Spark, no more copper Lines

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networkn

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Topic # 223832 19-Oct-2017 12:26

Hi.

I was told by Vodafone that as of Monday next week, there will be no new copper connections being provisioned by Spark, and as such, Vodafone would not be doing them either. Considering discontinuation of copper is quite a few years away, that seems a little strange. Esp given that Fibre isn't available everywhere (mine isn't here till end of 2019 at home). He was pushing me very hard to switch to hosted PBX ip solutions and I am wondering he was misunderstanding the situation?

@jasonparis could you clarify please?

Wheelbarrow01

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Reply # 1886238 19-Oct-2017 12:46

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Sounds like rubbish to me. If it were true, I would have seen a Spark employee informer by now, and there has been no such informer released to Spark staff that I am aware of.

One of my colleagues works exclusively on provisioning of copper network build jobs (mostly for business customers). If this is true, he would be out of a job as of Monday - but he's had no such news, so it seems safe to say this appears to be pure scare mongering in order to get a sale.

[EDIT: Fixed appalling grammar lol]

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Spark NZ Ltd

networkn

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Reply # 1886241 19-Oct-2017 12:48

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Wheelbarrow01: Sounds like rubbish to me. If it were true, I would have seen a Spark employee informer by now, and there has been no such informer released Spark staff that I am aware of. One of my colleagues works exclusively on provisioning of copper network build jobs (mostly for business customers). If this is true, he would out of a job on Monday - but he's had no such news, so it seems safe to say this appears to be pure scare mongering in order to get a sale.

Thanks, I could smell the distinct whiff of sales BS while he was talking but before I ream him good, thought I'd better check the facts.

mclean

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Reply # 1886869 20-Oct-2017 12:39

On new commercial buildings we have completed in the last 12 months (as consulting engineers) we have not been able to get copper connections, only UFB. It may depend on whether there is copper infrastructure very close by, but if there isn't it seem like you can't have copper. This has forced all the fire alarm, security and lift installers to change their comms gear to cellular because they don't work over fibre. Maybe someone from Chorus could comment?

McLean

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Reply # 1886898 20-Oct-2017 12:52

mclean:

On new commercial buildings we have completed in the last 12 months (as consulting engineers) we have not been able to get copper connections, only UFB. It may depend on whether there is copper infrastructure very close by, but if there isn't it seem like you can't have copper. This has forced all the fire alarm, security and lift installers to change their comms gear to cellular because they don't work over fibre. Maybe someone from Chorus could comment?

on a new build, this makes sense.

in terms of spark provisioning no more copper lines as of monday, Can't say i've heard a sniff of it aswell.

Interesting sales tact, likely benefits vodafone far greater :)

#include <std_disclaimer>

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

cr250bromo

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Reply # 1886907 20-Oct-2017 13:12

My work has an E1 with 10 channels active (don't laugh). I asked about taking it down to say two basic rate ISDN to save a bit. Vodafone said they couldn't provision any new ISDN connections but when I contacted Spark they said it was no problem... I mentioned to our VF account manager and he said if I could sell you something I would. So not sure where in VF this is coming from but seems like a similar scenario.

Edited to say this isn't our primary connection, just for residual stuff like fire alarms with dial-up modems in them (!) which will hopefully disappear in time

chevrolux

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Reply # 1886913 20-Oct-2017 13:15

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We have been getting a few push backs from Chorus when requesting new DSL's in fibre areas - makes sense. But we just have to give a good reason and it gets installed no problem.

But no more POTS line?... please... purely a sales tactic and a bad one at best! Ring Spark and stop doing business with Vodafone.

networkn

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Reply # 1886916 20-Oct-2017 13:20

chevrolux:

We have been getting a few push backs from Chorus when requesting new DSL's in fibre areas - makes sense. But we just have to give a good reason and it gets installed no problem.

But no more POTS line?... please... purely a sales tactic and a bad one at best! Ring Spark and stop doing business with Vodafone.

