Telecom 4G launch 12 Nov 2013

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#931850 13-Nov-2013 08:55

JonoNZ:
w2krules: Most interesting. Now I know why I haven't been able to get 4G/LTE overseas, even using other carrier's SIMs. Maybe a little note in the box to say 4G is disabled would have been helpful. Thanks Telecom.

Apple Store for the next iPhone we buy...

You should not be having any issues with a Telecom supplied iPhone 5/5S/5C. Install a 4G SIM, activate the SIM, then restart the phone...and it just works.

Nope. Had to upgrade to iOS 7 to get new carrier settings to enable 4G. I wasn't ready to change to iOS 7; the whole exercise has been a time wasting PITA that I didn't need weeks out from Christmas and I really wish I hadn't been sucked in by the Telecom 4G ads. And I don't like iOS 7 - it looks like yet another signpost on the road downhill for Apple.

Please take note Telecomers, this was not a "smooth customer experience" that I was expecting. To be fair, I went through something similar with Vodafone during their early 3G period with dropped calls etc.

I was a geek before the word was invented!

old3eyes

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#931851 13-Nov-2013 08:56

freitasm:

yggdrasil: The phone was fully paid for with no subsidy (precisely so that I could change carriers if I wished) so I'm not trying to pull a fast one on another company. Shouldn't Telecom be able to help with this? Behodar said above that the Telecom site said that software updates for "all 4g compatible devices" would be made available (where is that link, BTW?). Telecom has been aggressively trying to get customer to switch to its network, doesn't that mean that customers who switch (like I did a few months ago) should be able to use their existing 4g devices?

No, Telecom is not required to help with this. Take Vodafone HD voice for example. Although my (Telecom sourced) Nokia Lumia 1020 handles HD voice perfectly it is not in the list of devices they announced - because it's not a device they have tested and they won't say "yes" or "no" on something they haven't tested.

If anyone buys a handset from Telecom (or Vodafone) and it fails to provide a service that it is listed for then one has a right to complain. Third party handsets on the other hand (parallel imported or non-network handsets) is another case.

For example the LG G2 box says it supports LTE, and the device is only sold through Harvey Norman. I got one here for review a couple of days ago. I put the Telecom 4G SIM I have been using in the trial and nothing changed. I was able to enable LTE via its service menu but it goes away after a reboot. Should Telecom provide support on a handset they don't distribute or should LG release an update?

No, I don't think so.

So all those people buying the "world" version of the Nexus 5 are screwed if it doesn't work on Telecom or Vodafone??

Regards,

Old3eyes

Dingbatt

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#931874 13-Nov-2013 09:20

plambrechtsen:
ajobbins:
Dingbatt: There is no 'customer experience', beyond being able to select Auto GSM/WCDMA/LTE in the Mobile Settings menu.

Absolutely correct. There is NO TECHNICAL REASON to disable this in firmware. It's done for commercial reasons, and commercial reasons only.

I've gone to a Nexus 5. Carrier devices and firmware are a joke. Even my last phone (Galaxy S3) was an un carrier branded version and it worked 100% fine on a number of networks.

I look forward to both of you spending say, half an hour with the device testing team to see how completely incorrect both of your views are.

I am personally in complete agreement with any Telco (be it Telecom, Vodafone or 2D) deciding to disable features that aren't supported on their networks.

Is it better to satisfy the minority (sorry but it's the truth!) of ~~geeks~~ customers who desire the 4G option enabled out of the box on the phone when it could mean the phone accidentally tries to connect to the test network, locks onto another carrier, drops data more often due to switching or a whole myriad of other issues impacting ALL customers. Taking the pragmatic approach of waiting until the phone has been tested and approved to work correctly on the network the provider sold the phone on.

The other wrinkle is that for Android phones the images first need to be signed off by Telecom, then Google and then the OEM which all takes time which never helps.

Feel free to read this TelecomTech blog post from last year discussing the issue in detail: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/TelecomTech/8182

Thank you it would be great to visit the testing lab :-)
It is interesting that the link you give is from a year ago when there was a very similar discussion about the length of time it was taking for a firmware update to make its way to the HTC One X. So I was happy to sit and wait for updates ( after some convincing). But look at this from the point of view of HTC One owners, particularly non geek ones. We have been encouraged to upgrade and activate our sims and then enjoy 4G from launch day. There was no mention, no asterixed note, saying subject to firmware update availability. So non geeks are probably bewildered as to why they can't get 4G when their colleague at the next desk with a different handset is able to get Telecom 4G. It is embarrassing to me when I have been an advocate for both Telecom and HTC handsets.
I said in an earlier post that I wasn't holding my breath for the update. And that is true, but this is as much a communication failure on Telecom's part, as it is on the serpentine nature of Android updates.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

redskt

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#931899 13-Nov-2013 09:41

plambrechtsen:
redskt: I haven't received my 4G SIM card yet, though I ordered it online about a week and a half ago. Oddly enough I do have the option to toggle 4G on and off on my phone.

