Vodafone Cold Calls

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jfanning

438 posts

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#285816 19-May-2021 14:31

My mother is a Vodafone DSL customer, she received a call from someone today telling her she needed to move to fibre to keep her voice service, as she couldn't totally understand what the person was talking about, she asked them to email her the details so I could look at it for her.

It says "Thanks for talking with me. Here’s some more info about the upcoming changes to your Vodafone home broadband account: xxxxxxxx

We’re working hard behind the scenes to simplify and improve our systems and are now getting in touch about some upcoming changes. As part of this we’re switching customers who are currently on older broadband plans over to one of our latest plans, which are on a new billing system – and we’d like to talk to you about your options."

Since they don't explain to the customer why, and when they need to do this, and I assume this is to do with the Spark PTSN changes, does anyone have any firm dates for this? Reading Sparks pages on it doesn't mention Invercargill in their timelines at present. She has a monitored alarm and isn't keen to spend the money adding a mobile card to it.

Thanks

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#2709674 19-May-2021 15:11

It appears to be by-region. Triggered by % of customers on fibre if entire area is ready. Where pressure is put on ISPs to hurry up the remainder.

So we're seeing this now. With Sept in the sights.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124317060/first-copper-phone-services-to-be-cut-from-september-under-chorus-plan

Unfortunately this is also triggering the good, but over-cautionary response as a result in many community pages, including one near me. With people thinking it is detail harvesting scams. Not sure if the calling team is in NZ or not for there to be a backed up layer of local assurance, or if the staff are correctly approaching the script (by looks of above, poss not). But the suggestions given is usually what your case has done. Don't hand over details, and request in writing to tie it up.

richms

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#2709688 19-May-2021 15:34

Too slow IMO. Is there a public list of what areas have a %age of active copper connections to properties?

Richard rich.ms

Oblivian

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#2709694 19-May-2021 15:47

Expect that will be in the /commercial sensitivity/ bin.

One of the locals out my area seemed to think they suggested Wireless Broadband vs Fibre. Which I hope was just a misunderstanding on his part. As the coverage is a bit pooh, and I need a suresignal as a result unless standing out on the driveway

yitz

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#2709696 19-May-2021 15:52

The correspondence regarding the changeover to a new billing system also sounds legitimate as it is indeed something they are undertaking. At the same time they are moving everyone over to their wireless or wired RGW voice (phones plugged into back of broadband modem) as fibre or wireless RGW voice are the only options going forward for primary line voice under their new billing system.

Edit: added their wireless offering.

richms

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#2709702 19-May-2021 16:01

Spark have called someone at work who only still has voice on the copper line and has internet on fiber from vodafone and they were trying to push them on to wireless voice which they are holding off with because of an antique alarm system. Nothing from vodafone to try to move the fiber internet over to wireless but that may be that its paid by a business and is on that weird 100/100 plan that for some reason still exists as a thing.

Richard rich.ms

konfusd

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#2709706 19-May-2021 16:09

I'm not involved with these changes so hopefully someone from the Social Media team jumps in if I've missed anything!

Oblivian:

So we're seeing this now. With Sept in the sights.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124317060/first-copper-phone-services-to-be-cut-from-september-under-chorus-plan

That headline is misleading; the September date is for the withdrawal of copper services by Chorus, NOT the PSTN shutdown by Spark (which is already underway). Naked DSL may still work between the PSTN shutdown and copper withdrawl for a particular exchange - though as far as I am aware all of the major ISPs are focused on non-DSL services now.

We have an FAQ on the PSTN shutdown and the impacts for our customers and Spark's FAQ page also lists the exchanges where they have a timeline in place. For the remaining exchanges we are migrating customers early in batches as capacity allows, so that we don't end up needing to rush a whole lot through as the PSTN shutdown progresses.

@jfanning - at a minimum (technically) we would need to migrate your mum's landline to VoIP before the PSTN is shut down at her exchange. It also sounds like your mum is also on one of our older billing systems, so we'd be looking to migrate her over to our main billing system and onto Fibre, and do this all at the same time - we'd effectively set her up as a new customer on Fibre on the main system, and disconnect/close her old DSL account.

Unfortunately with her monitored alarm she will need to do something about it eventually, I guess the silver lining is that you have some time to work out what the best option for her will be?

Cheers,

Hayden

I volunteer my time on here, and all opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.

jfanning

438 posts

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#2709731 19-May-2021 16:39

konfusd:

We have an FAQ on the PSTN shutdown and the impacts for our customers and Spark's FAQ page also lists the exchanges where they have a timeline in place. For the remaining exchanges we are migrating customers early in batches as capacity allows, so that we don't end up needing to rush a whole lot through as the PSTN shutdown progresses.

