Telecom introduces unlimited broadband data plan

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom introduces unlimited broadband data plan

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#1029978 23-Apr-2014 18:06

Yabanize:
NonprayingMantis:

Telecom's 'TV' business is going to be OTT (like Netflix, itunes etc), it's not IPTV multicast (like Vodafone), which means it uses data just like any other normal part of the internet. Not suprising therefore that they launch an unlimited plan just a few months before that business launches as they will want as many people to buy the streaming video service as possible.

I thought vodafone just did cable tv, am i missing something here?

they also do Multicast over UFB (only in auckland currently if im not mistaken)..

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mAYH3M

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#1029998 23-Apr-2014 18:17

So under traffic management will they shape local traffic also or is it just the international traffic ?

sbiddle

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#1029999 23-Apr-2014 18:18

hio77:
Yabanize:
NonprayingMantis:

Telecom's 'TV' business is going to be OTT (like Netflix, itunes etc), it's not IPTV multicast (like Vodafone), which means it uses data just like any other normal part of the internet. Not suprising therefore that they launch an unlimited plan just a few months before that business launches as they will want as many people to buy the streaming video service as possible.

I thought vodafone just did cable tv, am i missing something here?

they also do Multicast over UFB (only in auckland currently if im not mistaken)..

It's available in all Chorus areas.

hio77

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#1030001 23-Apr-2014 18:21

sbiddle:
hio77:
Yabanize:
NonprayingMantis:

Telecom's 'TV' business is going to be OTT (like Netflix, itunes etc), it's not IPTV multicast (like Vodafone), which means it uses data just like any other normal part of the internet. Not suprising therefore that they launch an unlimited plan just a few months before that business launches as they will want as many people to buy the streaming video service as possible.

I thought vodafone just did cable tv, am i missing something here?

they also do Multicast over UFB (only in auckland currently if im not mistaken)..

It's available in all Chorus areas.

yep, so i just read on their site.

could have swarn i read it was only in auckland!

"Vodafone fibre areas of Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North and Dunedin."

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

NonprayingMantis

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#1030010 23-Apr-2014 18:28

hio77:
sbiddle:
hio77:
Yabanize:
NonprayingMantis:

Telecom's 'TV' business is going to be OTT (like Netflix, itunes etc), it's not IPTV multicast (like Vodafone), which means it uses data just like any other normal part of the internet. Not suprising therefore that they launch an unlimited plan just a few months before that business launches as they will want as many people to buy the streaming video service as possible.

I thought vodafone just did cable tv, am i missing something here?

they also do Multicast over UFB (only in auckland currently if im not mistaken)..

It's available in all Chorus areas.

yep, so i just read on their site.

could have swarn i read it was only in auckland!

"Vodafone fibre areas of Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North and Dunedin."

it is indeed.

regardless, the point is that they have a TV service that doesn't require 'normal' broadband data, so having datacaps benefits them because it makes it harder for people to use alternatives (like netflix, Telecom's thing, iTunes etc).
No other major ISP in NZ has that situation, and all major ISPs (except VF) have unlimited data plans.

I guess Vf are a bit stuck now between a rock and a hard place.

they don't want to do unlimited, because it means their TV product becomes much less valuable (and that was basically the entire reason for spooging $800m on telstraclear), but if they don't do it, they get squeezed out of the broadband market overall and become known as the only ISP without an unlimited plan.

Rudder

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#1030012 23-Apr-2014 18:29

Just a heads up. The pricing online for changing your data plan is incorrect and it sounds like they are not honoring it. I have to wait until Saturday to hear back.

I'm currently on Naked 150GB and want to upgrade to unlimited. The change form at "https://www.telecom.co.nz/broadband/change" says it is an extra $10 per month. However I filled out the form and then phoned to check and they said when it changes it will be an extra $20 per month not the $10 it says (Because the naked broadband discount drops from $30 to $20). So they want me to pay an extra $120 a year I didn't agree to because their pricing is wrong. I think I will be undoing the data change as they are not honoring it.

Unlimited VDSL pricing error

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#1030028 23-Apr-2014 19:09

Rudder: Just a heads up. The pricing online for changing your data plan is incorrect and it sounds like they are not honoring it. I have to wait until Saturday to hear back.

I'm currently on Naked 150GB and want to upgrade to unlimited. The change form at "https://www.telecom.co.nz/broadband/change" says it is an extra $10 per month. However I filled out the form and then phoned to check and they said when it changes it will be an extra $20 per month not the $10 it says (Because the naked broadband discount drops from $30 to $20). So they want me to pay an extra $120 a year I didn't agree to because their pricing is wrong. I think I will be undoing the data change as they are not honoring it.

"Home package" so comes with phone. The pricing is incorrect there and since the pricing is clear on the website no, they do not have to honor a clear mistake.

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#1030043 23-Apr-2014 19:22

Oh dear I can hear the Conklins crying now. This shouldn't be available on BUBA, although understand how hard that would be to implement.

Very bold move by Telecom though, and for those on the 500GB plans, a wait and see approach makes sense given the history.

JimmyH

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#1030045 23-Apr-2014 19:26

I'm quite interested in this, since I'm contemplating going to Netflix.