Should I go down to a Telecom store and ask for a 4G sim swap or does the 4G toggle mean I can use 4G tomorrow without a sim swap?

You will need a 4G SIM (or it must have 640500219xxx) number range, with the 9 of the 219 being the important bit. The IMSI should be a 53005219xxx with again the 9 of the 219 indicating it's a 4G sim.

Should be able to go into any retail store and do the swap on the spot.

After receiving the sim in the mail this morning (finally!) I activated it, put it in my phone. Noticed the 4G icon, but also noticed that my phone number has changed from 0274xx to 0278xx. Is this some sort of glitch, or does it mean that it hasn't been properly activated yet? About 15 minutes has passed since I activated the sim.

plambrechtsen

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#931902 13-Nov-2013 09:42

old3eyes: So all those people buying the "world" version of the Nexus 5 are screwed if it doesn't work on Telecom or Vodafone??

Effectively yes, You would need to take the phone back to the company you purchased it off (namely Google or 2D as I believe they are stocking it).

Traditionally you will receive "best efforts" support on the phone and in store. IE the store person will assist you the best they can to configure the phone to get it working on the network. But if some features (like MMS, 4G, Tethering, HD Voice to name but a few) doesn't work with your phone but it does work with the sim you have in a Telecom supplied phone then you are on your own. In much the same way that if you purchased a Ford car, would you take it into Holden and expect them to swap out the engine to make it run on LPG when you were running on Petrol?

A similar situation occurs when rooting your phone. If you choose to root your own phone you take the responsibility for it's ongoing support / maintenance and have voided your warranty.

gajan

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#931908 13-Nov-2013 09:48

redskt:
After receiving the sim in the mail this morning (finally!) I activated it, put it in my phone. Noticed the 4G icon, but also noticed that my phone number has changed from 0274xx to 0278xx. Is this some sort of glitch, or does it mean that it hasn't been properly activated yet? About 15 minutes has passed since I activated the sim.

That should not be happening, you will need to contact us to get that looked into - I'm assuming you entered in your phone details when you requested your new SIM.

My comments and remarks are not necessarily of my employer.

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Yabanize

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#931933 13-Nov-2013 10:17

sbiddle:
yggdrasil: I went to Noel Leeming, and when they looked it up, they told me I had got a 'Vodafone model'. Shortly after, the Telecom tech called me back to say that because it was not a "Telecom sourced device" they could not help me. Period. She gave me the number of a Samsung support line (looks like an overseas number) and that was it.

All devices are not created equal. There is customisation that goes into phone firmware to ensure that the device is fully compatible with the network that it's being used on. One other such example is fast dormancy - use a phone with this enabled on a network that doesn't support it and you'll find your battery life suffers significantly.

This is the very reason why models are sold in stores normally with very clear branding. If you buy a phone for one network and use it on another there is no guarantee that everything will work fine - this isn't anything new, it's been the case for 10+ years. The one exception to this is Apple where a lot more of the settings are controlled from the carrier pack which can easily updated easier.

Operator testing of firmware is something that is *very* important. The consequences of this can be degradation of a network for all users, something that's happened on a couple of occasions where Apple have deployed iOS updates that have had a major impact on network resources due to changes to the signaling.

Not clear enough, Someone I know asked for a telecom s4 at Harvey Norman and got a 2degrees one. The boxes arent labled and she had no idea until I checked *#1234#

Talkiet

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#931935 13-Nov-2013 10:19

Yabanize:
sbiddle:
yggdrasil: I went to Noel Leeming, and when they looked it up, they told me I had got a 'Vodafone model'. Shortly after, the Telecom tech called me back to say that because it was not a "Telecom sourced device" they could not help me. Period. She gave me the number of a Samsung support line (looks like an overseas number) and that was it.

