Telecom WCDMA 2100Mhz coverage

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13 posts

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#231511 6-Jul-2009 11:47

yes I know that - I have 2 phones - 1 is an approved R6 telecom phone and 1 is a phone I like (Nokia 6220 classic)!

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jaidevp

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#231552 6-Jul-2009 12:31

drajk: Thanks for the reply - I suppose you mean 'post-launch' not 'pre-launch'?

Is it common to take a network down for such long periods to do this - the cellsites can be detected by the phone but just won't register.

Any idea when the optimisation will be finished?

Pre launch as we have not launched 2100 yet.

It's common to take down sites which haven't been launched for various reasons.

Sorry don't have a timeframe yet.

davemartin

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#231559 6-Jul-2009 12:35

Well that explains why the service disappeared! Frustrating as nobody at Telecom customer services or shops knew that 2100 had not been launched yet.

NealR

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#231585 6-Jul-2009 13:00

@dfavemartin Could you let me know who told you that we had 2100 coverage and where it was available.

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davemartin

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#231667 6-Jul-2009 14:53

When the XT Network was launched the headlines were 'WCDMA 850 and in built up areas WCDMA2100'

I have a UK phone that came with me when I emigrated in April. I was given a CDMA phone to get me through until the SIM card XT network was launched. I did some research and found that my 6220 classic Nokia would only work on the 2100 side of things.

My father in law runs a leading edge shop he said it may or may not work. The Telecom compatibility website on putting my Imei number in said it may work with limited capabilities. So I got my phone unlocked ($80) went to the Orb at Botany Downs and asked for their advice. They tried an XT network Sim in my 6220 and it worked fine, good 3g service. They said it would have limited capabilities (but did not know what they would be) They said try a sim in your phone where you live and where you mainly go and see how you get on. No one at this point had said 'oh by the way the 2100 service has not been launched yet so your phone might just stop working'

So I got a Sim card sent to me by my father in law and changed the number from the Cdma phone to the new Sim. Bingo! the phone works perfectly, video calling, internet, SMS, and phone calls of course. I now think to myself 'it probably only works when I am at home'.

So over the next week I take my phone with me all over Auckland including Waitakere range and it works great The only time i lost service was in Howick. The following week my Father in law comes to visit. As my phone is working fine he takes the Cdma phone back with him. End of June - Bang my phone is dead - no service anywhere. I phone up my Father in law - does he know anything about the 2100 service being down? No he says, he will talk to Telecom. They say they don't know asks me to call them. I phone them up and I am passed from Dept to Dept and they know the phone I have but they do not know anything about the 2100 network. They tell me to go to St Lukes Telecom shop. I go there, they try everything they know including being on the phone to Telecom for 20 minutes and tell me the phone is not supported as it was not bought from Telecom - fine I say so why did it work in the first place? They do not know the answer.

I ring Telecom again and ask if there are any problems with the 2100 network and i am told everything is working fine and there have been no complaints. I ask if they can supply a coverage map of the 2100 network and I told no they do not have one. I then spend hours doing more research online and finally I get the answer on this site that the 2100 Network has not been launched yet. Frustration is not the word!!!

jesseycy

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#231849 7-Jul-2009 03:52

jaidevp:

Pre launch as we have not launched 2100 yet.

It's common to take down sites which haven't been launched for various reasons.

Sorry don't have a timeframe yet.

That's certainly good news though...... Hope you guys will have a good coverage tool and a big bang, when 2100Mhz WCDMA support is made official!

w2krules

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Ultimate Geek

#231913 7-Jul-2009 09:52

My Vodafone-supplied 6121 worked quite happily within Auckland with an Telecom SIM after the XT launch. It would definitely be in Telecom's interest to allow 2100-only phones to access the XT network.

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NealR

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#231952 7-Jul-2009 11:21

Just to clarify, we do not block anyone from connecting to the XT Network based on Radio technology.

What the continual message has been was that our primary network technology is 850MHz and that 210MHz coverage is still evolving.

I cannot stress enough that we do not recommend the use of 2100MHz only devices on the XT network as 2100 is not designed as a continuous coverage technology.

The comments I write on this forum do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer and as such cannot be taken as official statements of my employer.

drajk

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#231959 7-Jul-2009 11:59

NealR: Just to clarify, we do not block anyone from connecting to the XT Network based on Radio technology.
What the continual message has been was that our primary network technology is 850MHz and that 210MHz coverage is still evolving.
I cannot stress enough that we do not recommend the use of 2100MHz only devices on the XT network as 2100 is not designed as a continuous coverage technology.

The point that a number of us have been making is that 2100 was working perfectly well for some of us for about a month after the XT launch and now while phones can see the cell sites they don't allow registration on 2100. Surely if your comment "we do not block anyone from connecting to the XT Network based on Radio technology" is correct then if the cell site is showing in a network search an XT SIM should be able to register.

