also pitch fixed wireless broadband to the residential market.

Wonder if they increase the caps to at least 200GIG per month.

Vodafone will be planning the same with their 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum. Their problem is 3.5GHz is not ready for mass market deployments yet due to lack of CPE support.

While I applaud Spark for what they're doing the bigger picture here is the heist of the century. While many regard this to be the Dick Smith selloff, it's actually the fact Spark managed to acquire a big block of spectrum for probably a minimum of 1/10th of what it was worth had this gone to auction. This is a big loss to the taxpayer.

ajw

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#1526163 5-Apr-2016 08:35

sbiddle:

ajw:

Especially with the shorter reaches of 2300MHZ and 2600MHZ. Wonder if vfone will also pitch fixed wireless broadband to the residential market.

Wonder if they increase the caps to at least 200GIG per month.

Vodafone will be planning the same with their 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum. Their problem is 3.5GHz is not ready for mass market deployments yet due to lack of CPE support.

While I applaud Spark for what they're doing the bigger picture here is the heist of the century. While many regard this to be the Dick Smith selloff, it's actually the fact Spark managed to acquire a big block of spectrum for probably a minimum of 1/10th of what it was worth had this gone to auction. This is a big loss to the taxpayer.

Both companies will have to spend millions rolling out new transmission sites for this service to cover urban areas throughout the country. And price it competitively with fixed line services.

Another shortcoming of this wireless service will be not being able to offer high usage caps.

sbiddle

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#1526171 5-Apr-2016 08:48

ajw:

Both companies will have to spend millions rolling out new transmission sites for this service to cover urban areas throughout the country.

For most sites it'll be very cost effective enabling 2300, with the major work being additional panels required on some sites. Single RAN makes life very easy.

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