Questions about the NGN and the demise of NEAX

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cyril7

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#31836 1-Apr-2009 11:19

Hi, I am just curious about some details regarding the NGN and when do the NEAX's get phased out, I appreciate that some of the guys here that work in the tower blocks that know these things are not a liberty to detail certain items, but some basic outlines to satisfy the curious. We are all well aware of the NGN and its relationship to an Ethernet/IP based upgrade with ISAMs fronting the copper, but what about voice services.

Firstly I guess the core of the NGN for voice services has already begun to be built if not fully complete, I presume most of the Tandem and central switching core has moved to a VOIP cloud, ....or not?

To that end I presume the NEAXs will be replaced, I also presume ISAM-V is used to front the copper and the above VOIP cloud connects it all. If so what type of time frames are the NEAXs going to hit the landfill.

Last question, under seperation where does the demarcation between Chorus and Telecom Retail/wholesale occur, I guess by that I mean who owns the switches, and how far back into the network does Chorus's ownership responsibility end.

Appreciate any thoughts and comments.

Cheers
Cyril

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#204662 1-Apr-2009 13:13

Neax Will be dead 2010, alcatel-lucent voip equipment will be used to replace it.

Someone please correct me if i am wrong but does this not mean that by 2010 everyone that uses a land line will have broadband due to needing VOIP. (good for people in the woops)

All of the telecom divisions are directed and traded under Telecom NZ Group, so Chorus own all the network including the neax etc but they are owned/governed by Telecom Group.

sbiddle

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#204672 1-Apr-2009 13:51

matt45: Someone please correct me if i am wrong but does this not mean that by 2010 everyone that uses a land line will have broadband due to needing VOIP. (good for people in the woops)

You don't need broadband to have VoIP. The phone service will still be delivered over POTS to your house, it is VoIP only to the ISAM (whether that be a cabinet or existing exchange). This is how Orcon and Vodafone are delivering their voice services now.

Over time there will obviously be options to have VoIP handsets in your house running over your broadband connection but for most people absolutely nothing will change. Your same analogue handset will work and no changes will be needed on your premises.

There are plenty of people (including places trying to sell VoIP PBX's) out there right now trying to say that existing PBX's and phones will be made obsolete by Telecom's NGN. This is incorrect.

grant_k

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#204700 1-Apr-2009 14:57

matt45: Neax Will be dead 2010, alcatel-lucent voip equipment will be used to replace it.

So ... what is the prognosis for people like my Dad and my Mother-in-Law who are still using Dial-up?

From personal experience, I know that this is at best unreliable and usually totally unuseable under VoIP.
Will everyone on Dial-up be forced to move to broadband sometime next year?

Any clarification would be appreciated.

sbiddle

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#204702 1-Apr-2009 15:06

The 2010 date isn't correct for replacement - the first people to move onto the NGN voice product will only be toward the end of 2009 or early 2010. Cabinetisation won't be complete until late 2011 at the earliest.

While I haven't heard anything close to a confirmed date I think it will be safe to say there will still be NEAX switches running for at least another 5 years (assuming Telecom can keep them running for that long!)

cyril7

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#204707 1-Apr-2009 15:22

Hi Matt and Grant, no you wont need broadband, the ISAM-V is essentially a telco grade ATA, VOIP oneside, POTS the other, so best described as a Line card for a VOIP switched network. The key is all exchange interconnects and switching is IP. So your folks in the woops and anyone for that matter wont notice any change they will still be delivered POTs but purhaps more clever features

Cyril

PenultimateHop

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#204723 1-Apr-2009 15:41

cyril7: Firstly I guess the core of the NGN for voice services has already begun to be built if not fully complete, I presume most of the Tandem and central switching core has moved to a VOIP cloud, ....or not?

As mentioned in another thread, there is an IMS 6.1 VoIP core in the network that is supporting the new NGN voice services. The existing PSTN network remains in place, and is still legacy Class 4/5 NEAX.

I understand that TNZI has moved to carrying a lot of international traffic over VoIP, however.

cyril7: To that end I presume the NEAXs will be replaced, I also presume ISAM-V is used to front the copper and the above VOIP cloud connects it all. If so what type of time frames are the NEAXs going to hit the landfill.

You can probably expect to see the last NEAX hit Trademe around 2020 ;). I understand there are obligations to the Government to shut down a limited set by 2012.

cyril7

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#204734 1-Apr-2009 15:55

Hi Pen, had hoped you would chime in, I presume the VOIP core is far from complete, or is it sitting there twiddling its thumbs with the odd international call to route while infact its capable of handling all domestic calls as well.

Thanks for your input.

Cyril

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PenultimateHop

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#204735 1-Apr-2009 16:02

cyril7: Hi Pen, had hoped you would chime in, I presume the VOIP core is far from complete, or is it sitting there twiddling its thumbs with the odd international call to route while infact its capable of handling all domestic calls as well.

Hi Cyril,

The core is there and ready to go for the NGN voice services, but is not carrying any legacy traffic. As customers are migrated to the new platform (either via the NGN service off an RGW, or via ISAM-V type services), it will begin to take traffic away from the legacy Class 4/5 network, which will be dismantled. I don't think there is much value in moving to VoIP for the Class 4 component of the network as the Class 5 network will disappear as well.

TNZI's VoIP platform (and PSTN) is separate from the domestic network.

I think thumb twiddling is a reasonable approximation the current status though!

matt45

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#204739 1-Apr-2009 16:23

sorry just to correct my original post (it seams my brain thinks its the year 1999)
Telecom will Withdraw Service for all NEAX/ISDN Services.
31 December 2020
Enforceable Milestone (By Govt)

Bung

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#204761 1-Apr-2009 18:14

sbiddle: While I haven't heard anything close to a confirmed date I think it will be safe to say there will still be NEAX switches running for at least another 5 years (assuming Telecom can keep them running for that long!)

Do Telecom actually own any hardware now? AFAIK NEC now own and maintain the NEAX switches and Telecom pay to use them.

matt45

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#204762 1-Apr-2009 18:19

unsure about that, NEC dont make spare parts any longer for the Neax and i dont see why they would want to buy them off telecom?

PenultimateHop

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#204763 1-Apr-2009 18:19

Bung: Do Telecom actually own any hardware now? AFAIK NEC now own and maintain the NEAX switches and Telecom pay to use them.

That's incorrect.

cbrpilot

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#205039 2-Apr-2009 23:20

matt45:

All of the telecom divisions are directed and traded under Telecom NZ Group, so Chorus own all the network including the neax etc but they are owned/governed by Telecom Group.

The bit about Chorus is incorrect.

Chorus own all the copper and fibre (I believe) in the ground + most (but not all) of the exchange buildings, and all of the cabinets. They own unpowered infrastructure.

My views are my own, and may not necessarily represent those of my employer.

matt45

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#205044 3-Apr-2009 00:08

ither way they are still controlled by telecom.

and i wouldnt call the cabinets unpowered infrastructure, (other than the crossconnect ones)

cbrpilot

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#205046 3-Apr-2009 00:34

Cabinets and buildings have power yes, but anything that requires power that is not an integral part of the building will not be owned or operated by Chorus. Loosely nothing electronic. For example, a DSLAM or NEAX is not owned or operated by Chorus.

My views are my own, and may not necessarily represent those of my employer.

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