Vodafone plans to introduce local call service using mobile phones that also acts as home phones...

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Vodafone plans to introduce local call service using mobile phones that also acts as home phones...

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#27552 31-Jan-2006 21:05

riahon:
Grantis:.......They can do it, but they simply don't like the idea of Vodafone or any other company encroaching on their income from the landline network.

Of course they could do it but why should they pay for someone elses benefit.

I remember Vodafone paid my first months rental on both mine and my wifes mobile when they totally screwed up (due to the incompentancy of several staff when I tried to explain that my wife is Deaf - she dont need free minutes, just texting) the plans we were on - of course they could do that, but would they give away free rental because they did it for me?

Please see my previous post with the quote from their application saying that there would be no additional cost compared to other networks (Telstra and whoosh I assume).

I am no fan of Vodafone recently either. My GPRS overcharging is now 140 days without resolution. However at the same time this is a creative idea which in theory will encroach on Telecoms landline network.

riahon: A friend was telling me of his dad in India who has a landline number, and a handset that looks like a landline - curly cord and all - which he takes around with him everywhere. Basically to me it is a landline that acts like a mobile.
He showed me the Indian website (will have to find out and post link) but the way it was explained to me - he has a landline that he can take with him anywhere. Is that the same thing as Vodafone are proposing - although it sounds different to me.

I don't know whether Vodafone intends to use specialised equipment or not. My understanding from reading the document was that standard handsets would be enough, providing you were in your 'home zone'. I may have missed something however.

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#27553 31-Jan-2006 21:14

riahon: A friend was telling me of his dad in India who has a landline number, and a handset that looks like a landline - curly cord and all - which he takes around with him everywhere. Basically to me it is a landline that acts like a mobile.
He showed me the Indian website (will have to find out and post link) but the way it was explained to me - he has a landline that he can take with him anywhere. Is that the same thing as Vodafone are proposing - although it sounds different to me.

Perhaps you should read the article that I posted detailing the Vodafone Submission to the Commerce Commissioner, on page 2.

Basicly, what they are proposing is the ability to use your current mobile, with an attached local call number, which can only be used in a predefined area. So yes, it is very similar to what your friend uses in India & it is also being used in Germany currently.

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#27554 31-Jan-2006 21:21

cokemaster:
....Vodafone’s local service for residential and business customers will include a
range of voice and data products and services. These services would directly
compete with fixed local access, calling and data products of Telecom and
other fixed operators.7 .....

Sounds promising. Who knows, maybe we'll get stripped ADSL....

I doubt it, since local loop unbundling won't happen at any time in the near future, and the mainstream media have reported Vodafone claiming that the necessary technology and resources to launch this service are in place right now.

I'm particularly interested in the text that you've quoted, though. We all know that Woosh can offer a broadband service that is perfectly adequete for the average home user at a very reasonable price, which leads me to wonder if Vodafone could do likewise. I seem to recall Mauricio posting a news article, which reported that Vodafone Germany were planning to supply their customers with a wireless device which would allow home users to access telephone and broadband services.

Is it conceivable that Vodafone New Zealand could offer something like this, or is there some reason why the Woosh/Vodafone or the Vodafone NZ/Vodafone Germany comparisons don't stack up?

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#27555 31-Jan-2006 21:24

riahon:
Of course they could do it but why should they pay for someone elses benefit.

What Vodafone are proposing, is to have the same price charged as what TelstraClear get charged, for termination on their landline network. Vodafone's argument is that due to the phone being able to switch from a predefined local calling area, to a normal mobile phone calling area, that they should not be penalised for this. Currently the termination rates that Telecom charge are far too high for this to be viable for Vodafone, hence their submission to the Commerce Commissioner.

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#27556 31-Jan-2006 21:30

I see - penny's dropped.

Would be an interesting service to see in action. If I made the local call and they were just out of the designated range, what would happen to the call. Sound like potential for a huge logistical headache.

Here is the link I was thinking of - Reliance.
Is this the same thing?

