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The great New Zealand telecommunications battle |
carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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High speed data of that sort can't backfire unless the Network can't provide what the marketing people make out it can: remember the GoLarge debarcle? 
One thing I'm wondering is whether HSDPA devices like the W910i, V640i and the PC300 are limited to amaximum of 3.6Mbps or can cope with the Network maximum?
The Title of this thread may have to change soon. NZ Communications launch is getting closer - maybe.
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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With Telecom under pressure ATM, I think its time to revive this thread.
Fund's move stuns investors
5:00AM Tuesday August 12, 2008
By John Drinnan
Aggressive US-based hedge fund Elliott stunned Telecom investors yesterday, nominating new directors as it presses for another radical overhaul of the company.
Telecom chairman Wayne Boyd now has a fight on his hands as he faces a powerful but relatively small shareholder fomenting unrest. Elliott holds just 3 per cent but has a fearsome global reputation as an investor activist. It has until Telecom's annual meeting on October 2 to try to build support. Elliott's Hong Kong based portfolio manager, James Smith, said yesterday the company was acting alone.
"There is not a wider concerted offer behind what we have put together today - so far," he said.
more...
Telecom shares take a 9% hit
Audio available on this page, 4mins 45s long, very interesting assessment of the market at present.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/20080808
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Muhammad-Oli
Joined: Jun 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: The NZ of L
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Yeah I heard them talking about this on the radio about half an hour to an hour ago. It sounds really interesting, but I don't quite understand it.
A company that holds a 3% stake in Telecom thinks they can come in and force a change of management? How would that work and what is the point of doing so?
I'm sure I've missed something, so does somebody want to explain?
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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Well.... Elliot has a small shareholding but they are well respected. They want Telecom to split into two parts - a Wholesale provider and a Retailer of communication services. Elliot would then prefer the Retail side to be sold off with the profits going to shareholders. Three percent of Telecom would have cost alot (the share price has sunk significantly over the last couple of years meaning no-one wants to sell at a loss) and Elliot is no doubt looking for some return on investment considering Telecom's current restructing won't bring returns until perhaps 2011. Telecom's retail division is bleeding money ATM as it slashes prices (read: profits) trying to keep mobile customers from jumping ship to Vodafone before November and facing tough competition from Orcon and Vodafone in the internet market. I can see why Elliot wants to jettison it!
Telecom's board has rejected this proposal and has instead decided to split into three divisions all of which will remain in the group. Shareholders are expected to basically leave thier investment alone and trust the Board will steer Telecom back to the good-times of pre Government Interference in the Communications market when Telecom could get away with making the rules. Elliot want some say by adding two independent's to the board.
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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And more bad news from Telecom; it seems that the bad decisions and misinformation will continue as they combine minimal HSDPA with mostly GPRS on GSM850 band creating more incompatibility between them and Vodafone. You'll need a Quad band device (like V640i) to switch between the two networks and the V640i which has HSDPA on the 2100 frequency alone will only manage GPRS speeds on the HSDPA 850 network. Ironically, only the iPhone is optimised for both networks and we all know what that's priced like don't we...  Yes, Telecom is still in CDMA mentality following the US 850Mhz line of thinking. 
Read it and weep: source...
PHONE WARS
* NZ Communications says Vodafone and Telecom are delaying its plans to enter the mobile market.
* Vodafone has upped the ante by announcing a $500 million expansion plan.
* Telecom is rethinking its plans for a rollout of its new 3G Network.
* If Telecom changes tack it could cause a big increase in its substantial capital expenditure.
Expanded mobile market hits snags
5:00AM Tuesday August 19, 2008
By John Drinnan
Mobile phone users face delays for better deals as NZ Communications sets back plans for a third network and Telecom reviews its new 3G network.
The Minister of Communications, David Cunliffe, has called Vodafone and Telecom to account amid concerns the third mobile network would not be up and running at electiontime.
Newcomer NZ Communications is understood to have told Cunliffe the two phone giants were preventing it from having access to their towers and the launch for its third network had been moved from the end of this year to late 2009.
Cunliffe could not be reached for comment. [He's probably watching his credibility dissolve and revising his pre-election conference speeches about Labour's Telecommunications achievements in office - carkitter]
But a source close to the minister confirmed he was "very concerned" that NZ Communications should be up and running this year.
Meanwhile, with Vodafone ramping up its new WCDMA 3G network, Telecom is reviewing its plans.
The launch of its new network had been expected in November - in time for Christmas handset sales.
