Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: New on the Street

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  • tussock,

    We want to turn as many New Zealanders as possible on to fast broadband.

    Isn't it interesting how companies say "possible" when they mean "profitable". I mean, I get it, I just also get that my house wouldn't have phone, power, or water without governments who thought those things were important enough not to leave to profit motives.

    Since Nov 2006 • 611 posts Report Reply

  • davidamstalden,

    Blah blah... I appreciate that he's willing to answer the questions that we've asked but I'd be absolutely stunned if there was anything specific in his reply. What are the projected costs? 1.4 billion has to pay off. What are we talking here? 5 GB's for $50? $100?

    I really hate to sound like the nit picker at a sleepover, but would a substantive bit of estimitation really be out of order here? They must have some projected figures.

    (Actually, since it's Telecom, I'll just keep shovelling it on.)

    New Plymouth • Since Mar 2008 • 45 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    Beware the gateway broadband!

    I can handle it.

    Yeah, you could stop anytime you like, right?

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Thrash Cardiom,

    In my district we only have two towns that make the grade. 50%+ of the population miss out.

    Yikes! Ugly. Whereabouts?

    Central Hawke's Bay. Very small and rural population.

    I'd like to know if we are on the cabinetisation plan but I'm sitting in a hotel room in New Plymouth using Telecom's mobile broadband and the download is very slow and keeps stalling around 13%.

    CHB • Since Nov 2006 • 55 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Blah blah... I appreciate that he's willing to answer the questions that we've asked but I'd be absolutely stunned if there was anything specific in his reply. What are the projected costs? 1.4 billion has to pay off. What are we talking here? 5 GB's for $50? $100?
    I really hate to sound like the nit picker at a sleepover, but would a substantive bit of estimitation really be out of order here? They must have some projected figures.

    For be it from me to act as a spokesman, but this is the freshly (if not wholly) separated Telecom Wholesale here -- they don't set retail pricing.

    If my understanding is correct, the default is for your existing broadband account, from whatever ISP buying wholesale DSL, to retain its existing price and conditions, but just get faster and more reliable. That's assuming that all cabinetised exchanges are also upgraded to ADSL2+.

    The cost for "access seekers" who want to place their own gear in Telecom's cabinets, is going to be very interesting -- the government should make it clear it's prepared to regulate if it has to. But I don't regard what's happening as a bad thing for the consumer.

    Advice for Telecom Wholesale: be accessible, do something with Zoomin (or Google Maps) and make it easy for people to see what's going on in their neighbourhood.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Beware the gateway broadband!

    And why do I have a mental picture of a horde of little people with bad teeth, axes and serious anger management issues. :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    Didn't the Vodafone/Orcon lurkers outline their backhaul plans in a similar thread a few weeks back? Perhaps they could be convinced to post detailed lists/maps of where this capacity is going.

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    Perhaps they could be convinced to post detailed lists/maps of where this capacity is going.

    Or come to our houses with hot coffee and fresh muffins and explain it in person. I'm sure Russell's Mother would appreciate that ...

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Interesting indeed and he apparently enjoys it a lot having once said that "cutting C++ code is better than sex".

    There are too many programmers around to get away with a snide remark about nobody being in a position to make the comparison. I'll settle for a 'ur doin it wrong'.

    Yeah, he must have really bad sex. Or is he intimating that you need to C++ to really f$%& a machine?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Just as an aside, I have been watching the Kingmakers Debate, the first program launching TVNZ7 on our new dvb-s pvr.( It is achievable for under $200 as long as you already have a decent computer) . I now look forward to Russell's new show and just wanted to wish him the best.Break a leg Russell.... Not literally, but you know what I mean.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Hauppauge Nova-S Plus with Media Portal.Old grey geek on geekzone is worth checking out . here

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I now look forward to Russell's new show and just wanted to wish him the best.Break a leg Russell.... Not literally, but you know what I mean.

    Thanks. There's been the odd hassle, and we've gone for quite a complex and sophisticated show first-up, but I think we can pull it all off and make a good television programme.

    I'll post something brief about it tomorrow (I think) but otherwise, expect to be reading a lot from the rest of the PA crew this coming week.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Huntington,

    I had a chat to one of the installers at a Pt Chev cabinet in the weekend and confirmed that there is no battery backup for the ADSL equipment, pots service will still be from the exchange..
    I wonder, am I the only person that *really* wants to know exactly what is happening in any power failure?, has lots of backup power at home and would be lost without an internet connection at such an exciting time?
    I could be all serious and say that In a wide area power outage I need it for work, being based at home and all, wireless backup it will have to be I guess

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Sure if it was just a power outage affecting the cabinet that'd make sense. But I'd have to wonder how much use a cabinet would be if the power was out in a region, which is probably more likely. Even if you're using a laptop with a battery, your router or modem or whatever is most likely running of mains power. I can't access the internet when I lose power.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Jason Kemp,

    Get someone to knock up a map (one with street names on it) and make it available.

