NZ Comms coverage

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › NZ Comms coverage

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#190843 20-Jan-2009 17:11

ajw:
sbiddle:
ajw:
ajw:

It appears that NZ Comms have turned on some of their cellsites in the Hutt Valley. NZ 24 coverage is now available from Petone up to Waterloo. Have not had a chance yet to check further up the valley.

Did a coverage check on both levels of Westfield Mall, Lower Hutt today. Even where the Vodafone coverage drops out on the lower level, by the North end escalator I still retained NZ 24 signal even outside the $2 shop at the North end, Lower level.

NZ Comms site is on the top of Public Trust House on the corner of Queens Dr/Laings Rd. Their sectorisation has a panel directly facing at the mall so it's not surprising they have some coverage in there where Vodafone don't.

With the site just across the road from the Queensgate entrance I would have thought that Vodafone would have had better coverage.

If a sector faced the mall then maybe. The sectorisation of the site is such that they don't.

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

#190848 20-Jan-2009 17:21

Did some driving around CHCH city today, NZ Comms GSM coverage on the eastern route is excetional, barely going above -65db on my Curve. They have new sites at East gate, Ferry / Aldwins rd & Aldwins / Brougham plus heading towards the Lyttleton tunnel they have two sites on the same route there this road is exceptionally well covered.

Central CHCH is ok but number of sites are growing, North East CHCH is almost live with sites at parklands / QE2 / Bower Ave / brighton rd on the river etc. so i would imagine soon enough this area will be very good.

southern CHCH is not so good but some new sites have gone live and the Airport / Burnside area is now live.

Flicking between Voda & NZ Comms showed a much better foot print on 900mhz GSM via NZ Comms. Vodafone will have some work to do if NZ Comms can keep this sort of foot print consistent across the City and other cities in NZ.

I have noticed a lot of fibre being laid going past NZ Comms & new Telecom sites, lots of back haul hopefully.

For a self confessed tower spotter this is Christmas!

www.ultimatebroadband.co.nz
Delivering better broadband services

UFB fibre, Rural fibre on EA networks, RBI wireless, Ruralnet & Ultra wireless, wireless networks

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

#192705 29-Jan-2009 13:00

NZ Comms sites seem to be popping up all over the place in Christchurch.

Based on the immediate threat to incumbants Telecom & Vodafone, Vodafone may find them selves on the back foot, NZ Comms network, site locations and foot print as i have already said is impressive and Vodafone customers may be seeing NZ comms coverage far more often in ChCh at least than their own carrier.

Good times ahead for the consumer!

www.ultimatebroadband.co.nz
Delivering better broadband services

UFB fibre, Rural fibre on EA networks, RBI wireless, Ruralnet & Ultra wireless, wireless networks

steveonz

151 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#192711 29-Jan-2009 13:50

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

bbman:

Good times ahead for the consumer!

Maybe not, with the high MTU and the amount of time they are taking, they will have a hard time esp once Telecom release their network.. the thing here is that if they can get out there before Telecom release, then all the customers who are going to be moved onto the NEW GSM network will have the option of NZ Comms, however if they release after telecom do.. May be hard to convince people to move...

So let’s see how long it'l take...

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

#192726 29-Jan-2009 15:02

steveonz: Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
bbman:
Good times ahead for the consumer!

Maybe not, with the high MTU and the amount of time they are taking, they will have a hard time esp once Telecom release their network.. the thing here is that if they can get out there before Telecom release, then all the customers who are going to be moved onto the NEW GSM network will have the option of NZ Comms, however if they release after telecom do.. May be hard to convince people to move...

So let’s see how long it'l take...

The word is 8 weeks to launch, at the rate they are building its entirely possible, unsure about backhaul and internal network.

