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The great New Zealand telecommunications battle |
yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
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From: New Zealand
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hopefully b&w will be gsm otherwise new zealands mobile network will be f..ed
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[ This Message was edited by: yea g on 2008-08-31 04:02 ] |
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
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From: Auckland, NZ
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Well, there are network owners and there are VMNOs.
Virtual Mobile Network Operators are companies that have an agreement to use another company's network infrastucture.
TelstraClear are a VMNO using Telecom's infrastucture.
Black & White are a VMNO using Vodafone's infrastucture.
It looks to me like TC are dipping their toe in the water. They'll need alot more than this to make an impact in the mobile market.
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Muhammad-Oli
Joined: Jun 13, 2004
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From: The NZ of L
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Yeah and Black & White will offer SE phones too, according to the SE website when you try to send settings over the air to your phone. It has Vodafone and Black & White as your two options. 
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yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
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From: New Zealand
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yep thats how I found out about black and white (well that and a google search)
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Muhammad-Oli
Joined: Jun 13, 2004
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From: The NZ of L
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Yeah, that SE over the air settings thing doesn't work. Its crap.
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
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From: Auckland, NZ
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I heard on the radio this morning that Call-Plus and Orcon will be joining the ranks of VMNO's soon.
TBH, I can't really see why any potential VMNO would be attracted to Telecom considering the struggle they are having in putting together a GSM network, the choice of GSM850 band for future development, the ongoing reliance on CDMA with it's built in limitations and Telecom's use as a political football by government and subsequent volitility at Board level. One never knows what extreme restructuring measure Telecom will come up with next.
VodafoneNZ must postively glow in comparison! 
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yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
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From: New Zealand
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I just saw the ad for telstra clear's new mobile, really why would they go with telecom? in aussie telstra has just shutdown its cdma network recently so telstra clear in nz goes and uses cdma. wtf???
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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I think they were anticipating Telecom going to GSM but can't wait around for it to happen so they're using what Telecom have available now. I think they went with Telecom after having a bust up with Vodafone over 029.
TelstraClear seem locked into a Landline mentality, unless they can break out of this they won't make a dent in the mobile market. Even if they do begin to understand Mobile consumers, they can't rise above the level that Telecoms sets with its infrastructure so they'll most likely cannibalise Telecom's business customers rather than Vodafones Prepay/Music Downloads/Mobile Data/IT Guru/Small Business markets.
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yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
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From: New Zealand
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hmm.... think b&w will have any chance, I think if they have enough advertising and good plans they could make a dent in vodafones ruling
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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It's hard to say.
How cheap they can go depends on the wholesale rates they've negotiated with Vodafone. I'm more interested in their POD (point of difference).
In Oz M2 sell their phones online which would streamline their overheads, allowing them to sell phones cheaper. Those phones would need to be locked to B&W to make sure they get the ongoing revenue from customers (ala iPhone). To avoid a backlash from young techno-savvy consumers to locked phones they would have to have cheap rates for calling and txt-ing other networks.
Also in Oz their big POD is the environmental aspect of their plans. Your monthly payments buy Carbon Credits which can offset your V8 Holden or your overseas travel and that's becoming more important these days.
I would expect them to make a big deal about that in Nuclear Free NZ.  Whether many kiwis actually care remains to be seen.
I wonder where they will get their phones from? Have Vodafone negotiated a deal to supply our limited range of SE, or will B&W use the Optus supply channel which gets more SE phones faster? I hope the latter. 
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[ This Message was edited by: carkitter on 2008-09-01 23:22 ] |
yea g
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yea i don't really care how fast they get the phone as i usally wait until xmas to get a fone (you know price cuts and that sorta shit) it doesn't look like b&w will bother branding the fones, just an extra expense that they probably wont want considering they are only just setting up
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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I came across this little gem the other day when reading a PC magazine in the Uni library. You can read the whole column here.
Maybe I'm drawing a long bow here, maybe I'm speculating. But if this industry practice by Verizon (US) is practiced by VodafoneNZ it would explain alot about SE phone availability in NZ and what Voda stand to lose when other GSM networks get up and running.
"...Let's rejoin the reality-based community: Verizon will still certify phones and charge money to certify them, though the process will take "weeks, not months," says a spokesperson. It will reject individual foreign imported phones because they don't hew to the U.S. E911 standard. How much will the service plans cost? Who knows?..."
How I interpret this statement:
For the last 10 years Vodafone has been the only GSM game in town and may have been not only veto-ing what phones get released but actually making money off manufacturers in return for allowing phone models access to the network. Knowing how small SE is here, has budgetry constraints prevented SENZ from expanding thier range? 
Why do I think VodafoneNZ might be doing this? Verizon Wireless is 45% owned by Vodafone Group who own all of VodaNZ and this is just the sort of thing they would do IMO.
If B&W get thier phones through VodafoneNZ then this scheme will probably continue for a while. I hope B&W are smart enough not to fall for that having had access to Optus handsets in Oz.
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[ This Message was edited by: carkitter on 2008-09-08 11:38 ] |
carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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Vodafone are making their Red Network available to the wholesale market, which will put pressure on Telecom's profitability once again...
Arch-rival launches fresh attack on Telecom
* New regulations made Telecom open up its telephone exchanges to competitors - the unbundling of the local loop.
* It meant Telecom competitors could offer their own retail services rather than just re-selling Telecom capacity.
* In June Vodafone began "The Red Network", its retail fixed line with equipment at unbundled Auckland exchanges.
* Vodafone has moved retail competition into the wholesale market.
* It will wholesale its Red Network surplus capacity - "offering faster speeds" - starting with Slingshot.
* It will compete with the Telecom retail and wholesale arms.
More...
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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Telecom has announced changes to plans for it new network. The are dropping older GSM technology entirely meaning that existing 2G and 2.5G Vodafone compatible phones won't be able to use the network.
They are going for a WCDMA (read UMTS/HSDPA) based network so only 3G and 3.5G phones will be compatible. However (and here's the crunch) their new network will be WCDMA 850 band only.
Yes thats right., 850 band like in the US.
So nearly all existing Vodafone handsets won't be compatible. So much for the competition we've been looking forward to.
Vodafone uses UMTS 2100 and HSDPA/HSUPA 2100 at the moment. Both Telecom and Vodafone are being required by the Govt. to extend 3G coverage to 97% of the country. This means shifting to lower frequencies which give better reception in rural areas. While Telecom have chosen 850 band, Vodafone have chosen the relatively obscure 900 band.
G705 uses UMTS 2100, HSDPA 2100.
G705a uses UMTS 2100, HSDPA 2100 and UMTS 850, HSDPA 850.
X1 uses UMTS 2100, HSDPA 2100 and UMTS 850, HSDPA 850 in America and
UMTS 2100, HSDPA 2100 and UMTS 900, HSDPA 900 in other markets.
K850 uses UMTS 2100, HSDPA 2100 and UMTS 850, HSDPA 850.
C905 uses UMTS 2100, HSDPA 2100.
C905a uses UMTS 2100, HSDPA 2100 and UMTS 850, HSDPA 850.
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[ This Message was edited by: carkitter on 2008-10-16 07:17 ] |
yea g
Joined: Jul 02, 2008
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From: New Zealand
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stupid telecom.
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Posted: 2008-08-31 05:01