    Here's an idea - have a look at the Orcon coverage map and my guess is that all the other ISP's might want to match the rollout in some of covered areas - Ponsonby, Mt Albert, Browns Bay, Ellerslie, and Glenfield.

    It has some street names and a phone number check system when in doubt.

    I asked Ihugafoneand the sort of answer is about 3 months before they match the Orcon service - or thats the way I read the reply.

    BUt wouldn't hurt to email your own ISP and ask them when / if they are going DSL2 and then decide to change ISP's if you can't wait that long - or the answer is not suitable.

    Might help them prioritise their timetables

    Also as far as I can tell actual contention ratios will slow down ADSL2 the same as for "regular slow" broadband - but at least there should be a quantum leap in speed for most.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 368 posts Report Reply

  • Hoane_Doe,

    I had a chat to one of the installers at a Pt Chev cabinet in the weekend and confirmed that there is no battery backup for the ADSL equipment, pots service will still be from the exchange..
    I wonder, am I the only person that *really* wants to know exactly what is happening in any power failure?, has lots of backup power at home and would be lost without an internet connection at such an exciting time?
    I could be all serious and say that In a wide area power outage I need it for work, being based at home and all, wireless backup it will have to be I guess

    If you go down to the street and look at the cabinet it has two big doors on the front. Look around on the right-hand side and you will see a third door. This door hides the batteries to keep all the equipment running when the power goes off. Depending on the amount of equipment in the cabinet and the number of b/and customers connected the cainet will keep working for something like 6-12 hours.
    Mind you if the power is off for that long, broadband availability is going to be the least of your problems.
    However, if the power company has a meltdown - like it did in Auckland several years ago - the cabinet has a generator input - so Telecom's contractors can plug a gen-set into the cabinet to recharge the batteries and keep it all going.

    Rest easy, you can use your laptop in the dark ...

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Huntington,

    Fantastic, I'll have to have a closer look.. Lots of backup power here, battery banks and generator, just in case I have to play backup studio for a certain radio station and for fun of course.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • Hamboy,

    I live in the centre of Christchurch and am connected to the main exchange. I'm lucky to see 3Mbps on a broadband test.
    But the thing that really gets me is that the exchange has been upgraded to ADSL2 and I have a compliant router, but I'm still stuck on ADSL1 and no word about when they are going to turn it on.
    I'm so sick of getting my arse handed to me in COD4 because my opponent saw me a second before I saw them and not being able to hit them because they are actually metres away from where they appear on my screen.
    Which reminds me, what is the upload speed of ADSL2, since xbox 360 games are peer to peer, not hosted through a server?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 162 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    However, if the power company has a meltdown - like it did in Auckland several years ago - the cabinet has a generator input - so Telecom's contractors can plug a gen-set into the cabinet to recharge the batteries and keep it all going.

    Well they'd better stand there and guard the generator if they do. If we have another power 'outage' like that last fiasco then I'll be the first one to go and 'borrow' any small generator left on the roadside to ensure people's broadband service continues ... I think there will be other priorities.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Hamboy,

    I think there will be other priorities.

    Like 111 calls?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 162 posts Report Reply

  • slarty,

    I just went and did the maths on Orcons new plans - I just can't make it add up. The premium they seem to be pitching is 20 - 40 bucks over and above their current plans. And that is with no connection speed increase.

    We really need the wholesale naked DSL cost to be low - like $35 for this to have any significant impact.

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Brader,

    At a meeting of local residents at Pt Chevalier School this evening (Weds 9th April) staff from Telecom and Chorus provided an update of progress with the fast broadband deployment. Read about it at http://voices.realestate.co.nz/ptchev/

    Pt Chevalier • Since Apr 2008 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    At a meeting of local residents at Pt Chevalier School this evening (Weds 9th April) staff from Telecom and Chorus provided an update of progress with the fast broadband deployment. Read about it at

    http://voices.realestate.co.nz/ptchev/

    Thanks Ross. I get the impression that the big difference for people isn't just the prodigious downstream speeds, but a decent rate upstream for the first time.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Mike Myers,

    I got pretty excited about the new cabinets as I live in Pt Chev Rd, I had seen the press and seen them take the lovely photos(just across the road in fact) etc… Great BB is here, so I ordered telecom broadband and asked if it was the new adsl2, it should be they said as the cabinets were live or will be live in April. It all got turned on quickly but I noticed the speed was ADSL not ADSL2 (2 mb down, 700k up). I phoned telecom to see if I was still connected the Mt Albert exchange or the local dslam, after I insisted they contacted Chorus. Chorus said they make the call on who gets put on to the new cabinets and my connection would be in September.

    What’s the point of new cabinets if you can’t even get on to them? Maybe I should run a cable just across the road and hook it up myself.

    Once again telecom have promised the earth and delivered nothing!

    Since Apr 2008 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • Mike Myers,

    Just to update, I emailed Chorus and they sent me the map that Ross talks about. It shows that the connection will be by the 30 of May, much better than September. So I guess it will be connected in May or September. I hope May. If anybody would like a copy of the map with the dates email me at mike@blueday.co.nz

    Since Apr 2008 • 3 posts Report Reply

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