TUANZ - Telecomunications Users Association Of New Zealand

TelsrtraClear needs to listen

Posted Thu 30 July 2009 @ 8:11 a.m. by Ernie

Is TelstraClear's media stance being driven by an out-of-date script sourced from its parent company?Once again its out there huffing and puffing - staring down the government's plans to co-invest $1.5 billion for fibre to the premises. Look at this piece in today's DomPost.I'm not knocking the planned upgrade of the Wellington cable network - it will be a good benefit to those customers within Wellington and Christchurch who have access to, and choose to use the service. Although in the...

Categories: Fixed line carriers | Innovation | ISPs | TUANZ policy

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2degrees arrives on August 5

Posted Tue 28 July 2009 @ 5:55 p.m. by Louis

New Zealand’s long-awaited third mobile operator will open its airwaves for business next Wednesday, August 5. 2degrees has used Twitter to announce the launch date a couple of hours ago. Meanwhile it is hosting a media event next Tuesday where it will reveal its full range of services, prices and handsets, which it says is just the beginning of 2degrees’ efforts to bring true value to New Zealand mobile phone users. TUANZ will attend the event and will report of what we see as soon as...

Categories: Events | Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Vendors | Wireless carriers

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XT under the spotlight at next After 5s

Posted Tue 28 July 2009 @ 1:24 p.m. by Louis

Telecom and Gen-i are rolling out top-line executives at next week’s TUANZ After 5s to talk about the new XT mobile network. Alan Gourdie, CEO of Telecom Retail, will talk at the Christchurch session, while Telecom’s director for mobile Paul Hamburger will present at both the Wellington and Auckland events. Gen-i's National Mobile Manager Joe Caccioppoli will deliver the presentation in Hamilton. On the agenda will be Telecom’s XT Mobile Network and how the company achieved...

Categories: Events | TUANZ policy | Vendors | Wireless carriers

Fibre - where it's at in Oz

Posted Sun 26 July 2009 @ 9:11 a.m. by Ernie

Here's an interesting article from The Australian yesterday. It sums up the high level issues around that country's National Broadband Network. I don't agree with all the assumptions, but as a summary in simple terms it hits the mark.The comments about Telstra's capitulation to the government's leadership remind me of my 2007 presentation to the ATUG conference in Sydney when I set out a list of lessons from New Zealand - the first being "If an incumbent telco takes on a government head ...

Categories: Fixed line carriers | Innovation | TUANZ policy | Vendors | Wireless carriers

Crunch time for entering 2009 Innovation Awards

Posted Fri 24 July 2009 @ 3:32 p.m. by Louis

It is now definitely crunch time for anyone who still wants enter the 2009 TUANZ Innovation Awards hosted in association with Voco. Our decision to extend the entry deadline for the awards to this coming Monday, July 27 at 5pm, has resulted in a flurry of entries over the past week. But we know there are still plenty more potential entries out there! The TUANZ Innovation Awards recognise outstanding innovation in the telecommunications sector in New Zealand. So, if you’ve worked on or been involved...

Categories: Events | Innovation | TUANZ policy

Caution: Mobile market set to heat up soon

Posted Fri 24 July 2009 @ 12:50 p.m. by Louis

Soon-to-launch mobile entrant 2degrees will not be the only new option for users looking to switch mobile providers from next month. Callplus and subsidiary Slingshot are reportedly launching their mobile offerings in August as well, while Orcon has indicated that its mobile deals will be ready for a “soft-launch” within the next two months. But unlike, 2degrees, which so far has pitched its marketing at consumers, Callplus and Orcon have revealed a definite desire to target business users from...

Categories: ISPs | Vendors | Wireless carriers

Julia Raue named CIO of the Year

Posted Wed 22 July 2009 @ 4:31 p.m. by Louis

TUANZ would like to congratulate Air New Zealand CIO Julia Raue on being named CIO of the Year. Julia received this accolade during the CIO Summit which was held in Auckland over the past two days by CIO Magazine, IDC and Brightstar Conferences. She was one of three finalists, which also included Allan Dornan of IAG New Zealand and Colin Smith of Manukau City Council. In addition to their success in these awards, these top CIOs have something else in common – they all represent organisations...

