Roaming issue that 2d Should make people aware of...

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Roaming issue that 2d Should make people aware of...

SteveON

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#57422 12-Feb-2010 19:20

Many people seem to think that because there is no 2d signal that they cannot get any service, but with roaming on Vodafone they can. Perhaps they need to educate customers more...

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#298469 12-Feb-2010 19:23

2d can't roam onto the vodafone 3G network at this stage and vodafone have quite a few 3G only sites around the country providing coverage

sbiddle

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#298471 12-Feb-2010 19:44

Stuve: Many people seem to think that because there is no 2d signal that they cannot get any service, but with roaming on Vodafone they can. Perhaps they need to educate customers more...

This is not entirely true.

Within the Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown LCA's (ie where 2degrees have their own network) you can't roam onto Vodafone. In the Wellington region you can roam onto Vodafone from the Rimutaha Hill Rd summit where you connect to the VF Featherston site and from slightly north of Waikanae.

Like all networks deadspots do exist and Wellington in particular does have a few significant 2degrees deadspots including Island Bay. If you're in a 2d deadspot you will not be able to connect to Vodafone, even if there is Vodafone coverage.

As John pointed out there are also areas that only have Vodafone 3G coverage and no GSM so you will also be without coverage in these areas as 2degrees customers are only able to roam into GSM and not the 3G network.

johnr

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#298531 13-Feb-2010 00:07

I got a PM on Geekzone just over a week back asking why they could not action a manual network selection to Vodafone NZ 2G network as Vodafone had better coverage in the area.

Advised the above that steve has written

sbiddle

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#300379 19-Feb-2010 13:54

A complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority over the roaming issue has been upheld by the ASA.

2degrees claimed they had "seamless service across New Zealand" which was not correct because 2degrees customers could not roam on the Vodafone network in all areas.

You can read the full transcript of the decision here

wongtop

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#300402 19-Feb-2010 14:30

sbiddle: ]

Within the Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown LCA's (ie where 2degrees have their own network) you can't roam onto Vodafone. In the Wellington region you can roam onto Vodafone from the Rimutaha Hill Rd summit where you connect to the VF Featherston site and from slightly north of Waikanae.

I am a 2degrees customer and the last couple of times I have flown to Christchurch I have been roaming on Vodafone in the domestic arrivals/departures lounge. My phone switched to 2degrees on the street side of the terminal (such as it is these days).

It was a surprise to me that I was roaming on vodafone, and would have thought that if this generally occurs would be a significant loss of revenue to 2degrees as many people make calls when waiting for, or getting off aircraft (I know I do).

n4

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#300420 19-Feb-2010 15:22

wongtop:
I am a 2degrees customer and the last couple of times I have flown to Christchurch I have been roaming on Vodafone in the domestic arrivals/departures lounge. My phone switched to 2degrees on the street side of the terminal (such as it is these days).

Where were you coming from? If you were roaming on VF when you got on the plane then your phone will look for Vodafone first when you get off.

Samsung Note20 Ultra, on 2degrees

johnr

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#300421 19-Feb-2010 15:26

wongtop:
sbiddle: ]

Within the Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown LCA's (ie where 2degrees have their own network) you can't roam onto Vodafone. In the Wellington region you can roam onto Vodafone from the Rimutaha Hill Rd summit where you connect to the VF Featherston site and from slightly north of Waikanae.

I am a 2degrees customer and the last couple of times I have flown to Christchurch I have been roaming on Vodafone in the domestic arrivals/departures lounge.? My phone switched to 2degrees on the street side of the terminal (such as it is these days).

It was a surprise to me that I was roaming on vodafone, and would have thought that if this generally occurs would be a significant loss of revenue to 2degrees as many people make calls when waiting for, or getting off aircraft (I know I do).

Try and action a manual network selection back after its handed to the 2D network bet it will fail

John

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

wongtop

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#300428 19-Feb-2010 15:34

n4:
wongtop:
I am a 2degrees customer and the last couple of times I have flown to Christchurch I have been roaming on Vodafone in the domestic arrivals/departures lounge. My phone switched to 2degrees on the street side of the terminal (such as it is these days).

