do I need UFB??

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#1551064 11-May-2016 18:18

Sideface:
davidcole: <snip> If the maximum your adsl was capable of was about 5mbps and with no possibility of Vidal...30/10 is probably quite adequate for a vast number of people

What is "Vidal" ?

EDIT: VDSL?

Yeah sorry, autocorrect. Vdsl is right.

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tdgeek

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#1551069 11-May-2016 18:27

I found it similar to ADSL for web based stuff. Where it excels is leverage. Im doing this, your doing that, someone else is doing something else.

Could be streaming or "alternative sourcing", your all going to be fine. Now with streaming getting more traction, in the evening in a tech family, or even if one kid is tech, you don't want your connection being sucked into one device.

daringpeter

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#1551091 11-May-2016 19:15

Come on guys! It’s good to get some replies, but no-one has answered my question! (or even tried to.)

Suppose that I am an elderly pensioner, or someone on an invalid’s benefit. At the moment I get ADSL plus a phone line (free for local calls, at least). I can barely afford it, but it is worth it to keep in touch. My copper connection is going to be cut off within a specified time, 5 years? 10 years? I then will be hit with $K1-2 installation charges plus greater running costs, all for something that I do not want or need. Is that fair? What will I think of a government that has negated the ‘Kiwi Share’ concept by increasing access costs far beyond inflation? I know that KiwiShare has been progressively eroded, but reliable, and cheap, telecommunications should be regarded as a social 'good'. Doesn't any 'geek' have even half a clue as to which direction the Government will jump??

Batman

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#1551093 11-May-2016 19:17

Common all psychics a show of hands please.

Who will be the government next year?

DarkShadow

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#1551106 11-May-2016 19:46

How much are you paying for Flip and what do you get for it?

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#1551135 11-May-2016 20:04

daringpeter:

Come on guys! It’s good to get some replies, but no-one has answered my question! (or even tried to.)

Suppose that I am an elderly pensioner, or someone on an invalid’s benefit. At the moment I get ADSL plus a phone line (free for local calls, at least). I can barely afford it, but it is worth it to keep in touch. My copper connection is going to be cut off within a specified time, 5 years? 10 years? I then will be hit with $K1-2 installation charges plus greater running costs, all for something that I do not want or need. Is that fair? What will I think of a government that has negated the ‘Kiwi Share’ concept by increasing access costs far beyond inflation? I know that KiwiShare has been progressively eroded, but reliable, and cheap, telecommunications should be regarded as a social 'good'. Doesn't any 'geek' have even half a clue as to which direction the Government will jump??

I am an elderly geek/pensioner with an income of $591.94 per fortnight, after tax.

I have used - in chronological order - dial-up, ASDL, VDSL, fibre, and HFC cable (naked).
The best of these technologies for price and performance - by far - was UFB.

I wouldn't go back to ADSL if you paid me. I don't use a landline.

Your questions:

Q1 For how long is the copper network likely to be maintained?

A1 Nobody knows. Copper will go the way of the telegram and the cathode-ray TV set. It's yesterday's technology and its days are numbered.

Q2 Did we make the right call?

A2 Yes

Sideface

daringpeter

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#1551205 11-May-2016 22:08

Flip costs me $70 a month.

For this I get adequate ADSL, phone line, calls to all NZ, ditto mobiles, overseas calls, etc etc. See Flip's site if you want to know more. Also caller ID, and voicemail. And its all over copper.

Really, why would I want (or pay for) more??? I'm not at all interested in downloading HD porn, thank you.

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DarkShadow

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#1551209 11-May-2016 22:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d59O6cfaM0

Guess if you can run that over ADSL?

And by the way you can get UFB plans including phone for less than the $70 you're paying now.

richms

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#1551220 11-May-2016 22:56

daringpeter:

Come on guys! It’s good to get some replies, but no-one has answered my question! (or even tried to.)

