'97% coverage' - how big is that 3%?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › '97% coverage' - how big is that 3%?

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Anaraith

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#221713 4-Jun-2009 17:01

Paulthagerous: There are XT coverage maps here:

http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/ournetwork/coverage?nv=sd

PS I was on Facebook on my XT phone all the way from Waterloo to Wellington by train today, and it seemed to work fine the whole time

Just a heads up to anyone looking at this map of coverage, don't. Its not accurate what so ever where I have tested it. Around where I live I am in the so called "Good coverage" area, however my house only has 2 bars and most of the neighbore hood where I live has 0 reception and I have to wait all day to get home to check my txts. The whole time this is happening the old Telecom has decent reception and Vodafone has maxed reception. I also have to turn my phone (R6) on then off for it to pick up the reception or it will say Limited Service forever.

I have told everyone I know to hold off joining the new XT network untill Telecom make it useable because all it has caused me is frustration. The only reason I got a XT phone is because my phone broke a few days before its release and when I went in to get a new phone I was told I could only get XT as they no longer sold their old phones, they could have told us this prior.

What also annoyed me is how they didn't announce the change of their prepaid plans. As I was purchasing my phone was the first time I was told of new prepaid plans which I wouldn't have minded if they wern't total rip offs. I now pay $18 over my $10 for less txts and less coverage. I suppose this is typical Telecom tho eh? Hyping us all up and then giving us a horrible product and service for a higher price.

I hope Telecom decide to improve or atleast remove their ads about being faster in more places, because it is all a giant lie.

scottjpalmer

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#221716 4-Jun-2009 17:11

Over 25,000 people have made the move already, if it was that doom and gloom I'm pretty sure the country would be hearing a lot more about it

Anaraith

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#221720 4-Jun-2009 17:23

I'm just stating the truth. How many people moved onto Telecoms Go Large plan and suffered bad internet? Same company, same poor service.

w2krules

492 posts

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#221726 4-Jun-2009 17:36

I think it will be some time before the XT network has as good coverage as CDMA. In Oz, the government made Telstra improve their Next G coverage before they were allowed to turn off CDMA.

The Warehouse still have CDMA phones. Or you can buy one on TradeMe - I'm sure there will be plenty for sale!

I was a geek before the word was invented!

digitaldivide

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#221770 4-Jun-2009 19:56

If you buy a datacard, and cannot obtain sufficient WCDMA reception at the stationary address that you use the datacard, you can return the datacard to the store within 7 days.

The same applies when you travel a static route each day (for example, on a train) and WCDMA reception is unreasonably available most of the time (within reason).

With 6 months of network optimisation to occur between now and Christmas, and WCDMA 2100 being added in some locations, the network will change - mostly for the better.

In regards to the live, work and play this means:
Residential locations (live), CBD/drive routes/airports (work) and skifields/coastal/holiday spots (play).

freitasm

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#221810 4-Jun-2009 21:55

Anaraith: I'm just stating the truth. How many people moved onto Telecoms Go Large plan and suffered bad internet? Same company, same poor service.

It is a very different story...

First The Go Large plan was "managed". They recognised there were problems with the management and decided to allow people to move plans without penalties, and even paid some compensation. Whoever stayed on Go Large is because they know it's unlimited download (unmetered) with slower speeds.

There's nothing wrong there. The company admited what was wrong, provided repair and grandfathered the plan.

As for XT Network, their initial coverage is really good for what I've used so far, comparable is most cases to CDMA. Unless you have a very specific case, there's no reason not to move, if you are ready to do it.

johnr

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#221817 4-Jun-2009 22:05

Give them a chance to fine tune the network with users on it

John

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paradoxsm

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#221833 4-Jun-2009 22:32

I have two pretty much "identical" devices, Nokia 6121 on Vodafone and Nokia 6120 on Telecom.

XT coverage seems to be identical to the old CDMA coverage in the places I frequent.

However at home, Johnsonville-khandallah areas,
Telecom - XT and CDMA is next to non-existent, calls pretty much fail, XT can hold a call on headset upstairs.

Vodafone - I get a good GSM 900 signal and a weak UMTS 2100 signal and can place and make calls reliably on GSM.

I got a UMTS-900MHz Vodafone signal all the way from Paraparaumu to Foxton two days back, a week ago, this was just GSM for much of the way.

paradoxsm

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#221835 4-Jun-2009 22:37

Nearest CDMA/XT sites are in Ngauranga gorge and Johnsonville, nearest Vodafone known site is beside the CDMA/XT in the gorge.

sbiddle

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#221869 5-Jun-2009 06:45

w2krules: I think it will be some time before the XT network has as good coverage as CDMA. In Oz, the government made Telstra improve their Next G coverage before they were allowed to turn off CDMA.

It wasn't quite as simple as that. Next G coverage exceeded CDMA coverage at launch in terms of % coverage.

It wasn't delayed because the Government made them improve their coverage, it was simply that the government imposed such strict testing that areas were found that needed fine tuning. When you look at the size of the network and the fact Telstra deployed the world's largest ever UMTS network within 9 months of signing a contract that's hardly unexpected.

sbiddle

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#221870 5-Jun-2009 06:51

Paulthagerous: There are XT coverage maps here:

http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/ournetwork/coverage?nv=sd

PS I was on Facebook on my XT phone all the way from Waterloo to Wellington by train today, and it seemed to work fine the whole time

I actually tried running CellTrack on my E71 on VF. While catching the train into town from Melling last night. Signal is pretty much rock solid 100% at around -91dBm. I actually maintained a data session the whole way however directly south of the Ngauranga tunnel there was a spot when you're next to the Paraparaumu line where signal did drop down to around -109dBm which would drop a call.

Signal went straight back up again when it handed over to the Railyards site on Old Hutt Rd however it was a wee bit on the low side until I hit Kaiwharawhara stn which is ~20 seconds or so.

XT definately wins here, probably just because of the location of the Ngauranga site in Jarden Mile and the 850 penetrating the rain tunnel a little better.

w2krules

492 posts

Ultimate Geek

#221941 5-Jun-2009 10:45

sbiddle:
w2krules: I think it will be some time before the XT network has as good coverage as CDMA. In Oz, the government made Telstra improve their Next G coverage before they were allowed to turn off CDMA.

It wasn't quite as simple as that. Next G coverage exceeded CDMA coverage at launch in terms of % coverage.

It wasn't delayed because the Government made them improve their coverage, it was simply that the government imposed such strict testing that areas were found that needed fine tuning. When you look at the size of the network and the fact Telstra deployed the world's largest ever UMTS network within 9 months of signing a contract that's hardly unexpected.

Thank you for clarifying this. Maybe I should have been more precise in my wording, but the point I was trying to make is that the XT network will improve over the next few months as Telecom tune it.

I was a geek before the word was invented!

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