So the Spark FAQ mentions they will drop broadband over copper at the same time, are other ISPs not doing the same?

konfusd:

@jfanning - at a minimum we would need to migrate your mum's landline to VoIP before the PSTN is shut down at her exchange. It also sounds like your mum is also on one of our older billing systems, so we'd be looking to migrate her over to our main billing system and onto Fibre, and do this all at the same time - we'd effectively set her up as a new customer on Fibre on the main system, and disconnect/close her old DSL account.

Unfortunately with her monitored alarm she will need to do something about it eventually, I guess the silver lining is that you have some time to work out what the best option for her will be?

Cheers,

Hayden

I have mentioned to her that she'll have to do this eventually (and she can't swap ISPs to get around it), it is basically the cost of the card, and the installation cost that is putting her off. It is a pity the person who rang her, and the email that followed didn't provide more information about why, and when things needed done, and the email doesn't give them the ability to emailing a reply, only phoning someone

Thanks

Jason

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konfusd

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#2709732 19-May-2021 16:44

jfanning:

konfusd:

We have an FAQ on the PSTN shutdown and the impacts for our customers and Spark's FAQ page also lists the exchanges where they have a timeline in place. For the remaining exchanges we are migrating customers early in batches as capacity allows, so that we don't end up needing to rush a whole lot through as the PSTN shutdown progresses.

So the Spark FAQ mentions they will drop broadband over copper at the same time, are other ISPs not doing the same?

In my opinion ISPs would be silly to not migrate customers off copper broadband (where possible) at the same time as migrating to VoIP (and yes I believe that is what VF is doing).

I volunteer my time on here, and all opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.

richms

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#2709734 19-May-2021 16:46

Why cant the non spark ISPs just advise people still on copper that service will cease on a certain date and do it?

Richard rich.ms

decibel

315 posts

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#2709844 19-May-2021 21:13

The PSTN is NOT shutting down.

The technology that Spark has used for many years, NEAX61, is shutting down but another is replacing it.

In fact, the PSTN will outlive us all.

P - public

S - switched

T - telephone

N - network

Which part of that don't they understand?

yitz

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#2709870 19-May-2021 21:53

PSTN typically only refers to circuit-switched networks. It is true that Spark's PSTN is shutting down alongside Vodafone's (based on Nortel platform). Their replacements are packet switched.

VoIP is used for packet switched networks.

richms

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#2709963 20-May-2021 07:57

decibel:

The PSTN is NOT shutting down.

The technology that Spark has used for many years, NEAX61, is shutting down but another is replacing it.

In fact, the PSTN will outlive us all.

P - public

S - switched

T - telephone

N - network

Which part of that don't they understand?

Switched is going away, anything new is all IP based, no circuit switching at all happening. That is why giant panels of wires and relays are being replaced with some server somewhere that looks after it all, and calls just become more data moving around the place moreso than they have been in the past.

Richard rich.ms

decibel

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#2709987 20-May-2021 09:14

Circuit switched, packet switched; FDM, TDM; rotary, step by step, crossbar, SPC (NEAX is a brand name) - so what?

The underlying technology is changing today the same as it has ALWAYS changed - smaller, faster, cheaper.

My wife doesn't notice that we went to 2talk about 8 years ago; the local fish & chip shop with his phone number painted on the window doesn't care either.

Steam powered cars, petrol power, electric power - they are all motor cars.

The PSTN continues and will until we all go to telepathy.

boosacnoodle

963 posts

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#2710002 20-May-2021 09:20

My mum got switched to a VoIP service by Vodafone on her 1Mbps ADSL line. We have been trying for months to get it switched back to no avail. As you can guess with 5+ kids in the house the ADSL is frequently congested and being rural experiences drop outs often, so the VoIP line is basically unusable. Pretty unethical to not even disclose that this will be done when performing a plan change.

jfanning

438 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2710044 20-May-2021 10:44

decibel:

The PSTN is NOT shutting down.

The technology that Spark has used for many years, NEAX61, is shutting down but another is replacing it.

In fact, the PSTN will outlive us all.

P - public

S - switched

T - telephone

N - network

Which part of that don't they understand?

The bit where Vodafone says it is Spark doing this, and Spark says they are shutting down the PSTN

Upgrading landline and retiring PSTN | Landline migration | SparkNZ

Most people don't understand what, or why this is happening, this is very confusing to a lot of people, especially elderly. Maybe the communications providers should be organising something with greypower, or the over 60's groups around the country to explain what is happening

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