SPK- Spark NZ (TELCO)

[dobby41]

We should however not forget that Sparks WiFi transceivers need (and use and presumably pay for) as well CNU's glass fibre network to stay in operation - the WiFi over the air part are only the last handful of hundred meters - the reminder is CNU's glass fibre ...

While they do consume some CNU services they are getting of them wherever possible.
And possible is most places.

[BlackPeter]

I used to think that. But I am not sure if it is true Blackpeter. Look at p8 of AR2021. There you will see a nice pattern of purple lines representing 1200km of backhaul 'Fibre Transport Network' owned and operated by Spark. Sure there are a few areas of the country that don't connect, but it does look remarkably complete between major population centres. I am thinking the actual backhaul work performed by Chorus for Spark, on a nationwide basis, may not be so large?

SNOOPY

Interesting ... yes, I thought that Chorus owns all the backbone fibre network. Looks like I thought wrong. Always learning :

On the other hand - googling after Sparks backbone fibre network I came across this link:

https://www.sparknz.co.nz/news/joint_fibre_build/

So - I take it that Chorus, Spark (and some of the other Telecom providers) do own (at least some of) the fibre trunks jointly.

While I have no clue how the relevant commercial agreements look like, you are right, while Chorus is still involved it is under these conditions unlikely to be a huge money spinner for them.

Just wondering how this is all in the spirit of the laws which used to split Telecom and Chorus apart, if they are now growing back together ?

[percy]

Not sure of my facts.
Did hear that CNU are looking to stopping supporting copper.
That will mean people will have to either go to fibre or wireless.
CNU are hopeful people will go to fibre.
I have my doubts.

[dobby41]

Interesting ... yes, I thought that Chorus owns all the backbone fibre network. Looks like I thought wrong. Always learning :

On the other hand - googling after Sparks backbone fibre network I came across this link:

https://www.sparknz.co.nz/news/joint_fibre_build/

So - I take it that Chorus, Spark (and some of the other Telecom providers) do own (at least some of) the fibre trunks jointly.

While I have no clue how the relevant commercial agreements look like, you are right, while Chorus is still involved it is under these conditions unlikely to be a huge money spinner for them.

Just wondering how this is all in the spirit of the laws which used to split Telecom and Chorus apart, if they are now growing back together ?

They own some jointly and some in their own right.
When Telecom and Chorus split Telecom kept a trunk capability.
Since then they have laid heaps more.
Spark has a huge network in its own right.

Remember that at the split no one said that Telecom was only to be a service provider and wasn't allowed a network - it was about Chorus being able to wholesale access (which Spark doesn't do) to other retailers.

[Bjauck]

I think a lot comes down to whether you see "fibre" or "wireless" as the future.
I have a "wireless" connection,and am in the "wireless" camp.
I own SPK shares, while the trust I am a trustee of holds CNU and SPK.,

My house is semi-rural in the Auckland fringe, about 120m from the road. Currently I am on a copper vdsl. Luckily I am close to a box so speeds are adequate for streaming hd video. I am in the wireless coverage area, so I will probably be going the wireless route this year as it would be less trouble than hitching up to fibre.

[Bjauck]

Not sure of my facts.
Did hear that CNU are looking to stopping supporting copper.
That will mean people will have to either go to fibre or wireless.
CNU are hopeful people will go to fibre.
I have my doubts.

I am not sure but I think it is the PSTN "analog voice over copper" part that is being stopped.

[Marilyn Munroe]

Not sure of my facts.
Did hear that CNU are looking to stopping supporting copper.
That will mean people will have to either go to fibre or wireless.
CNU are hopeful people will go to fibre.
I have my doubts.

It is possible Chorus in order to shut down the copper would shift hold-out voice line customers over to voice over IP through the fiber network.

They would be given a something which looks like a phone, sounds like a phone and acts like a phone but is a fiber connecting device.

Boop boop de do
Marilyn

[dobby41]

Not sure of my facts.
Did hear that CNU are looking to stopping supporting copper.
That will mean people will have to either go to fibre or wireless.
CNU are hopeful people will go to fibre.
I have my doubts.

The PSTN is slowly being shut down and Chorus is reducing (and removing) the maintenance of the copper network (it is expensive to maintain and riddled with faults).
At some point, you will probably have to go to fibre or Wireless.
I prefer fibre because it suffers less from capacity contention - it is far easier (and cheaper) to remove contention in a fibre network than a wireless network.

[dobby41]

It is possible Chorus in order to shut down the copper would shift hold-out voice line customers over to voice over IP through the fiber network.

They would be given a something which looks like a phone, sounds like a phone and acts like a phone but is a fiber connecting device.

That is what is happening.
Spark and Voda also supply wireless devices that are the same (also VoIP or VoLTE) - a small wireless modem and connect the phone.

[Zaphod]

From a technology perspective, fibre is the only service where you can be guaranteed uncontended bandwidth, you buy 100Mbps you get 100Mb .

Within the context of the UFB network, a plan with a Peek Information Rate (PIR) of 100Mbps (for example) is readily available, but that's not the guaranteed throughput. A Committed Information Rate (CIR) that provides a guaranteed sustained 100Mbps pushes the price up quite a lot further.

High CIR's can also be provisioned on the copper network in an uncontended fashion. Indeed, we had at one time a Chorus provisioned private point-to-point copper link between two offices, as well as a high CIR ADSL service for general internet access.