025 TDMA Network Closure

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nzbnw

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#7795 10-May-2006 12:38

According to Kevin Kenricks report (see http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,8748,205151-204091,00.html ) the 025 TDMA Network is set to close on Saturday 31st March 2007.

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#35390 10-May-2006 13:31

nzbnw: According to Kevin Kenricks report (see http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,8748,205151-204091,00.html ) the 025 Network close is set for 31st March 2007.

I found the page on WAP showing the big growth figures quite amusing. It's generating close to $1.8 million of revenue per month. It would be interesting to know what % of that is from people browing WAP at $50 per MB!

paradoxsm

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#35439 10-May-2006 22:43

I'm surprised it's still going, kevin said people were coming off it in droves and most "users" are actually just thrown out phones which are still connected. ARPU on TDMA is hopeless which seems to suggest just that, mostly grandmas with philips ISIS's

I hear him mention in the audio that they aint concerned about the last few customers, most seem very happy and content and are aware that it's going to close off. I'd imagine Telecom will offer them a free bottom end nokia (2280) at the networks actual demise.

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#35444 10-May-2006 23:02

Will the network just turn off on that day (at a certain time), or will they slowly bring it down bit by bit... whos up for the 'last' call on it?

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nzbnw

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#35447 10-May-2006 23:11

cokemaster: Will the network just turn off on that day (at a certain time), or will they slowly bring it down bit by bit... whos up for the 'last' call on it?

I guess time will tell, although Kevin does say in the audio that this is the planed date for closure. Telecom have chosen a date such as this to avoid number portability with the 025 network, and therefore reducing cost in this aspect.

For the last call, the race is on ;)

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#35451 10-May-2006 23:47

Any ideas what will happen to the 025 number range? Will it be recycled for something or will it simply disappear into the void?

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#35458 11-May-2006 07:46

probably sell it before it becomes regulated

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#35466 11-May-2006 08:39

My personal unsubstantiated opinion on the 025 range is that a pure marketing based decision should see the 025 range decomissioned for at least ten years before being used again on purely data only devices, as the 025 prefix has associated connotations of being old technology, outdated, superseded and not as good.

They have spent 5 years now saying (mostly) that 025 should be left behind, and move to 027. You couldnt have it dumped into the number pool - no one would want an 025 number now, except for misguided reasons of nostalgia.

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#35546 11-May-2006 23:54

While nostalgia is cool and retro, I'd bet the number range is gone for good upon closure,
What i'm really keen to know is if they'll keep some AMPS network gear intact? (like 1 or two channels a cell) to support a message for some time after closure. or if, like Australia they just go dead at midnight (It will probably be a matter of them being decommissioned over a few days/weeks)

Almost all CDMA phones have AMPS capabilities, only Qualcomm knows why!
The pull-up antannae on most phones are purely to support the AMPS capabilities, (2280, 6385 etc) and yes, I have gotten Telecom to register an early CDMA based handset on 025 using AMPS (back in the day they registered new ESN's for 025) and it was of fantastic clarity too!

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#35707 15-May-2006 00:10

I dont want to see the AMPS network go! AMPS was there at the start of modern cellphone revolution! TDMA over AMPS (DAMPS?) can bite the dust tho as far as I care though. Fair enough if theres no profit in it, but i doubt 3G is ever going to service rural areas as well as AMPS can.

The longer wavelength (lower frequency), larger bandwidth and FM for voice makes it quite good in hilly and otherwise un-RF-friendly terrain.
I know theres alot of lake, river & sewerage monitoring systems in rural areas of the south island that use AMPS modems and a yagi antenna to send warning alarms.. I hope telecom are considering these applications!!!
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#35708 15-May-2006 00:20

I also don't want to see the AMPS network go.. but... at least CDMA is still 800MHz like AMPS and is a pile better than TDMA (d-AMPS) ever was. The higher wavelengths (2.1GHz has so far proven to be a total flop for coverage.
CDMA does seem to work where AMPS did. Yes there are things I loath about CDMA but i'm rather glad they didn't opt for the high spectrum, never-pass-through-a-sheet-of-paper* UMTS (Voda's 3G)
CDMA also has an actual higher max reach that AMPS meaning it's actually not all bad, nor is GSM, GPRS is also pretty good but UMTS 3G.. hmmmm.... ok when going is good but not anyway else.

I think Telecom have a simple serial CDMA modem now which can replace the ageing telemetry equp. I still have one 025 CDM (cell data modem) on AMPS with an ericsson which is still in use. (friend borrowed)

*Of course it can pass through a sheet of paper, just not much more.

nzbnw

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#36472 24-May-2006 17:06

cokemaster: Will the network just turn off on that day (at a certain time), or will they slowly bring it down bit by bit... whos up for the 'last' call on it?

Just found out it must be turned off by the 31st of March 2007, as on April 1st number portability begins.

One the number portability front, what are your thoughts? I mean I know it’s good for the consumer being ale to change carriers without having to worry about loosing ones number, but from operators point of view could be very confusing. Wonder how Vodafone and Telecom plan to free up customers numbers before they can connect them to their own network? Will be interesting.

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#36478 24-May-2006 18:47

nzbnw: Wonder how Vodafone and Telecom plan to free up customers numbers before they can connect them to their own network? Will be interesting.

What do you mean by this?

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#36479 24-May-2006 18:52

I mean say for example if you where switching from Vodafone to Telecom, currently the new Telco assigns you a new number and you would normally disconnect your old number. With number portability, in this case would Telecom arrange for the disconnection on the customers number on behalf to enable a connection to take place on Telecoms network?

Hope you can understand me here? I am just talking about the fine details I guess you could say, unsure of how the operators go about this overseas.

Cheers

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#36480 24-May-2006 18:58

Oh, BTW, to whomever asked about the nzmade trunk unit with the old Ericsson phone inside, I managed to nab it from surplustronics. they had a few other types too. useful power stages for CDMA repeaters hopefully.

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#36488 24-May-2006 20:37

nzbnw:
I mean say for example if you where switching from Vodafone to Telecom, currently the new Telco assigns you a new number and you would normally disconnect your old number. With number portability, in this case would Telecom arrange for the disconnection on the customers number on behalf to enable a connection to take place on Telecoms network?

Hope you can understand me here? I am just talking about the fine details I guess you could say, unsure of how the operators go about this overseas.

Cheers

Since a disconnection isn't really occuring then the carrier you are moving to does all the work. In most countries you'd approach your existing carrier for a PAC (porting authorisation code) which they will supply if you meet the requirements to change - ie not in contract. You then give this number to the other carrier who action the request to port the number.

Australia has made things really simple - just go to the new carrier and complete the paperwork and they'll switch you. Vodafone Australia got in a lot of trouble for stalling the xfer process which was only supposed to take several hours so they had time to contact the customer offering to better any deal that the other network was offering. It backfired a bit when they had customers who were filling in the paperwork to switch just so they could get a call offering them a better deal than they were currently paying!

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