Commerce Commission Broadband Report Winter 2020

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freitasm

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#274419 21-Aug-2020 08:57

Just received:

Latest broadband tests reveal 10% drop in performance of high-speed fibre plans
The Commerce Commission’s latest Measuring Broadband New Zealand report, from independent testing partner SamKnows, reveals a 10% drop in the peak time broadband speeds of high-speed Fibre Max plans since the last report.

“While Fibre Max plans are achieving the fastest download speeds of the plans we test, this deterioration is a concern given the premium price consumers pay for this service,” Telecommunications Commissioner Tristan Gilbertson says.

"The drop in performance is apparent across all retailers and wholesalers. Testing shows there is also significant variation in results for these plans. For example, Fibre Max plans are around 200 Mbps slower in the South Island than in the North Island.

“We are continuing our work with SamKnows and industry stakeholders to understand the reasons for these variations and the drop in speed. We expect this will result in providers achieving average performance that is more in-line with advertised speeds.”

With the exception of Fibre Max, testing shows that overall internet performance has remained stable, despite changes in broadband use as a result of COVID-19.

The latest report also looks at broadband video conferencing performance for free accounts for the first time.

“The tests show fibre is best at supporting uninterrupted video calling via increasingly popular platforms including Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Skype and Zoom. Meanwhile, copper and fixed wireless plans were more likely to experience delays during a call," says Mr Gilbertson.

“COVID-19 has highlighted how important having good home internet is for work and keeping in touch with family and friends. The more volunteers we have, the more detailed we can make our reports and the more we can do to lift internet performance for all New Zealanders."

More information about Measuring Broadband New Zealand, including registering to become a volunteer, can be found at www.measuringbroadbandnewzealand.com

The winter report is available here.

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#2546872 21-Aug-2020 10:11

I am going to get slammed for this comment (and am prepared for it), but I think fibre max is seriously under priced in New Zealand

for example in the USA GIG is 99USD+TAX which equates to about 150+TAX in NZD, this is a cut throat market we have directly translates to this 10% drop in performance

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

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Hammerer

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#2546876 21-Aug-2020 10:17

nztim:

I am going to get slammed for this comment (and am prepared for it), but I think fibre max is seriously under priced in New Zealand

for example in the USA GIG is 99USD+TAX which equates to about 150+TAX in NZD, this is a cut throat market we have directly translates to this 10% drop in performance

Here's a supportive response. I think that you express a useful opinion. I'm keen to hear other views including what the "experts" think.

Benjip

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#2546877 21-Aug-2020 10:17

In layman's terms, what could be the reason for this? People signing up for Gigabit Fibre and then using dodgy WiFi?

OldGeek

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#2546886 21-Aug-2020 10:32

Benjip:

In layman's terms, what could be the reason for this? People signing up for Gigabit Fibre and then using dodgy WiFi?

Assuming you are referring to the performance of Fibre Max plans, the Whitebox is connected to the router using an ethernet cable. If the speeds supported by the router lan interface, the ethernet cable to the whitebox or the lan interface in the whitebox are slower than the Fibre connection then test results will measure lan speed rather that Fibre connection speed.

Apologies in advance if I missed the obvious.

--

OldGeek.

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#2546888 21-Aug-2020 10:35

nztim:

I am going to get slammed for this comment (and am prepared for it), but I think fibre max is seriously under priced in New Zealand

for example in the USA GIG is 99USD+TAX which equates to about 150+TAX in NZD, this is a cut throat market we have directly translates to this 10% drop in performance

It's priced right for the New Zealand market and is based on cost, return on investment and reasonable margin. Prices in New Zealand should not be based on those abroad as cost structures and market potential are not the same.

freitasm

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#2546938 21-Aug-2020 11:46

From the NZ Telecommunications Forum (TCF):

Broadband measurement report shows good internet performance for vast majority of New Zealanders

The New Zealand Telecommunications Forum welcomes the latest broadband measurement report commissioned by the Commerce Commission, which shows the vast majority of New Zealanders continue to be well served by their internet providers.

The report states that “overall internet performance has remained stable for the vast majority of households” during the month of May when the report data was collated. New Zealand was in level 3 lockdown until May 13, and then in level 2 alert for the rest of the month. The report draws on broadband performance data collated from volunteer households across the country.

“The current level 3 lockdown in Auckland is once again reinforcing the vital importance of world-class telecommunications services to help New Zealanders keep earning, learning and enjoying life during these extraordinary times,” said TCF chief executive Geoff Thorn. “For our part, the telecommunications sector continues to work hard to keep networks and services running well and to support customers as much as we can.”