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#27563 1-Feb-2006 00:24

It'd probably go to voicemail for the local account or if the owner has it set up, it will be fowarded to their cellphone number for a fee (probably regular call forwarding??).

I reached that conclusion from reading the document. It has a little bit on that.

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#27584 1-Feb-2006 09:41

Still don't see UMTS cutting it as a broadband replacement. Nice idea Voda but it means you (customer) would have to deal with 2 Telcos. Here is an idea - how about Voda wholesale DSL and negotiate with Telecom to allow customers to have DSL with out a fixed line account with Telecom. That way your voice and broadband are with Voda.

I mean seriously their submission is interesting reading until you see that they want it all for 'free'. I bet if Telecom were to try and offer exactly the same service it would be considered 'anti-competitive' and using a 'monopoly' to stifle innovation and competition.

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#27586 1-Feb-2006 09:47

riahon: "Technically speaking you're breaking the law if you set your phone on divert to a mobile, and somebody else within the same calling area calls your local number.

Not quite sure what your point is here. All diverted calls are charged to my landline when I divert calls to my mobile. So a local call to my landline is one connection and then my landline rings my mobile so there are 2 connections.

This is how I simply perceive this vodafone plan by giving a mobile a "landline" number for a certain location.

The problem being is that they want Telecom to pay for the diverted calls to the mobile - i think.

The issue is that the definition of a free local call is one which originates from a phone behind a telecom demarcation point and terminates behind another demarcation point on a PSTN but specifically excludes calls to mobiles, paging, data and a few other things (can't remember full wording from the TCA). A network interconnection is not deemed to be a damarcation point for this contract.

When you put your home phone on divert to your mobile your call is not being terminated at the demarcation point but is being terminated by a mobile phone. Under the current TCA this is not a free local call so Telecom reserve the right to charge the person calling your local number for a toll call as technically they are not making a free local call. We all know this would be crazy so they don't do it, however Vodafone want to do exactly the same thing and Telecom are up in arms over it.

Telecom are also annoyed they will lose the money from the divert, at the moment you pay them anywhere from 49c-99c for a divert or call from your home phone which is a nice tidy margin for them on top of the interconnection rate. Since Vodafone will be handling this themselves they won't have to pay Telecom anything.

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#27592 1-Feb-2006 11:26

Jama: Still don't see UMTS cutting it as a broadband replacement.

Why not? I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but I'm interested in your reasoning.

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#27594 1-Feb-2006 11:58

UMTS latency is a dog - around 250ms. Ok for mobile users getting email and doing a bit of surfing but no good for the types of things people want to do on a 'normal' broadband connection. Also with around 30kbps on the uplink what good is that?

Also, there is only limited bandwidth on a cell site and sharing this with your neighbours could see speeds drop below the average 250kbps.

People on Geekzone have already voiced their disappointment with DSL latency and upload speed. I think that even EVDO would be marginal for a true home broadband alternative.

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#27599 1-Feb-2006 12:26

What happens if you bring HSDPA into the picture

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#27601 1-Feb-2006 13:03

johnr: What happens if you bring HSDPA into the picture

On a 2100MHz band? I would say it would have a very low penetration in buildings, and short range, compared with GPRS and EDGE solutions - probably not good enough for multiple connections, as required by web browsing. Good for single connections such as streaming, e-mail, FTP and the likes.

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#27602 1-Feb-2006 13:03

Yeah HSDPA or EVDO RevA would probably get there but still the latency might be an issue for gamers. HSDPA is limited in the uplink but HSUPA is supposed to fix this with speeds of around 1.4mbps.

But you know as it is with any cellular technology you are limited by other factors - geographical obstacles, cellsite back haul speeds, sharing limited resources with other users, etc.

You would need QoS to ensure that a few users didn't hog all the bandwidth 24x7.

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#27603 1-Feb-2006 13:20

What about the type of technology that Woosh is using? Could Vodafone easily implement that?

Hell, here's a radical thought - what if Vodafone were to buy Woosh?

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#27604 1-Feb-2006 13:24

Hey Jama easy way to stop the bandwidth hoggers: Put the price up LOL

and gaming across any current cellular network: No thanks

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