What has happened could be termed 'devolution' rather than 'evolution' in that something which was working is now not and has been unavailable for a significant length of time.

I don't personally have copies of all the press releases etc but I believe that it was widely known (at least within the technologically-literate community) that XT would be primarily 850 but that there would be at least some 2100 coverage in main cities and I don't think it is unreasonable that many of us assumed that if 2100 coverage had been good for us personally for a month after launch then it would reasonably continue (normal unexpected network failures etc excepted...)

I don't believe that it is correct to say that 2100 is not designed as a continuous coverage technology - perhaps it would be better to say that Telecom has chosen not to implement 2100 as a continuos coverage technology - however I don't believe anyone who has raised this issue has suggested that they expect continuous (in terms of area) coverage on 2100.

Obviously Telecom can make its own choices about what it decides to offer but as I and other posters have stated earlier there are many people who have 2100 devices and not 850 devices. (I personally have both so not such a huge issue). It seems a poor business decision from Telecom if they choose to not try to lure a number of the potential metropolitan 2100 users especially given the competition which is on the horizon and the fact that the metropolitan areas make up the majority of the population.

w2krules

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

#231995 7-Jul-2009 13:03

Drajk, I couldn't have put it better myself. If Telecom are now trying to stop phones without 850 coverage from connecting to their network, then they really should have announced this as a new policy. They should also offer refunds to those people who bought SIM cards or signed up for contracts believing that they could use 2100-only phones.

I'm sure that there are a number of reasons why Telecom don't want 2100-only phones on their network, but to allow it for a month and then suddenly stop access like this is guaranteed to annoy those users.

I was a geek before the word was invented!

Eilatan

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#232074 7-Jul-2009 14:53

w2krules: Drajk, I couldn't have put it better myself. If Telecom are now trying to stop phones without 850 coverage from connecting to their network, then they really should have announced this as a new policy. They should also offer refunds to those people who bought SIM cards or signed up for contracts believing that they could use 2100-only phones.

I'm sure that there are a number of reasons why Telecom don't want 2100-only phones on their network, but to allow it for a month and then suddenly stop access like this is guaranteed to annoy those users.

I havent really experienced the 2100 coverage, or even the 850 coverage as I'm still on CDMA. But if the 2100 is pre launch or commercial, wouldnt there be coverage/performance issues? I'm just wondering whether the 2100 experience isnt ready to deliver good user experience.

Isnt this why we're waiting on for 2 degrees to launch aswell? They have lots of cellsites up but I'm guessing they would like to deliver a good network before setting as commercial?

Maybe Telecom have some 2100 complaints and it's affecting both the 2100 and 850 users, hence they've decided to block it? Afterall, 2100 is their capacity technology, so 850 users can access this too?

Just speculation

NealR

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#232082 7-Jul-2009 15:14

Like I said earlier Telecom do not block access to the XT Network for 2100MHz only devices.

We had not realised that there would be such a large demand for people to access the XT Network who had 2100MHz only devices and were not concerned that there would not be contiguous coverage. This is a surprise.

The XT Network 2100MHz coverage is evolving and thus the footprint is not published. This was to avoid customers being disappointed if we needed to change it (again not realising that customers were so keen to join the XT Network that they would be happy with an inconsistant coverage experience). Obviously we were not completely successful in avoiding customer disatisfaction.

I cannot stress enough that we do not recommend the use of 2100MHz only devices on the XT network as 2100 is not designed as a continuous coverage technology.

Neal

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richms

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#232100 7-Jul-2009 16:01

The thing is if you can get 2100 around auckland as good as vodafones, but solve the lack of it in malls it would be totally usable IMO - at the moment am using a vodafone on 2100 only and its tollerable...

Richard rich.ms

jaidevp

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#232207 7-Jul-2009 21:32

There is currently a restriction class placed on 2100 certainly in Auckland to allow us to optimise it before launching. This is the reason why you are seeing 2100 coverage but aren't allowed to connect to it.
Once it is launched it wont be restricted and as Neal says we will not block access to 2100 only devices.

w2krules

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#232220 7-Jul-2009 22:10

jaidevp: There is currently a restriction class placed on 2100 certainly in Auckland to allow us to optimise it before launching. This is the reason why you are seeing 2100 coverage but aren't allowed to connect to it.

Once it is launched it wont be restricted and as Neal says we will not block access to 2100 only devices.

That's good news. I use my Voda Nokia 6121 locked to UMTS only, and really don't have any problems with Vodafone's 2100 coverage in Auckland. So I can't see why someone who only wants Auckland coverage should have a problem using the XT network.

I was a geek before the word was invented!

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