All devices are not created equal. There is customisation that goes into phone firmware to ensure that the device is fully compatible with the network that it's being used on. One other such example is fast dormancy - use a phone with this enabled on a network that doesn't support it and you'll find your battery life suffers significantly.

This is the very reason why models are sold in stores normally with very clear branding. If you buy a phone for one network and use it on another there is no guarantee that everything will work fine - this isn't anything new, it's been the case for 10+ years. The one exception to this is Apple where a lot more of the settings are controlled from the carrier pack which can easily updated easier.

Operator testing of firmware is something that is *very* important. The consequences of this can be degradation of a network for all users, something that's happened on a couple of occasions where Apple have deployed iOS updates that have had a major impact on network resources due to changes to the signaling.

Not clear enough, Someone I know asked for a telecom s4 at Harvey Norman and got a 2degrees one. The boxes arent labled and she had no idea until I checked *#1234#

Steve meant as far as product promotion goes... It's Harvey Norman's issue if their stock control allows them to sell Item B when the customer has purchased Item A.

Cheers -N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Yabanize

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#932925 13-Nov-2013 10:27

Would be cool if we had multi-csc in NZ

Anyway, Why wouldnt a vodafone one work? is the 4g configured slightly different?

nunasdream

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#932926 13-Nov-2013 10:32

Went and got a SIM card. Works perfectly in my Xperia Z which I imported. Really happy, it's so much faster.

sbiddle

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#932935 13-Nov-2013 10:42

Yabanize:
sbiddle:
yggdrasil: I went to Noel Leeming, and when they looked it up, they told me I had got a 'Vodafone model'. Shortly after, the Telecom tech called me back to say that because it was not a "Telecom sourced device" they could not help me. Period. She gave me the number of a Samsung support line (looks like an overseas number) and that was it.

All devices are not created equal. There is customisation that goes into phone firmware to ensure that the device is fully compatible with the network that it's being used on. One other such example is fast dormancy - use a phone with this enabled on a network that doesn't support it and you'll find your battery life suffers significantly.

This is the very reason why models are sold in stores normally with very clear branding. If you buy a phone for one network and use it on another there is no guarantee that everything will work fine - this isn't anything new, it's been the case for 10+ years. The one exception to this is Apple where a lot more of the settings are controlled from the carrier pack which can easily updated easier.

Operator testing of firmware is something that is *very* important. The consequences of this can be degradation of a network for all users, something that's happened on a couple of occasions where Apple have deployed iOS updates that have had a major impact on network resources due to changes to the signaling.

Not clear enough, Someone I know asked for a telecom s4 at Harvey Norman and got a 2degrees one. The boxes arent labled and she had no idea until I checked *#1234#

Harvey Norman stock both and the 2degrees one is $50 more expensive. Sounds like they have very poor internal inventory systems. Did they take it back for a refund?

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redskt

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#932963 13-Nov-2013 11:24

gajan:
redskt:
After receiving the sim in the mail this morning (finally!) I activated it, put it in my phone. Noticed the 4G icon, but also noticed that my phone number has changed from 0274xx to 0278xx. Is this some sort of glitch, or does it mean that it hasn't been properly activated yet? About 15 minutes has passed since I activated the sim.

That should not be happening, you will need to contact us to get that looked into - I'm assuming you entered in your phone details when you requested your new SIM.

Thanks for the confirmation. Yes, I did put in my 0274 number when I requested the 4G sim from Telecom's website.

Called Telecom's SIM activation number again after reading your message. Seems that the guys who mailed the sim sent a loaded sim than a blank one. The nice lady at Telecom disconnected the number from the 4G sim and put my 0274 number on there. Works flawlessly, including 4G :)

bmt

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#933052 13-Nov-2013 12:54

Pretty ridiculous it takes a large dedicated engineering team months to get 4G working on a single phone..

JarrodM

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#933060 13-Nov-2013 13:04

finally managed to get some 4G coverage. seems non-existent for me along courtney place and manners street, found some 4G up at uni at kelburn before my exam. had it all the way back down dixon street, til cuba street when the telecom wifi took over didn't connect back to 4G after though.
to be fair it looks like the places I said it seemed to have non-existent coverage the maps say limited coverage. so can't have too many complaints.

MikeB4

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#933061 13-Nov-2013 13:04

bmt: Pretty ridiculous it takes a large dedicated engineering team months to get 4G working on a single phone..

I am sure the Telecom Team would love for you to enlightened and enrich their knowledge of the establishment of Mobile networks.. Please share

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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