However, I will wait and see for a few months first. I want to see how bad people are finding their traffic shaping in practice, and whether they come in with fair use guidelines that neuter the whole offering, before I make a switch.

solaybro

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#1030049 23-Apr-2014 19:33

I would really like to move but their VDSL always finishes last on True Net's tests.

sbiddle

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#1030053 23-Apr-2014 19:38

NonprayingMantis:

regardless, the point is that they have a TV service that doesn't require 'normal' broadband data, so having datacaps benefits them because it makes it harder for people to use alternatives (like netflix, Telecom's thing, iTunes etc).
No other major ISP in NZ has that situation, and all major ISPs (except VF) have unlimited data plans.

I guess Vf are a bit stuck now between a rock and a hard place.

they don't want to do unlimited, because it means their TV product becomes much less valuable (and that was basically the entire reason for spooging $800m on telstraclear), but if they don't do it, they get squeezed out of the broadband market overall and become known as the only ISP without an unlimited plan.

All of which is a completely moot point, simply because VF have deployed a solution that simply could not work efficiently if it was not delivered using multicast. To knock them for that is crazy. There is no other efficient way of delivering over 700Mbps worth of content to potentially tens of thousands of users.

Right now VF are precisely where they need to be in the TV space. Nobody else in the market has the ability to take out Sky with a single blow so it's very lucky for Sky that John's still CEO and still good friends with Rusty.

NonprayingMantis

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#1030073 23-Apr-2014 20:14

sbiddle:
NonprayingMantis:

regardless, the point is that they have a TV service that doesn't require 'normal' broadband data, so having datacaps benefits them because it makes it harder for people to use alternatives (like netflix, Telecom's thing, iTunes etc).
No other major ISP in NZ has that situation, and all major ISPs (except VF) have unlimited data plans.

I guess Vf are a bit stuck now between a rock and a hard place.

they don't want to do unlimited, because it means their TV product becomes much less valuable (and that was basically the entire reason for spooging $800m on telstraclear), but if they don't do it, they get squeezed out of the broadband market overall and become known as the only ISP without an unlimited plan.

All of which is a completely moot point, simply because VF have deployed a solution that simply could not work efficiently if it was not delivered using multicast. To knock them for that is crazy. There is no other efficient way of delivering over 700Mbps worth of content to potentially tens of thousands of users.

Right now VF are precisely where they need to be in the TV space. Nobody else in the market has the ability to take out Sky with a single blow so it's very lucky for Sky that John's still CEO and still good friends with Rusty.

Nobody is knocking them for doing that, or saying they shouldn't do it via multicast, but the fact that they have done it puts them in the position where moving to unlimited data will undermine some of the benefits of doing it (specifically the benefit about it being 'unmetered')
It's the same reason why US ISPs are all moving towards datacaps - because they all have multicast or variations of it, and so datacaps help stop their pay tv revenues from being eroded by netflix etc.

Stan

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#1030078 23-Apr-2014 20:22

I trust telecom enough to make the change from my current plan 500gb capped plan to the new unlimited plan.
If slingshot and orcon can do it telecom should be able to pull it off.

sbiddle

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#1030081 23-Apr-2014 20:29

Stan: I trust telecom enough to make the change from my current plan 500gb capped plan to the new unlimited plan.
If slingshot and orcon can do it telecom should be able to pull it off.

Slingshot and Orcon are very different - their customer base combined doesn't even get close to making them 1/3 the size of Telecom.

This in itself could be both a good thing or a bad thing. The many leeches out there who spend their entire life downloading Linux ISO's just because they can (no idea when people ever find time to watch them) will probably go with the cheapest flat rate option out there, which means they potentially won't impact Telecom. On the other hand Telecom could end up with a lot back which could cause problems.

You really have to remember that despite most US internet users having 250-300GB caps on their "unlimited" plans, they're still only using on average about 1/10th of that.

NonprayingMantis

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#1030084 23-Apr-2014 20:40

sbiddle:

Stan: I trust telecom enough to make the change from my current plan 500gb capped plan to the new unlimited plan.
If slingshot and orcon can do it telecom should be able to pull it off.

Slingshot and Orcon are very different - their customer base combined doesn't even get close to making them 1/3 the size of Telecom.

This in itself could be both a good thing or a bad thing. The many leeches out there who spend their entire life downloading Linux ISO's just because they can (no idea when people ever find time to watch them) will probably go with the cheapest flat rate option out there, which means they potentially won't impact Telecom. On the other hand Telecom could end up with a lot back which could cause problems.

You really have to remember that despite most US internet users having 250-300GB caps on their "unlimited" plans, they're still only using on average about 1/10th of that.

It's more than that now, tracking up about 40-50% year on year (but yes, your point is still valid)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Sandvine-Mean-Monthly-Usage-447-GB-124396

"...video dominates Internet traffic, as file sharing networks share of overall traffic continues to fall. According to the company, mean usage on fixed line networks is now 44.7 GB per month, a 39 percent jump from the 32.1 GB per month recorded this time last year. Median bandwidth usage clocked in at 18.2 GB, up from 10.3 GB one year earlier. On wireless networks, mean usage was 390.1 MB, while median usage was 58.7 MB (clearly there's still a lot of feature phone users out there)."

The median being much lower than the mean means there are a few very high users, and lots and lots of teeny tiny users (it would presumably include all the connections that have no activity, or are just used by nanny for the odd email)

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