The state of broadband in New Zealand

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ajw

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#76666 4-Feb-2011 13:57

Excellent article by Chris Barton concerning broadband in New Zealand.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10704027

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#436096 7-Feb-2011 01:35

Combining scaremongering, crystal ball gazing, pro big government into one article is quite an achievement.

sbiddle

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#436102 7-Feb-2011 06:16

Excellent article?

I think it's a very poorly researched, opinionated article that's bold on claims but short on facts.

lostangel

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#436106 7-Feb-2011 07:24

I'm surprised the Hearald published that really. An endorsed rant that is.

He does have some points to his rant there though.

Where is this broadband initiative?
When does the fibre rollout start?

So far ....
The initiative seems to have had no effect in speeding up NZ's catchup with other countries.
We are very unlikely to see any fibre to the door from the goverment initiative.

Telecom is still intent on vdsl(via copper like the current adsl) and has no intention of laying fibre to the door that the government had indicated would be the route taken.

Honestly, they aren't in a position for a fibre rollout to be possible.
They are still rolling out cabinets and the fibre that connects those back to the exchanges.
This needs to be completed before fibre can start replacing the link between the building and the cabinet.

So, where does that leave NZ's prospects for broadband?

Im my opinion ..
Widening the gap between other countries and NZ broadband wise as they deploy newer technologies and we have only older technologies available.

Seems to have parallels with the gap between rich and poor here in NZ, the widening gap that is, considering this mornings media coverage regarding our pm.

Beccara

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#436118 7-Feb-2011 08:36

Where is this broadband initiative?
When does the fibre rollout start?

So far ....
The initiative seems to have had no effect in speeding up NZ's catchup with other countries.
We are very unlikely to see any fibre to the door from the goverment initiative.

Just to head this off, You do know that NorthPower in Whangarei, One of the UFB winner's already has a decent sized fibre to the door network in place and has started expansion of this already.

I would hazard a guess that the government is holding off on announcing the rest of the winners until the legal side of things with CFH and NorthPower is settled and the kinks worked out

lostangel

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#436131 7-Feb-2011 09:46

No I did not know, thanks, and that is great news for Whangerei. :)

It's a pity other businesses around the entire country haven't stepped up and taken the initiative, which leaves only telecom. :(

Not that telecom couldn't get it done in a timely fashion, just they tend not to ;P

They even have to put on hold the breakup of their divisions to sort out this UFB situation(at least that's what they have stated) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10700743

So the same incredibly slow progress I'd expect from our largest teleco. when it all gets ironed out :(

Ragnor

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#436151 7-Feb-2011 10:25

Many of Telecom's obligations under the current separation deal are to do with copper, pots and adsl.. it just doesn't make sense to continue with of those objectives given an imminent fibre roll out.

I don't know if you've been following the cabinetisation program that Telecom has been running to meet the government given previous/current obligation of 10Mbit sync to the majority of households in NZ.... but the roll out has been very professional and rapid. I doubt it's possible for such a roll out to be done any faster without more unrealistic levels of spending and more exceptions from council and rma consents.

The cabinets are being rolled out as part of a $1.4 billion programme that forms part of Telecom’s legally binding Undertakings to the government.

The article doesn't even mention that Chorus will have to be fully separated off to be a LFC (local fibre co) and that all LFC's are likely going to be a joint venture public/private partnership with at least some % owned by the government.

Vector (in Auckland) would have been an interesting option but they obviously couldn't match Telecom's proposal probably due to Telecom's large amount of existing resources (exchanges, fibre, etc).

Just a worthless rant, the guy must live in some kind of fantasy world.

kyhwana2

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#436152 7-Feb-2011 10:27

Wow. I guess this guy doesn't realise how much it would cost to lay fibre to every farmers house. Wireless is the way to go for this and 5mbit or 1mbit is easily achievable with wireless and probably better than what they can already get..

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oxnsox

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#436176 7-Feb-2011 11:02

I hear the Telecom / Vodafone combined option has been selected

Lias

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#436275 7-Feb-2011 13:20

Mostly agree with what he's said.

I've been saying for years the only way NZ will ever get decent broadband service is to bypass telecom, or forcibly renationalize it. As long as Telecom is answerable to shareholders and not the public, it WILL shaft us in the name for profit. The ingrained culture of profit over everything at Telecom is not something that will ever change.

That culture is not unique to Telecom, but Telecom;'s current monopoly position makes the effect of it's culture unique.

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Ragnor

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#436298 7-Feb-2011 14:03

Agree that selling a vertically integrated naturally monopoly in the late 80's and then not regulating it effectively until the 2000's was retarded.

However the two solutions you suggest are both worse than the status quo imo.

I think the direction we are heading with UFB and RBI is the right one, operation and structural separation of horizontal units (access, wholesale, retail), with open access L1 and L2 non discriminatory service to any access seeker.

See Scandinavian countries to see this model working well.

ajw

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#436303 7-Feb-2011 14:10

Lias: Mostly agree with what he's said.

I've been saying for years the only way NZ will ever get decent broadband service is to bypass telecom, or forcibly renationalize it. As long as Telecom is answerable to shareholders and not the public, it WILL shaft us in the name for profit. The ingrained culture of profit over everything at Telecom is not something that will ever change.

That culture is not unique to Telecom, but Telecom;'s current monopoly position makes the effect of it's culture unique.

+1 I also find it amusing in regards to the RBI that Vodafone have no 700MHZ spectrum for LTE but are relying on a mythical spectrum auction that is supposed to happen sometime in 2014. The Maoris are demanding this 700MHZ spectrum be given to them so it will be interesting to see how the government gets around this.

Beccara

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#436327 7-Feb-2011 15:06

Vodafone/Telecom's bid for RBI based on 700mhz was rejected and a new bid submitted that used existing spectrum to provide the speed required by the RBI

ajw

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#436328 7-Feb-2011 15:11

Beccara: Vodafone/Telecom's bid for RBI based on 700mhz was rejected and a new bid submitted that used existing spectrum to provide the speed required by the RBI

And how long is it going to take to get HSPA+ in urban areas let alone rural areas.

Beccara

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#436330 7-Feb-2011 15:16

Alot sooner than 3rd parties would take to build towers and deploy a completely new network?

I'm not sure what your getting at here, All bidders on the RBI have a 12-36month time frame for deployment. Telecom/Vodafone are actually in a position to deploy the quickest out of the bunch because their bid is network upgrades, some fibre backhauls and a few new towers

ajw

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#436332 7-Feb-2011 15:22

Beccara: Alot sooner than 3rd parties would take to build towers and deploy a completely new network?

I'm not sure what your getting at here, All bidders on the RBI have a 12-36month time frame for deployment. Telecom/Vodafone are actually in a position to deploy the quickest out of the bunch because their bid is network upgrades, some fibre backhauls and a few new towers

And Kordia have also existing infrastructure. Remember we are talking rural areas here and Kordia were not going to use the copper based ADSL technologies. If you want symmetrical, high data throughput don't use ADSL.technology.

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