But Telecom has revealed that it will be limited to a "soft launch" aimed at overseas visitors and income from "roaming" - customers using their phones overseas.
Forsyth Barr telecommunications analyst Guy Hallwright said Telecom needed to improve its share of mobile revenue, in particular from roaming.
Telecom already has a 3G network that has limited use because of the limited number of handsets in the CDMA technology.
The new network would remove an impediment to roaming revenue from business customers.
The Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand said the delays were worrying. New Zealand was running out of time to prevent a mobile phone duopoly turning into a Vodafone monopoly.
TUANZ's Ernie Newman said that with Vodafone holding 53 per cent of the mobile market the situation might not appear dire.
But because of Vodafone's head-start in 3G, it was able to earn two-thirds of its revenue from mobile.
Vodafone and Telecom insist they are not trying to prevent new competition by denying access to their locations.
Vodafone says it built transmission towers to meet the Resource Management Act (RMA) and there is no room for NZ Communications unless the company goes through the long process for RMA approval to increase its towers.
But Newman said the RMA claims were "a red herring" from Vodafone.
"NZ Communications should have been up and running a long time ago.
"There is no doubt New Zealanders are playing far too much because of the lack of a third player."
He said Telecom was paying the price of bad technology decisions for mobile. Telecom has to decide whether to stick with its costly plans to try and catch up with Vodafone by using a mixture of 3G and slightly slower technology outside main centres, or spend even more to avoid falling behind.
Telecom has never spelled out timing for its network and insists there are no delays.
Vodafone upping the ante in competing comes down to a use of frequencies.
Both Vodafone and Telecom are using 2100 MHz frequency, which reaches 56 per cent of its customers with a 3G service.
But Vodafone last month revealed that it would be spending $500 million extending its own 3G network using its 900 MHz frequency, which has a wider reach.
Now Telecom has to decide whether it to wants to continue with its plans using slightly slower speeds outside main centres, or expand use of its 850 MHz to match Vodafone.
_________________
Voted Best Phone Review Esato Awards 2008!
[ This Message was edited by: carkitter on 2008-08-20 05:23 ] |
Muhammad-Oli
Joined: Jun 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: The NZ of L
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All I have to say is what a bunch of idiots! Why do Telecom think the US of A have it right all the time? hey haven't! They've got it all wrong! Go look at Europe for a good example of a mobile network, not America! Oh wait, I forgot, Telecom sucks.
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yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
Posts: > 500
From: New Zealand
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On 2008-08-20 06:30:45, Muhammad-Oli wrote:
Oh wait, I forgot, Telecom sucks.
Everyone knows that 
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Muhammad-Oli
Joined: Jun 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: The NZ of L
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Not everyone though! You're at school right? You must see a lot of people with their sh*t Sanyo Telecom phones. All the teenage girls that got sucked in by $10 text...
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yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
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From: New Zealand
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no everyone at my school is sony ericsson or nokia but i don;t really know too much about wot fones they use in the girls school
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Muhammad-Oli
Joined: Jun 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: The NZ of L
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Oh right, you go to an all boys school? What city do you live in?
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yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
Posts: > 500
From: New Zealand
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auckland
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Muhammad-Oli
Joined: Jun 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: The NZ of L
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I just came across this:
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/tonyhughes/5640
How crap is that?! $400/month for only text and voice calls, plus they're going to stick the stupid fair usage thing on it? That's ridiculous! That amount of money on prepay would get me all the texts and calls I could ever want for at least a year! 
Not everyone earns more than $1.75 million per year, Mr Telecom CEO.
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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Hmph! Looks badly thought out to me.
1) They can't afford to lose the revenue that high users spend.
2) They obviously didn't learn a thing from the Go Large debarcle.
I'd say die Telecom, die! if it wasn't for the fact that Vodafone as an unchallenged monopoly would be worse still than where we are now. 
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yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
Posts: > 500
From: New Zealand
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maybe change the title to the not so great new zealand telecommunications battle
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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Looks like TelstraClear are going to win the race to become the third mobile network in NZ. They are releasing a deal that's being touted by over excited media tosser's as creating a price war in the mobile market. Yeah right...
Here's their deal
It's basically adding a cheap mobile plan when you switch your landline and broadband over to TelstraClear that's all and the $3.00 per MB for Casual Data bites! Plus you need to sign up for 2 yrs and the Nokia 6275i they give you is not new or inspiring and is a CDMA phone so who cares?
Ho hum, Vodafone won't be particularly worried by this deal.
Typical of our dumb media to fall hook line and sinker for slick marketing and spin.
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Posted: 2008-03-29 05:42