Suppose that I am an elderly pensioner, or someone on an invalid’s benefit. At the moment I get ADSL plus a phone line (free for local calls, at least). I can barely afford it, but it is worth it to keep in touch. My copper connection is going to be cut off within a specified time, 5 years? 10 years? I then will be hit with $K1-2 installation charges plus greater running costs, all for something that I do not want or need. Is that fair? What will I think of a government that has negated the ‘Kiwi Share’ concept by increasing access costs far beyond inflation? I know that KiwiShare has been progressively eroded, but reliable, and cheap, telecommunications should be regarded as a social 'good'. Doesn't any 'geek' have even half a clue as to which direction the Government will jump??

Is it fair that the telcos keep providing a service that very few people want? I recall the same "I'm on a benefit" and "What I have is fine _for me_" arguments when analog tv and CDMA mobiles were finally taken out. Noone died as a result.

Thinking an obsolete product should continue to be provided and subsidized because you do not want anything better is selfish.

I predict that the first thing to go will be the cabinets when there are too few people on copper DSL services to bother having them there, maintained, and powered. Then they will just not connect copper any more, and then one day when the copper breaks you will find that they will not fix it.

Richard rich.ms

DarthKermit

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#1551221 11-May-2016 23:04

I expect that around 2019 when the current UFB rollout is scheduled to be completed, we'll start to see a systematic close down of the copper network. Maybe some of those cabinets can be removed and re-used in rural areas that won't be getting UFB?

DarkShadow

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#1551223 11-May-2016 23:12

DarthKermit:

I expect that around 2019 when the current UFB rollout is scheduled to be completed, we'll start to see a systematic close down of the copper network. Maybe some of those cabinets can be removed and re-used in rural areas that won't be getting UFB?

The problem of upgrading rural DSL isn't the cabinet, but the civil works required to upgrade the fibre backhaul to run those cabinets?

michaelmurfy

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#1551245 12-May-2016 01:26

Sideface:

If you have paid for a 100 Mbps UFB connection, you should get 100 Mbps, 24 hours per day. That is the whole point of difference with UFB.
That, among other things, is why I described UFB as "infinitely superior".

Unless if you're one of the unlucky punters on MyRepublic.

In general:

Yes you made the right decision going to UFB - stop doubting yourself ;)

Also:

I don't think they're phasing out the old Copper network anytime soon but I honestly think they should raise the price of copper if you're in a UFB area to encourage uptake.

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quickymart

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#1551253 12-May-2016 07:18

But that would be unfair on people in fibre areas who want it but can't get it (ROW, MDU, neighbour being a jerk, etc).

sbiddle

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#1551254 12-May-2016 07:22

daringpeter:

Come on guys! It’s good to get some replies, but no-one has answered my question! (or even tried to.)

Suppose that I am an elderly pensioner, or someone on an invalid’s benefit. At the moment I get ADSL plus a phone line (free for local calls, at least). I can barely afford it, but it is worth it to keep in touch. My copper connection is going to be cut off within a specified time, 5 years? 10 years? I then will be hit with $K1-2 installation charges plus greater running costs, all for something that I do not want or need. Is that fair? What will I think of a government that has negated the ‘Kiwi Share’ concept by increasing access costs far beyond inflation? I know that KiwiShare has been progressively eroded, but reliable, and cheap, telecommunications should be regarded as a social 'good'. Doesn't any 'geek' have even half a clue as to which direction the Government will jump??

There is no date for shutdown of the POTS network. This was scheduled for 2020 but will now extend beyond that. It would however be very realistic to expect decommissioning to have begun in well under 10 years.

The price is copper services will continue to rise due to the forward looking cost model that's now in place. As fewer people are connected to the network costs will rise, and these will be passed onto constumers. Base UFB wholesale costs are already less than xDSL. Your ISP may not offer UFB services, but plenty of others do.

I also disagree that the Kiwishare has been erroded, but it should have been. It was a tool introduced to smooth the way for foreign ownership and should have had a life of maybe 5 years before it was revoked as it was no longer needed. Instead of being revoked, it ended up being extended and became a tool that in many respects stifled innovation and competition in the marketplace.

Jase2985

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#1551260 12-May-2016 07:33

quickymart: But that would be unfair on people in fibre areas who want it but can't get it (ROW, MDU, neighbour being a jerk, etc).

isn't the new legislation meant to address this?

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