Telecoms W850 will certainly be a big draw card but I still believe that NZ comms are going to see more Vodafone customers with existing hardware move over due to their urban foot print and pricing no doubt, sim only connections maybe. Yes MTU is high but that will eventually be dealt with and the market will shift as technology does, right now SMS / Voice is the earners but soon enough we will see email / msn / social networking over IP as big earners.

www.ultimatebroadband.co.nz
Delivering better broadband services

UFB fibre, Rural fibre on EA networks, RBI wireless, Ruralnet & Ultra wireless, wireless networks

richms

28187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#192727 29-Jan-2009 15:03

Since NZcomms will be a straight sim swap for existing GSM users on vodafone, vs the handset replacement that it will take to move to telecom I think they will be onto a sure thing. There is a general dislike for vodafone around people I know, quite evident on here and moving without having to buy a (as yet unknown priced) handset is a huge winner for them.

I am guessing thats the only reason to pursue GSM, once they have the customers they can do a vodafone and get a low band 3g operational as a replacemetnt.

Richard rich.ms

steveonz

151 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#192733 29-Jan-2009 15:30

8 Weeks? Really?

It was my understanding they were going under a different brand. It takes more than 8 weeks to develop a brand and as far as I can tell, there isnt anything really developed yet...

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#192742 29-Jan-2009 15:56

steveonz: 8 Weeks? Really?

It was my understanding they were going under a different brand. It takes more than 8 weeks to develop a brand and as far as I can tell, there isnt anything really developed yet...

Word on the street is that it's almost a certainty that that the launch will be before June. They want a new network in the marketplace before Telecom.

ajw

1932 posts

Uber Geek

#192743 29-Jan-2009 15:58

steveonz: Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";}
bbman:

Good times ahead for the consumer!

Maybe not, with the high MTU and the amount of time they are taking, they will have a hard time esp once Telecom release their network.. the thing here is that if they can get out there before Telecom release, then all the customers who are going to be moved onto the NEW GSM network will have the option of NZ Comms, however if they release after telecom do.. May be hard to convince people to move...

So let’s see how long it'l take...

Telecom are not building a GSM network, they are building a 3G UMTS network using the 850MHZ band. NZ Comms are building a GSM network using 900/1800 MHZ plus 2100MHZ UMTS,

steveonz

151 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#192744 29-Jan-2009 16:06

What I mean is; Those customers moving to Telecom will have to get new handsets anyway, and the liklyhood that the handsets Telecom will be getting, will work on V & NZcomms networks anyway...

jermsie

302 posts

Ultimate Geek

#193304 1-Feb-2009 21:54

sbiddle:
steveonz: 8 Weeks? Really?

It was my understanding they were going under a different brand. It takes more than 8 weeks to develop a brand and as far as I can tell, there isnt anything really developed yet...

Word on the street is that it's almost a certainty that that the launch will be before June. They want a new network in the marketplace before Telecom.

How are people getting this information?

– J

kiwind

74 posts

Master Geek

#193308 1-Feb-2009 22:10

Picked up NZ Comms coverage in Maraetai today (was also Telecom coverage) but nothing in Kawakawa.
On an iPhone so no idea what the frequencies in use were or whether 2.5G/3G. Vodafone out that way on the iPhone is all 2.5G. Might have some 900Mhz WCDMA that I couldn't see.

richms

28187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#193371 2-Feb-2009 11:31

A lamppost site like the one opposite the challange in birkdale appeared at the end of tramway road sometime over the weekend - Not sure if its vodafone or nzc, but the one opposite the challange is nzc.

The antennas on the top dont look like the 3g ones I have seen on telecom sites, there is only one set of them 2 so I am hoping that they are not gsm only sites

Richard rich.ms

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

#193384 2-Feb-2009 12:31

Has the box been installed? thats a give away usually.

Is it a short one or normal height site? i notice in CHCH the lamp post sites of VNZ are not that high off the ground.

Could still be a UMTS only Telecom site or another VNZ GSM site maybe, John will be able to confirm the VNZ side of things.

www.ultimatebroadband.co.nz
Delivering better broadband services

UFB fibre, Rural fibre on EA networks, RBI wireless, Ruralnet & Ultra wireless, wireless networks

richms

28187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#193389 2-Feb-2009 12:55

I will get pics later today and put them up.

Richard rich.ms

1 | 2 | 3 | 4