Categories: Events | Innovation

UK Post Office signs on to stamp out MTRs

Posted Wed 22 July 2009 @ 11:21 a.m. by Louis

The British Post Office has become the latest organisation to join a campaign in the UK aimed at terminating mobile termination rates. The Terminate the Rate campaign was started in May by BT and recent mobile entrant 3 and is backed by small business organisations and union leaders. Unlike its local counterpart, UK fixed line incumbent BT does not also operate a mobile network. It believes MTRs are nothing more than a subsidy for Britain’s four largest mobile operators – Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile...

Categories: Fixed line carriers | Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

Herald report excellent 101 on telco issues

Posted Mon 20 July 2009 @ 5:40 p.m. by Louis

For those who have missed it, the Weekend Herald contained a great article by Geoff Cumming which delves into just about every major issue telecomms users face. Cumming not only explores troubles caused for users by the TSO and mobile termination rates, he also compares how much Kiwis and their counterparts in the OECD pay for landlines and mobile phone calls. In addition, he analyses some of the local regulatory issues in terms of telco services, plus shares some useful advice from our very own...

TUANZ vlogs termination rates

Posted Mon 20 July 2009 @ 4:21 p.m. by Louis

TUANZ has produced its first ever video blog. Or as those in the know call it – a vlog.Some of you may already have seen it, as we launched the video in our TUANZ This Week email newsletter on Friday. If not, you can view the video by click the image below. The video, produced by Auckland-based Digital Productions, is part of our ongoing campaign to tackle mobile termination rates. The aim behind the video is to highlight why this is such an important issue for New Zealanders. You would have...

Categories: Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Vendors | Wireless carriers

Maori participation in mobile market highlighted

Posted Mon 20 July 2009 @ 12:50 p.m. by Louis

The launch of third mobile operator, 2degrees, not only promises to boost competition in the mobile market, it is important for Maori to secure a stake in the telecommunications industry. This was the theme of an insightful piece on TVNZ’s Marae programme which aired last night. The show featured interviews with Antony Royal and Mavis Mullins of Te Huarahi Tika Trust, which, through its commercial arm Hautaki, owns a 20 percent share of 2degrees. Originally set up as the Maori Charitable Spectrum...

Categories: TUANZ policy | Vendors | Wireless carriers

Common sense on copyright

Posted Mon 20 July 2009 @ 11:45 a.m. by Ernie

I'm so over Section 92a, the strident conflicting opinions, the politicians trying to recover from their own ineptitude, the posturing, and the holier-than-thou position taking.So when I see a balanced, insightful, unemotional commentary like this excellent opinion piece from Tom Pullar-Strecker in today's Dompost I cheer! Tom has it right.The new iteration of S92a is a distinct improvement. It puts the burden of proof back in the right place. It gives the accused the same right of rebuttal...

Innovation Awards entry deadline extended

Posted Fri 17 July 2009 @ 11:05 a.m. by Louis

TUANZ and IDC are giving aspirant entrants to the 2009 TUANZ Innovation Awards, held in association with Voco, extra time to submit their entries. Entries were scheduled to close yesterday, but we recognise that this is a busy time for all and have decided to extent the deadline for entries to Monday, 27 July at 5pm. The aim of the awards is to recognise outstanding innovation in the telecommunications sector in New Zealand. We know from past experience that our members are an innovative and...

Categories: Events | Innovation

Demand for HD teleconferencing growing fast - Asnet

Posted Thu 16 July 2009 @ 12:35 p.m. by Louis

Uptake of high definition video conferencing is increasing rapidly as the cost of this technology comes down, while the realisation of its value increases, according to video conferencing specialist Asnet Technologies. Speaking at this month’s TUANZ After 5s series hosted by Asnet, general manager Chris Stewart says high definition telepresence technology is available today from the desktop to fully immersive conferencing suites. Asnet is the sole New Zealand distributor of Polycom video conferencing...

Categories: Events | Innovation | TUANZ policy | Vendors

IPv6 - a Hui to tell you all you need to know

Posted Thu 16 July 2009 @ 11:15 a.m. by Ernie

There are two classes of people in the world - those who think IPv6 is an absolute non-issue, and those who think we face Armageddon unless we act to pre-empt trouble NOW!Then there's a very small third class - me. I'm sitting in the middle, unsure.In this particular Digital Divide, InternetNZ clearly sits in the second lot. They've been talking up the issue for a long time, promoting the opportunity and need for New Zealand to be more pro-active in the migration from the old,...

Categories: Events | Fixed line carriers | ISPs

Greetings from Bucklame!

