Telecom Broadband Advertising Complaint

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Invinciblegdog

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#53577 25-Nov-2006 09:23

I guess if you switch from Xtra to another ISP they want their modem back? I have two since they gave me a new one when I switched houses. Are most modems better than the telcom ones or were they not that bad?

freitasm

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#53585 25-Nov-2006 10:07

exportgoldman:Doh... So your a moderator eh? Mmmmmm. Tell me then, if you know why is the Text editor so erm, yukky. It's like I'm editing straight HTML with all the quote marks. (Sorry off topic I know.) but it drives me nuts.

Do you have Javascript enabled? The site uses a rich text editor by default, but only with Javascript enabled. Otherwise it reverts to a simple text input area - how's that yukky, if it's just a simple standard HTML box?

Please create a new thread for this if you still have problems.

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#53598 25-Nov-2006 11:43

On NZ Herald (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10412410):

The Consumers' Institute says Xtra's broadband advertising is misleading. The institute says the Go Large plan promises "unlimited internet usage at maximum download speeds" but the reality was that downloading was subject to traffic management and the conditions of Xtra's Fair Use Policy. The institute has complained to the Commerce Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority.

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#53627 25-Nov-2006 17:18

freitasm: On NZ Herald (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10412410):

The Consumers' Institute says Xtra's broadband advertising is misleading. The institute says the Go Large plan promises "unlimited internet usage at maximum download speeds" but the reality was that downloading was subject to traffic management and the conditions of Xtra's Fair Use Policy. The institute has complained to the Commerce Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority.

I have noticed they now put the 'subject to traffic management' bla bla bla line at the bottom of the tv screen when you watch one of the latest xtraordinary adverts and I think that may be as a result of the consumers institute's complaints, but they still are not putting it on the banner on the xtra homepage - double checked as i type this http://www.xtra.co.nz - if you dont see the sumo advert on the right (they rotate them) just click refresh until you do.

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dimsim

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#53887 27-Nov-2006 21:30

I agree. As fast as your telephone line allows give the impression that if the conditions are right then we should be achieving close to the maximum theoretical speeds of ADSL. Certainly not the 1-2 mb that most people appear to get. Interestingly after a loss of service for 12 days (yes 12 days, without explanation) i took a trip to the local cabinet with the downers atm tech and discovered that our cabinet (31 ports used) was only feed by 1x2mb pipe. Im sure this has more to do with our poor download speeds than Telecom would have us believe by attempting to convince us that our nieghbours are all downloading and sharing DVD's P2P and gaming 24X7

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#53893 27-Nov-2006 22:05

As fast as your telephone line allows give the impression that if the conditions are right then we should be achieving close to the maximum theoretical speeds of ADSL. Certainly not the 1-2 mb that most people appear to get.

This graph is quite neat - it shows estimated the drop off of speed vs distance (click for bigger picture) .

Its quite interesting... Under the ideal situation homes would need to be within optimal distance. Though that excludes things like backhauls and the like, which is hardly a problem isolated to New Zealand.

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#53904 27-Nov-2006 22:41

dimsim: i took a trip to the local cabinet with the downers atm tech and discovered that our cabinet (31 ports used) was only feed by 1x2mb pipe. Im sure this has more to do with our poor download speeds than Telecom would have us believe by attempting to convince us that our nieghbours are all downloading and sharing DVD's P2P and gaming 24X7

Being on a miniDSLAM is quite different to the more usual case where it is some other network element that is limiting the connection.
The problems with Go Large seem to be reducing so perhaps it was network design by experimentation.
In June or July Xtra was offering refunds to people on 3.5M plans that were limited by their lines or miniDSLAMS. Then the rate became whatever your line would support but rather than rate limiting miniDSLAM connections to reflect the backhaul, they were allowed to run at an unachievable full speed.

CrispinMullins

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#53906 27-Nov-2006 22:56

Bung: Being on a miniDSLAM is quite different to the more usual case where it is some other network element that is limiting the connection.
The problems with Go Large seem to be reducing so perhaps it was network design by experimentation.
In June or July Xtra was offering refunds to people on 3.5M plans that were limited by their lines or miniDSLAMS. Then the rate became whatever your line would support but rather than rate limiting miniDSLAM connections to reflect the backhaul, they were allowed to run at an unachievable full speed.

What I don't understand -- aside from the usual "it's a business decision" codswallop -- is why Telecom is running these miniDSLAMS at only 2Mbps backhaul in the first place. I know of at least one miniDSLAM in the Auckland CBD that are positioned alongside fibre routes belonging to Vector -- Quay Street, for example -- and I find it hard to believe that it isn't affordable for Telecom to patch into that, if they don't have their own lines there.

Elsewhere, I'm sure it's a question of distance and the cost of laying more cable, although surely if a cabinet is servicing 30+ customers as in the example posted above, an upgrade is on the cards some time soon. Or is it not that simple?

Does anyone know more than me? (That was not rhetorical.)

Crispin Mullins
Auckland, New Zealand

CrispinMullins

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#53910 27-Nov-2006 23:07

johnr: I agree with Jama if people don't read the fine print thats there fault not the fault of Xtra

John, you're wrong. The Fair Trading Act stipulates that:

"Fine print cannot be used to modify, in an unexpected manner, the overall impression given by the ‘big print’ or headline."
http://www.comcom.govt.nz/FairTrading/TradePracticesCoveredbytheFairTradingAct/falseormisleadingadvertising.aspx

(These are the Commerce Commission's words, but the premise remains.) Therefore, we as consumers have a legal right to expect that the fine print will be in line with the large print, whether we read it or not.

[Moderator edit (JF): URL Hyperlinked]

Crispin Mullins
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