Anyone seen anyone trying to use "UFB" without actually being UFB?

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Anyone seen anyone trying to use "UFB" without actually being UFB?

Beccara

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#95727 11-Jan-2012 15:26

More just a curiosity for me, I was wondering when the cowboys around the country would try and start using the "UFB" term to try and drive some sales and sure enough the first one I know of has popped up and it's in our backyard up north

http://www.ncl.net.nz/

http://www.ncl.net.nz/index.php/en/how-it-works/ufb-coverage
"Northland Connect has W-UFB Network Coverage available in the current areas that are covered in Green & possible Coverage in Red"

http://www.ncl.net.nz///index.php/en/broadband/prepaid-internet-for-home
"To access Northland Connects ultra-fast broadband a one off purchase of a CPE "

The site is full of references to UFB and UltraFast Broadband and on the front page one of the slide's is saying it's all UFB networks.

Whilst I dont think there is any sort of tradmark on the term's as they can be considered generic It's going to confuse consumers.

Has anyone else out there come across anyone else trying to jump on the fact UFB is becoming/is already a household term?

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Zeon

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#567414 11-Jan-2012 15:42

Haha they should start advertising dialup as UFB-Dial UP. At least for the Lolz

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DonGould

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#567425 11-Jan-2012 16:02

It's an interesting issue actually.

30/10 can be delivered on wireless without issue.

Are we going to only accept that ultra fast broadband means that it's delivered on CFH funded fibre?

So if I get 100/10 from Telstra on their cable network then that's not ultra fast broadband?

What if I get 40/40 on wireless? That's much faster than the 30/10 I quoted above, is that UFB?

But then what if I can never pull more than 2mbit though it from a .us site that someone on a 10/1 DSL service can pull more?

Is it UFB when the layer 2 service proves it can burst to 10mbit from the customer to the gateway?

It's a really good topic and one that I suspect we're not going to see agreement on in a hurry.

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Beccara

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#567427 11-Jan-2012 16:08

Speed's not really the issue, If you can offer a 40mbit service then offer it but dont call it UFB, While I dont think the term is trade marked or anything it's confusing as the general population associate UFB = Govt Project.

It's kinda like if years ago Telecom decided to build a new network giving everyone VDSL and did it under the project name NGN and people outside of Telecom started saying their own networks were NGN. Or something a little more real, When I say NBN most tech's I know think the AU UFB project

edit:// I mean our own products are better than the RBI but to call our network an RBI network would be confusing and misleading, Then we have become exactly what we against: Telecom of old

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Snowflake

#567623 11-Jan-2012 22:00

isnt ultra fast broadband some sort of satellite hookup that is provided by ihug?

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insane

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#567688 12-Jan-2012 02:45

Regs: isnt ultra fast broadband some sort of satellite hookup that is provided by ihug?

That was Ultra, haven't seen that for ages though, although everyone on it used to like it back in the day.

As for using UFB incorrectly in advertising... as long as the speeds are genuine I see no problem, it's the end service which matters, not the delivery medium.

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Snowflake

#567794 12-Jan-2012 10:50

insane:
Regs: isnt ultra fast broadband some sort of satellite hookup that is provided by ihug?

That was Ultra, haven't seen that for ages though, although everyone on it used to like it back in the day.

As for using UFB incorrectly in advertising... as long as the speeds are genuine I see no problem, it's the end service which matters, not the delivery medium.

yep. should have put the :P icon on my reply to indicate the tounge-in-cheek nature of it...

in any case, 'ultra fast broadband' is an arbitrary name with no actual definition outside of whats in the govt UFB mandate. I rather dislike it. How can 40Mbps be 'ultra fast' when there exists 1000Mbps connections.

Its a lot like 2G, 3G, 4G really. None of those really define anything specific, but they are used all the time.

Maybe we should start labelling connection speeds using terms that consumers should understand?
* '1 hour movie broadband'
* '10 minute movie broadband'
* '1 minute movie broadband'

oh wait... should that actually be '1 hour movie standard definition 480p with non dts audio broadband'

NB: i used to use an ultra (skytower) + telecom adsl vpn combo and had 10mbps internet some ten years ago.

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knoydart

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#567812 12-Jan-2012 11:16

Regs:
Maybe we should start labelling connection speeds using terms that consumers should understand?
* '1 hour movie broadband'
* '10 minute movie broadband'
* '1 minute movie broadband'

oh wait... should that actually be '1 hour movie standard definition 480p with non dts audio broadband'
.

The Register in the UK has some standards that you might find useful. I think they have one somewhere for Adult movie storage for a year too but don't have the link right now (not searching for it via the work firewall)

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#568791 14-Jan-2012 14:29

Regs: in any case, 'ultra fast broadband' is an arbitrary name with no actual definition outside of whats in the govt UFB mandate. I rather dislike it. How can 40Mbps be 'ultra fast' when there exists 1000Mbps connections.

Its a lot like 2G, 3G, 4G really. None of those really define anything specific, but they are used all the time.

Internet speeds are commonly misunderstood to just work at whatever speed its set to run at, no more complicated than dialling up a toaster. So you buy a 30meg connection and thats the speed of your downloads. Of course TCP throughput on an inter-network is a bit more complicated.

100Mbps is still only "FAST" in my book, but single-mode fibre capability is only limited by what you light it up with at each end. Maybe 40Gbps would actually be real ultrafast service broadband.

Regs: Maybe we should start labelling connection speeds using terms that consumers should understand?
* '1 hour movie broadband'
* '10 minute movie broadband'
* '1 minute movie broadband'

oh wait... should that actually be '1 hour movie standard definition 480p with non dts audio broadband'

NB: i used to use an ultra (skytower) + telecom adsl vpn combo and had 10mbps internet some ten years ago.

That definition would also need legal disclaimers for whether theres a CIR or just best efforts, and say that other networks and servers outside the internet providers facilities are not within its control....

Time to find a new industry!

codyc1515

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#568795 14-Jan-2012 14:37

I don't have a problem with it personally. All in all: is the service being offered ultra-fast? Its just a terminology. The other example given, UFB-Dial up, cannot possibly be used. First of all its nots broadband, second of all its not ultra fast.

sbiddle

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#568846 14-Jan-2012 17:01

Wonder what's happened to their site? I tried clicking the links both yesterday and today and they don't work.

Both times were on TCL cable on the off chance there is some sort of routing issue and it's working for other people.

codyc1515

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#568896 14-Jan-2012 19:45

sbiddle: Wonder what's happened to their site? I tried clicking the links both yesterday and today and they don't work.

Both times were on TCL cable on the off chance there is some sort of routing issue and it's working for other people.

Yep, not working here either.

Beccara

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#569588 16-Jan-2012 19:08

Yeah the sites dead, I wonder if the mix of this and the $3k fine thread caused them to pull it and do a redesign

raytaylor

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#569721 17-Jan-2012 00:37

http://www.northlandconnect.co.nz/

Are you sure its not vodafone RBI that they arent using?
I know a mate of mine is already selling the vodafone RBI stuff down in cantebury on their own network they setup running over the top of vodafones RBI cellular.

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