Posted Thu 16 July 2009 @ 10:27 a.m. by Louis

Despite high mobile termination rates inflating the cost of sending text messages in New Zealand, there is still a lot of fun to be had while texting. Trying to spell New Zealand place names while using predictive text can often deliver some interesting results as former TUANZ Topics editor Greg Adams discovers in this piece, which I thought our members who are avid texters would enjoy… The predictive texter's guide to NZ

Categories: Light relief

2degrees to “fortify” under new leadership/shareholding

Posted Wed 15 July 2009 @ 10:07 a.m. by Louis

Nascent third mobile operator 2degrees is to get a new CEO, as one of its shareholders ups its stake in the company. North American telecommunications investor Trilogy International Partners is taking a majority shareholding in 2degrees, increasing its share of the company from 26 percent to 52 percent. It is buying interest currently held by Hong Kong based General Enterprise Management Services (GEMS). On its website, Trilogy describes its strategy as “to build or acquire wireless enterprises...

Categories: Events | Vendors | Wireless carriers

Ross Patterson - welcome back!

Posted Tue 14 July 2009 @ 7:09 p.m. by Ernie

Telecommunications Commissioner Dr Ross Patterson is coming back to the job, Commerce Minister Simon Power announced that earlier today.TUANZ members will be very pleased indeed, as will the industry. Despite being in the thick of some really contentious subject matter over time, Ross has had achieved widespread respect and support. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say anything but good about him.Ross re-starts on 27 July. The Commission as a whole should take a...

Adios waterbed effect - Vodafone

Posted Mon 13 July 2009 @ 7:53 p.m. by Ernie

Last night I watched TVNZ's "Sunday" expose' on mobile phones, 2 Degrees and mobile termination with extreme interest. You can watch live here in two sections - part one and part two. It was a good piece of journalism. Not because I was on - I loathe talking on TV. I especially hate watching myself. One of my kids kindly suggested long ago that I had a "radio face" and I fear that's right.So my interest last night was in the defence that incumbents Vodafone and Telecom...

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Entries open for internet industry awards

Posted Mon 13 July 2009 @ 12:20 p.m. by Louis

In addition to entering the TUANZ Innovation Awards, our members have another opportunity to show off their brilliance by entering the inaugural New Zealand Internet Industry Awards. Applications for these awards, presented by the Liz Dengate Thrush Foundation, are now open. According to the foundation, the awards acknowledge, reward and encourage internet entrepreneurship, business applications, social benefits and educational programs contributing positively to New Zealand life. The awards...

Categories: Education | Events | Innovation

Cabinets and FTTx - a contradiction?

Posted Mon 13 July 2009 @ 6:36 a.m. by Ernie

Helen Twose of the Herald has an excellent article this morning. It reports Ericsson's Colin Goodwin raising the inherent contradiction between the installation of street cabinets for VDSL, and the "home runs" desirable for fibre to the premises. And Chris Dhyrberg from Chorus has responded.This issue has been tiptoed around and deserves more exposure. Dhyrberg's response that the ducting to the cabinets is a necessary component of FTTx is absolutely right. But his acknowledgement that the cabinets...

Categories: Fixed line carriers | Innovation | ISPs | TUANZ policy | Vendors

A quirk of international roaming

Posted Mon 13 July 2009 @ 5:51 a.m. by Ernie

One of the little things that's always bugged me about international roaming, is the quirky behaviour of voice mail. Often I've suddenly realised after several days away that I've received no voicemail messages at all.Thanks to the helpful Paul Brislen at Vodafone, I now understand the reason.I've had a bad habit when away, of leaving my phone switched on even when I can't answer it. I just leave it on "silent" overnight or in my hotel room when away in meetings. My hope has been that by doing so...

Categories: Wireless carriers

Joyce schools fellow MPs on fibre

Posted Fri 10 July 2009 @ 2:18 p.m. by Louis

Thanks to the NBR’s Chris Keall for this gem. In his Keallhauled blog today, Keall has published an unedited and uncorrected transcript of a recent meeting in which Communications and IT minister Steven Joyce schools his fellow MPs on fibre and reveals some of his own thinking. It is an insightful piece of reading. The minister’s explanation of the different layers a fibre network includes shows he really gets this topic. The discussion also shows that Joyce and his team are certainly taking...

Categories: Events | Regulatory