Thorn said the latest report drew attention to some inconsistencies in speeds for the highest-specification “Fibre Max” fibre plans offered by many broadband retailers. Both the Commission and the industry have been aware of this issue for several months, and broadband networks and retailers have been working collaboratively with the Commission and its independent testing partner SamKnows to investigate. This work is ongoing and includes laboratory testing to ascertain potential underlying causes as well as intensive network and hardware analysis.

Thorn said Fibre Max plans, which are marketed by retailers under various brand names, are designed for the minority of customers who want top-end fibre broadband speeds.

“Even with the speed inconsistencies cited by the Commerce Commission, most customers on Fibre Max plans would not notice any difference in terms of user experience and our member retailers have not seen any material change in feedback from customers on these plans. Fibre Max speeds are still generally several times faster than for Fibre 100 (which are New Zealand’s most popular fibre plans). That said, these speed inconsistencies are clearly of a concern and the industry is working collaboratively to get the issue sorted as soon as possible.”

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deadlyllama

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#2546985 21-Aug-2020 12:48

nztim:
I am going to get slammed for this comment (and am prepared for it), but I think fibre max is seriously under priced in New Zealand

for example in the USA GIG is 99USD+TAX which equates to about 150+TAX in NZD, this is a cut throat market we have directly translates to this 10% drop in performance

I'd rather pay 90NZD incl tax for Gigabit that's really only 800Mbps then pay 172NZD for perfect Gigabit.

K8Toledo

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#2547047 21-Aug-2020 14:20

Benjip:

In layman's terms, what could be the reason for this? People signing up for Gigabit Fibre and then using dodgy WiFi?

Sales Reps pushing customers from 100Mbps VDSL connections to 30Mbps Fibre. I see that often.

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#2547049 21-Aug-2020 14:22

K8Toledo:

Benjip:

In layman's terms, what could be the reason for this? People signing up for Gigabit Fibre and then using dodgy WiFi?

Sales Reps pushing customers from 100Mbps VDSL connections to 30Mbps Fibre. I see that often.

Or worse wireless, very common

Cyril

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#2547058 21-Aug-2020 14:37

nztim:

I am going to get slammed for this comment (and am prepared for it), but I think fibre max is seriously under priced in New Zealand

for example in the USA GIG is 99USD+TAX which equates to about 150+TAX in NZD, this is a cut throat market we have directly translates to this 10% drop in performance

@nztim I agree Gb pricing is just too cheap!

nztim

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#2547060 21-Aug-2020 14:40

cyril7:

Or worse wireless, very common

Cyril

There was a thread where Vodafone was forcing customers onto FWA all in the name of not paying Chorus for last mile - the guy managed to get out of the forced move because he had a Static IP

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

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#2547061 21-Aug-2020 14:42

nztim:

I am going to get slammed for this comment (and am prepared for it), but I think fibre max is seriously under priced in New Zealand

for example in the USA GIG is 99USD+TAX which equates to about 150+TAX in NZD, this is a cut throat market we have directly translates to this 10% drop in performance

On the other hand, I think NZ fiber max plans are much over priced

for example in Russia, gig fiber in the village (not main city so high density is not the factor) - cost is about $20-30 NZD including all the tax depending on the provider and perks included like free cable tv with UHD channels of upto 300 channels total.

:) So I don't think we should compare apples to oranges here.

helping others at evgenyk.nz

K8Toledo

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#2547120 21-Aug-2020 15:32

nztim:

I am going to get slammed for this comment (and am prepared for it), but I think fibre max is seriously under priced in New Zealand

for example in the USA GIG is 99USD+TAX which equates to about 150+TAX in NZD, this is a cut throat market we have directly translates to this 10% drop in performance

$99 USD + local tax.

$1 earned & spent in USA is $1. You don't convert the currency.

P.S.: I lived in Indiana 6 years, state taxes average ~10%.

ripdog

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#2548398 23-Aug-2020 19:52

Wait what? The only ISP comparison included 3 ISPs and only compared Fibre 100? Why are these reports still so trash? Bring back TrueNet.

networkn

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#2548417 23-Aug-2020 21:02

Hammerer:

nztim:

I am going to get slammed for this comment (and am prepared for it), but I think fibre max is seriously under priced in New Zealand

for example in the USA GIG is 99USD+TAX which equates to about 150+TAX in NZD, this is a cut throat market we have directly translates to this 10% drop in performance

Here's a supportive response. I think that you express a useful opinion. I'm keen to hear other views including what the "experts" think.

Considering, as one of the first people to get VDSL to a residential address in NZ, through a boutique provider, I paid around $325 for 60GB of data and thought it was OK value, yes, I do think Gigabit Fibre < $100 unlimited data is pretty crazy.

It's a serious trigger to me when I hear the comments "NZ has third world Internet" or "God, Our internet is so expensive compared to other places in the world!

Most people have no real appreciation for how amazing we have it here.

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