Where were you coming from? If you were roaming on VF when you got on the plane then your phone will look for Vodafone first when you get off.

Wellington - was on 2degrees when I switched off my phone for the flight.

webwat

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#300987 22-Feb-2010 13:45

The phone must have found a rural Vodafone cell within range of the airport...

Time to find a new industry!

sbiddle

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#300999 22-Feb-2010 14:02

webwat: The phone must have found a rural Vodafone cell within range of the airport...

If you were roaming on Vodafone or move to a different part of the country (such as a flight) the phone can connect to the VF network upon startup if it's the strongest signal. Once the HLR updates and the network realises it's not supposed to be allowing a phone off that site the phone will be dumped off Vodafone and back to 2degrees.

KiwiSurfer

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#302683 27-Feb-2010 12:29

johnr: 2d can't roam onto the vodafone 3G network at this stage and vodafone have quite a few 3G only sites around the country providing coverage

I understand that initially these 3G only sites were mainly set up to enhance 3G coverage in areas where there is adequate 2G service from existing GSM 900MHz service but poor 3G 2100Mhz service.

Has VF stopped building out GSM sites and now just enhancing UMTS coverage into areas where there is no fallback onto GSM?

If that is the case, then surely Vodafone can't make the claim for "seamless coverage" either as my Vodafone 2G/GSM phones wouldn't be able to access that coverage -- just like my 2degrees 2G/GSM phone!

- James

KiwiSurfer

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#302687 27-Feb-2010 12:41

sbiddle:
Stuve: Many people seem to think that because there is no 2d signal that they cannot get any service, but with roaming on Vodafone they can. Perhaps they need to educate customers more...

This is not entirely true.

Within the Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown LCA's (ie where 2degrees have their own network) you can't roam onto Vodafone. In the Wellington region you can roam onto Vodafone from the Rimutaha Hill Rd summit where you connect to the VF Featherston site and from slightly north of Waikanae.

Like all networks deadspots do exist and Wellington in particular does have a few significant 2degrees deadspots including Island Bay. If you're in a 2d deadspot you will not be able to connect to Vodafone, even if there is Vodafone coverage.

As John pointed out there are also areas that only have Vodafone 3G coverage and no GSM so you will also be without coverage in these areas as 2degrees customers are only able to roam into GSM and not the 3G network.

To claraify, whether or not a customer is allowed to roam on Vodafone doesn't depend on whether they're within 2degrees coverage or not. It depends on whether or not they can connected to a Vodafone site that allows 2degree roaming.

Vodafone has grouped their cell sites into groups called LAC's. Some LAC's are permitted for 2degrees roaming -- while others are not. Unfourtently the boundaries for the LAC's does not line up with 2degree's coverage so there is some overlap where 2degrees has their own network but Vodafone's network will accept roamers from 2degrees.

For example, in West Auckland, most cell sites north-west of Glen Eden/Te Atatu/Henderson is in a LAC that allows 2degree roaming because that LAC covers everything from Massey all the way up to Helensville and beyond. Obviously 2degree does not cover that LAC very well so they have agreed to allow roaming in that LAC area.

This means roaming is permitted in Piha, Massey, West Harbour, Hobsonville, Kumeu, etc -- all of which has native 2degrees coverage.

Thought this info would be of interest to those interested in the technical details of roaming.

- James

johnr

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#302703 27-Feb-2010 14:06

sounds like good drive test data net moniter on a nokia handset you beat me. lol

andrewcnz

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#302707 27-Feb-2010 14:34

So roaming is seamless as long as your phone can see both networks towers for a handoff?
If 2degrees now started to build in another city once they had completed and tested a tower they could make it available for traffic and still have roaming on Vodafone towers around it? Then once the city build was complete then turn off roaming.

sbiddle

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#302709 27-Feb-2010 14:37

andrewcnz: So roaming is seamless as long as your phone can see both networks towers for a handoff?
If 2degrees now started to build in another city once they had completed and tested a tower they could make it available for traffic and still have roaming on Vodafone towers around it? Then once the city build was complete then turn off roaming.

It would make sence to roll out a whole city first.

You have to remember that blocking roaming on the VF network within 2degrees coverage areas is there at the request and benefit of 2degrees, not Vodafone.

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