Reader Comments on Aardvark Daily 18 December 2001

Note: the comments below are the unabridged submissions of readers and do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher.
 

From: David Annett
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: ADSL charges

The maths is simple.  The high cost of ADSL can't be the
cost of international data traffic.  When I do 1.2GB on
Jetstream Telecom charge me ~20c MB for the local traffic to
Paradise.  Paradise then charge me less than 2c MB for my
traffic much of which is international.

Therefore either local traffic is much more expensive that
international or Telecom is ripping me off.  Telecom is not
suppling me any international data so that can not be the
reason.  If I could change to another provider I would but
there is no one else in New Zealand that will let me stay
online all the time with a static IP address at a reasonable
cost.

Look at the players in the market. Ihug won't let you stay
online with a fixed IP address.  Clear have wasted years
without laying cables.  If they had started digging up the
streets 10 years ago they could have been sitting pretty now
instead of being another also ran.  Telstra-Saturn would
would appear to be the only hope on the horizion but I don't
expect to see them in my street any time soon.

Off course local loop unbundling could change things quickly
but no one in goverment has enough spine to tackle that one.




From: James
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: Move To Wellington

Down here in Wellington we are one up on most of country. We
have a cable operation from TelstraSaturn/Clear and
broadband is a flatrate.

So move to Wellington it is the techcity of the country.




From: Matthew Poole
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: NZ's domestic bandwidth situation is globally unique

Nowhere else in the world are there institutions such as WIX
or the APE, where national ISPs can peer with each other.
The benefits of this situation make Telecon's charging
scheme a farce.  They can't justify their charges on any
level - They don't supply bandwidth for the majority of
customers.  Of course, if the ISP is making use of the Fast
IP Direct service  that Telecon is not allowing anyone else
to sign up to (poor babies facing more traffic than
anticipated?), then the ISP should be passing the charges
back to the user.

The government needs to come in and tell Telecon where to
get off - They are stifling the local market, and none of
our employees at the Beehive really seem to give a toss.




From: Simon
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: ADSL Charges

> When I ran my piece last week on XTRA's JetStart service
> I was told by several readers that the main reason we
> don't have a true flat-rate broadband service in NZ, and the
> reason that you end up paying by the megabyte is because
> the cost of international bandwidth is still incredibly high.

What is annoying about this is the fact that its Telecom
doing the charging, not the ISP. Its not Telecoms
international bandwidth its useing, its the ISP.

ISP's like IHUG have the software to determine if your
traffic is local or international and bill accordingly. Its
what they use for their Ultra system, but with the billing
model that telecom have come up with its impossible. They
have been cunning and made it so all isp's have to follow
one billing model. No compitition possible really.




From: Allister Jenks
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: Move to Wellington?

Before you consider taking this advice, be warned...

I live in Whitby, within a few kilometres of a main run of
Saturn's cable, yet I cannot connect.  I have tried to
determine whether/when the cable will be coming to Whitby
and have been met with a barrage of conflicting and
confusing information.  One report in the press even
suggested Whitby wouldn't get Saturn cable because the
Porirua City Council wouldn't give pole access.  Perhaps
that is true in the sense that no PCC area will get Saturn
until this requirement has been resolved.  However, Whitby
doesn't HAVE poles!  Duh!  All services are underground.
The residents' association has even commented that they
don't want those ugly black cables ruining the landscape.
(It's gotta be fun to watch them stretch it between the
lampposts.  Haha!)

Saturn, themselves have no real interest in potential
customers who aren't within easy reach of an existing cable
run.  I've not received any useful information from them
about Whitby and a friend who was living in Moera - a
suburb that *has* cable, was unable to get a connection due
to the location of the property concerned.  So all those
with long driveways etc, be prepared to pay or go without.

They've done their cable laying and they'll expand it when
they see fit.  They're too busy concentrating on
Christchurch and/or Auckland (until recently anyway).

Bear in mind also, that Whitby is a high income area and
Sky's penetration is already quite high.  If they don't
move soon, a lot of those only interested in the TV will
not bother with changing.

I'd pay Saturn's prices any day instead of Sky (and yes, I
am disgruntled with their recent 'upgrade').  The concept
of a terrestrial link appeals more and I can get easy
broadband internet, cable TV and phone services all from
one place.  Then I could be free once and for all from the
monopolistic and arrogant Telescum - bane of my life for
many years.

So before you buy that house, or rent that flat, give
Saturn a call.




From: Joe
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: ADSL Alternatives?

I can tell you that recently I secured an Auckland Area
FLAT-RATE 256K Connection (up and downstream) that was not
ADSL and had a block of *4* static IP Addresses in a subnet
and this was for $110 a month.

Now if this company which is no where near the size of
Telecom can do this, why can't Telecom do the same??
Because they are to busy ripping people off...

* BUT * because of assinine service and totally ridiculous
technical abilities by the company I got this connection
from, the service was disconnected because I had to fix my
own connection, myself, to get it to work right after 2
months. After which the company got upset that I did this
(when they couldnt) and terminated the connection.

I am now back to paying ridiculous amounts for ADSL.. The
above is why Telecom gets to make all the big bucks..
I won't mention the company now..just "watch this space" on
Aarkvark :)




From: J. de Bruin
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: Saturn Cable

I'm originally from Auckland and when I moved to Wellington
I specifically chose an area covered by Saturn to get a
place in. Fortunately Saturn covers lots of the "good"
suburbs in the capital, so there's plenty of places to pick
from. Saturn's Internet service is far superior to the Ihug
satellite service I had before and from what I read here,
better than DSL too. Wellington certainly has better
Internet service, too bad about all the wind though! :)