I tried! They didn't want my business, weren't competitive.

antoniosk

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Reply # 1886932 20-Oct-2017 13:29

cr250bromo:
My work has an E1 with 10 channels active (don't laugh). I asked about taking it down to say two basic rate ISDN to save a bit. Vodafone said they couldn't provision any new ISDN connections but when I contacted Spark they said it was no problem... I mentioned to our VF account manager and he said if I could sell you something I would. So not sure where in VF this is coming from but seems like a similar scenario.

Edited to say this isn't our primary connection, just for residual stuff like fire alarms with dial-up modems in them (!) which will hopefully disappear in time

It might have been one supplied by TelstraClear rather than wholesaler from spark. Changing to a basic rate mean having correct line cards in the cabinet etc.... something tcl was never the best at maintaining.

________

old3eyes

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Reply # 1887105 20-Oct-2017 19:37

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cr250bromo:
My work has an E1 with 10 channels active (don't laugh). I asked about taking it down to say two basic rate ISDN to save a bit. Vodafone said they couldn't provision any new ISDN connections but when I contacted Spark they said it was no problem... I mentioned to our VF account manager and he said if I could sell you something I would. So not sure where in VF this is coming from but seems like a similar scenario.

Edited to say this isn't our primary connection, just for residual stuff like fire alarms with dial-up modems in them (!) which will hopefully disappear in time

If your office has E1 I suspect that the PBX is quite old and may not be able to get ISDN line cards.

Regards,

Old3eyes

cr250bromo

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Reply # 1887228 21-Oct-2017 08:52

I look after the phone system where I work - 3000 IP phones, 600 analog ports, 100 channels using VF Office Link (SIP). The E1 is just for a few remaining services like fax (yes some people still use them!) and a few other odd things like fire alarms. I am hoping everything will disappear over the next few years, just a shame it looked like it was going to be too hard to change to a basic rate.

atomeara

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Reply # 1888013 23-Oct-2017 10:47

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There is a difference between what a RSP (Spark, Vodafone, 2talk, Callplus, Slingshot, Kordia, etc, etc) will sell to you vs what they can buy from Chorus as a service. Not everyone sells every Chorus service.
There are also multiple ways to deliver ISDN, some RSPs put a SIP to E1 gateway at your office and run it over a IP network.
I understand you can no longer buy new "pure" ISDN Primary rates. I think you can buy ISDN Basic rates (I suspect there days are numbered too)

I have tried to get copper lines into a few places over the last few years.

(Not that I want copper in but customers want it)

New subdivisions that are fibre only are pretty much a total no. I had a place in Wynyard Quarter where the refused as well.
Chorus are avoiding putting copper in. I have heard a few data centres are full and they will not run more copper in.

Other places I have had pricing starting at around $2,500 and up.

Rural areas sometimes copper is the only option, as fibre is 6 figures.

Generally the only people with copper lines these days I deal with is for faxes. There are a number of good fax to email services out there, at about 1/5 the price of a POTS line.
However email to fax is a bit more clunky.

Almost all new phone systems are SIP, very few people seem set on moving there legacy PABX now days too.

Fire alarms I am pretty sure is all celluar and there are plenty of 3G/GPRS or IP for security alarm monitoring.

matisyahu

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Reply # 1888196 23-Oct-2017 18:15

networkn:

Wheelbarrow01: Sounds like rubbish to me. If it were true, I would have seen a Spark employee informer by now, and there has been no such informer released Spark staff that I am aware of. One of my colleagues works exclusively on provisioning of copper network build jobs (mostly for business customers). If this is true, he would out of a job on Monday - but he's had no such news, so it seems safe to say this appears to be pure scare mongering in order to get a sale.

Thanks, I could smell the distinct whiff of sales BS while he was talking but before I ream him good, thought I'd better check the facts.

Spark was for a while offering low volume consumers the option to move from copper to wireless broadband/telephone (my mum received a letter with a pamphlet from Spark) offering the upgrade but given how Vodafone outsources their sales to dodgy third parties I wouldn't trust what some rep from Vodafone has to say.

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