RBC - Chorus taking fibre further and upgrading more rural broadband cabinets

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › RBC - Chorus taking fibre further and upgrading more rural broadband cabinets

pjamieson

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#207688 8-Jan-2017 21:54

Chorus has today announced it has upgraded nearly 100 broadband cabinets, as part of a $5 million programme of work across rural New Zealand.

The upgrade will considerably improve the broadband experience for about 7000 existing customers, while also increasing the number of possible high-speed broadband connections at each cabinet.

The broadband cabinets have been upgraded with new VDSL broadband electronics and connected back to the local exchange by fibre optic cable.

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#1700380 8-Jan-2017 23:12

In the same vein, how many Conklins are left now? I realise it's not practical to replace all of them, but how many are left (say as compared to 2002, for example)? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?

richms

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#1700381 8-Jan-2017 23:15

One conklin is too many. Hopefully that change to allow them to add fiber to the power cable accessways will get rid of all the craptastic E1 backhaul soon enough and they can put real gear in for all those poor suffering people.

Richard rich.ms

pjamieson

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#1700383 8-Jan-2017 23:19

quickymart:

In the same vein, how many Conklins are left now? I realise it's not practical to replace all of them, but how many are left (say as compared to 2002, for example)? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?

I don't have any official info, but they keep consistently reducing obviously. And to turn off the ATM network they all need to go eventually.

pjamieson

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#1700384 8-Jan-2017 23:20

richms:

One conklin is too many. Hopefully that change to allow them to add fiber to the power cable accessways will get rid of all the craptastic E1 backhaul soon enough and they can put real gear in for all those poor suffering people.

What was that again?

Aredwood

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#1700386 8-Jan-2017 23:42

A Chorus staff member replied to a comment I made on Facebook that implied that Chorus will definitely get rid of all conklins. Wish I had taken a screenshot. My comment was:

"Those 100 things you are replacing, are they conklin's?"

Which was in reply to a comment that chorus made to someone else who was complaining about slow rural internet. And Chorus then replied to me.

richms

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#1700393 9-Jan-2017 00:53

pjamieson:

richms:

One conklin is too many. Hopefully that change to allow them to add fiber to the power cable accessways will get rid of all the craptastic E1 backhaul soon enough and they can put real gear in for all those poor suffering people.

What was that again?

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/commerce/news-archive/enabling-high-speed-internet-access-in-rural-areas/

that website:

Using power poles to string up fibre optic cable

The Commerce Committee has recommended using existing electricity infrastructure, including power poles and overhead lines, to string up fibre optic cable that would provide access to telecommunications networks in rural areas.

Changes to the Telecommunications (Property Access and Other Matters) Amendment Bill would provide lines companies with a right to enter land where power poles are located and use them to deploy fibre optic cable. Arrangements could also be made for third parties to use that right.

Land owners to benefit from fibre connection

Lines companies would provide the land owner with direct benefits to offset the impact of the right of entry on the land owner’s own property rights.

These benefits include providing a free breakout point and 200 metres of fibre optic cable to connect the primary residence to a telecommunications network. Beyond 200 metres the lines company would contribute 50 percent of the installation cost, up to a distance of 500 metres.

Richard rich.ms

andrewcnz

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#1700405 9-Jan-2017 08:05

richms:

pjamieson:

richms:

One conklin is too many. Hopefully that change to allow them to add fiber to the power cable accessways will get rid of all the craptastic E1 backhaul soon enough and they can put real gear in for all those poor suffering people.

What was that again?

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/commerce/news-archive/enabling-high-speed-internet-access-in-rural-areas/

that website:

Using power poles to string up fibre optic cable

The Commerce Committee has recommended using existing electricity infrastructure, including power poles and overhead lines, to string up fibre optic cable that would provide access to telecommunications networks in rural areas.

Changes to the Telecommunications (Property Access and Other Matters) Amendment Bill would provide lines companies with a right to enter land where power poles are located and use them to deploy fibre optic cable. Arrangements could also be made for third parties to use that right.

Land owners to benefit from fibre connection

Lines companies would provide the land owner with direct benefits to offset the impact of the right of entry on the land owner’s own property rights.

These benefits include providing a free breakout point and 200 metres of fibre optic cable to connect the primary residence to a telecommunications network. Beyond 200 metres the lines company would contribute 50 percent of the installation cost, up to a distance of 500 metres.

I would assume the ongoing delay on the UFB 2 announcements is related to a possible law change.

So power company poles could be used for fiber runs without land owner consent( with a breakout and connection available for every affected landowner) . I would guess a roll out on poles could be quite fast. I think the roll out in the northpower area was using poles and they were the fist area to finish UFB 1.

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sbiddle

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#1700418 9-Jan-2017 08:49

quickymart:

In the same vein, how many Conklins are left now? I realise it's not practical to replace all of them, but how many are left (say as compared to 2002, for example)? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?

While I don't have an exact number I'd pick the number being in the hundreds - maybe in the 300-400 range.

Ultimately the ATM network needs to be shut down as Spark won't want to keep maintaining it, which isn't going to leave any option but for Chorus to do something about them. The problem is there are going to be a number where upgrading them simply isn't cost effective due to the costs of getting fibre to them to upgrade, and many where even deploying a DMR link to a cabinet isn't possible either due to the location.

BarTender

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#1700446 9-Jan-2017 10:03

sbiddle:

quickymart:

In the same vein, how many Conklins are left now? I realise it's not practical to replace all of them, but how many are left (say as compared to 2002, for example)? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?

While I don't have an exact number I'd pick the number being in the hundreds - maybe in the 300-400 range.

Ultimately the ATM network needs to be shut down as Spark won't want to keep maintaining it, which isn't going to leave any option but for Chorus to do something about them. The problem is there are going to be a number where upgrading them simply isn't cost effective due to the costs of getting fibre to them to upgrade, and many where even deploying a DMR link to a cabinet isn't possible either due to the location.

Your upper number of 400 sounds about right to me. A lot of them are very remote so switching them off is going to be difficult. Otherwise Chorus just say "sorry we don't supply Broadband at this address anymore". Wait for the rural folks to get all up in arms if that ever happens.

pjamieson

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#1700504 9-Jan-2017 13:17

It's not just Conklin's it's the ASAM's as well (Alcatel Mini's & Alcatel Combo's). These both run off either 1 - 4 E1's or ATM Fibre.

atomeara

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#1700761 10-Jan-2017 10:48

There are about 440-450.

About 50 ASAM and the rest are Conklins

A few of these are private DSLAMs installed at customer premises like meat works, mining sites and data centres.

There are about 45 planned upgrades for the first half of 2016, with at least one new cabinet as well.

I assume Chorus are going to try and get RBI stage 2 funding to knock most of them off.

Jase2985

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#1700810 10-Jan-2017 11:50

atomeara:

There are about 45 planned upgrades for the first half of 2016, with at least one new cabinet as well.

2016 or 2017?

atomeara

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#1700812 10-Jan-2017 11:51

Ops 2017!

Dynamike

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#1700881 10-Jan-2017 13:13

It's all well and good to upgrade the cabinets, but Chorus also need to improve the copper lines going out from the upgraded cabinets.

My local cabinet (Okoia) was upgraded 3 years ago, but only 3 houses along my road currently have ADSL. The main reason being loading coils.

I've talked to several Chorus line repair guys, and they've all said they don't get paid to remove loading coils... so they won't remove them!

coffeebaron

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#1700929 10-Jan-2017 14:41

+1 to loading coils. Another one is multiples.

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