Rural Spark 4G availability

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Rural Spark 4G availability

pristle

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#312222 27-Mar-2024 17:29

Have a new client on board.

Spark customer, they're rurally located near Drury. However Spark say the best available to them is ADSL and that 4G is not an option.

ADSL Speedtest is ballpark 1.8mbps down, with up not even possible.

I picked up a prepaid SIM, stuck it in a TP-Lnk Deco X58. Connection was faultless, Speedtest result 40/18 down and up. That was without external antennae.

Anyone able to guide me on why Spark won't allow them to get 4G on their account?

nztim

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#3211646 27-Mar-2024 17:46

Tower Capacity - If you use it as a fulltime internet connection you will be cut off.

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

pristle

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#3211649 27-Mar-2024 17:55

Thanks for the response.

They're farmers, full time Internet isn't a thing. If no one is working at the computer, the whole desk gets powered off at the wall, modem included. But expecting special privilege from the provider can't be realistically entertained.

nztim

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#3211653 27-Mar-2024 18:08

pristle: Thanks for the response.

They're farmers, full time Internet isn't a thing. If no one is working at the computer, the whole desk gets powered off at the wall, modem included. But expecting special privilege from the provider can't be realistically entertained.

Powering off the desk, modem included will contribute to your ADSL woes, DDLM would be constantly getting reset

keep the modem powered on also make sure you have master filter etc, or go starlink

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

cyril7

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#3211667 27-Mar-2024 19:01

Honestly, just move them to Starlink, I have a modest number of rural commercial customers in Starlink now, and they finally can do what city folk do on fibre connections but from a rural setting.

If they need remote type access that typically cg-nat 4g or Starlink provide then there are ways about it, PM me if that's an issue.

Cyril

pristle

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#3211730 28-Mar-2024 02:14

I have a couple of rural clients on Starlink already. Using Draytek 2927L with SIM installed for 4G failover PLUS static IP.

In addition, I've installed ZeroTier on a DietPi VM on a couple of the sites. It's made a world of difference for their remote users.

This client expressed reticence about Starlink. I think it's more a mindset that everything was 'fine' until a cable got severed a kilometre down the road and "nothing been right since". Spark's response was to send another DSL modem out.

Add to that, they have a copper landline, a service they'd like to keep.

From a 4G perspective, One related providers (Netspeed, Farmside) are prepared to install at their address. Possibly with the insistence of a roof mounted antenna.

I'll present the two options, either bite the bullet and move into the 2020s or change provider.

r055b

25 posts

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#3211826 28-Mar-2024 10:51

Tower capacity / sales decisions would be made based on performance at the busiest time of day. I'm guessing that speed would not be as good as you saw if tested at 8 or 9pm or whenever the busy hour for that tower is.

Rikkitic

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#3211841 28-Mar-2024 11:23

Not directly relateable but maybe useful: I was on 4G with Netspeed for awhile. At first speeds were terrific, especially when I installed a second antenna. But over time they steadily got worse and finally ended in endless buffering, dropped connections and all kinds of other connectivity woes. I was at the end of a very long chain and the one tower I could communicate with got horribly oversubscribed and I ended up drowning in congestion. Fortunately a local WISP came to my rescuse. This was just before Starlink. Otherwise I might be on that.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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pristle

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#3211914 28-Mar-2024 16:36

r055b:

Tower capacity / sales decisions would be made based on performance at the busiest time of day. I'm guessing that speed would not be as good as you saw if tested at 8 or 9pm or whenever the busy hour for that tower is.

Which goes a long way to describe why the Off/On Peak rules apply in this space.

coffeebaron

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#3211923 28-Mar-2024 17:07

There are a few 4G options to explore. If I get time I'll email you over the weekend.
Fraser

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pristle

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#3211924 28-Mar-2024 17:16

Thanks Fraser