News Forum Phone database

> New Topic
> Reply
< Esato Forum Index > Regional > Asia Pacific > New Zealanders Bookmark topic

Well its not been good week for me with timing.. I went to EI and ended up buyin the Naite cos little cheaper, lighter, better batt life and same batt as my c901, and didn't like the feel so much of c510, but they didnt have in stock so gota wait til next week..
Got vodafone Sim and credit and went to load talk 200mins for $12 add-in but they've pulled the pin on it 2 days ago!!
Im sure they were advertising this on TV only a couple of weeks ago - dont see how they could take it away so quick.. Seems pretty dodge..
Though apparently if you've bought it before you can continue to use until august urg
--
Posted: 2010-05-22 06:06:41
Edit : Quote


That add-on got Voda in a lot of hot water with the Commerce Commission (ComCom). It's all to do with Mobile Termination Rates (MTR's):

When a Telecom customer makes a call, they pay Telecom for the cost of that call. If that call is made from a Telecom customer to a Vodafone customer, then half the call uses Telecom's network, and half the call uses Vodafone's network. Therefore Vodafone says "We want to charge Telecom a fee for terminating that call on our network." That fee is the MTR and all companies charge each other for terminating calls and txts.

So then -
1) It's cheaper for each network if the call (or txt) starts and terminates on the same network. This is called On-Net.
2) 2 Degrees has to pay a lot of money to Vodafone and Telecom because they have so many customers. This makes MTR a barrier to new networks like 2 Degrees starting up in NZ and increasing competition.

Increasing competition is where the ComCom comes in. The ComCom wants Telecom and Vodafone to reduce MTR's from 15c to 3.8c per call and from 10c to 1/2c per txt immediately but the networks have offered a reduction to 6c per call by 2014 and if txt numbers remain roughly comparable then the networks will accept zero MTR for txt. The ComCom did an investigation into MTR's and recommended the Govt go with the networks model - for now. But then Vodafone released the new On-Net Talk add-on which 2 Degrees and the ComCom saw as anti-competitive and so the ComCom changed its mind and told the Govt to regulate MTR's. Vodafone tried to plead it's case, but has decided to withdraw the Talk add-on and replace it with Simply Prepay.

So Vodafone get criticised by 2 Degrees for creating the add-on, then get criticised by 2 Degrees for withdrawing it. Go figure.

MTR's are wholesale rates and within the scope of the ComCom. Add-ons are retail pricing to customers and are not supposed to be part of the ComCom's field of view and therefore this opinion they expressed to the Govt is quite controversial.

One more thing:
Vodafone has a deal with 2 Degrees allowing 2 Degrees customers to roam on the Vodafone network where 2 Degrees own reception doesn't reach - outside of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. As such, Vodafone has done a special MTR deal for 2 Degrees which is less than 1/2 of what Telecom and Black & White have to pay Vodafone in MTR fees, and yet they (2 Degrees) still complain that MTR's should be reduced to zero in their opinion (zero MTR's are called 'Bill and Keep' and are not popular overseas as they usually lead to having to pay to receive a call or txt).

--
Posted: 2010-05-23 09:40:00
Edit : Quote


Im so tempted to get the Xperia X10 Mini Pro. That battery is shit though. Its also not getting updated till later. Have not found a phone I want to upgrade from my K750 yet. This might be it but well see. Hopefully its not too expensive
--
Posted: 2010-05-24 08:37:25
Edit : Quote



Welcome back!

I have to ask... How do you know what the battery is like on a phone that's not released?
--
Posted: 2010-05-24 11:53:43
Edit : Quote


Obviously I dont know. But from specs it is very limited in talk time. If you use it a lot for anything Im sure it will drain quick. Theres is the task manager to kill applications and stuff which supposably will help but yes will need to wait and see. Atleast the battery is removable
--
Posted: 2010-05-25 08:56:38
Edit : Quote


2 Degrees has reduced its data charges from 50c per MB to $6 per 50MB with no limit on how many $6 blocks you can buy. This is a precursor to On Account deals and the release of their 3G network. 2D says it's staff are all connected to the 3G network already and it's nearly ready for public release. 2D have also said iPhone owners should wait for 2d's talk/txt/data plans before resigning with Vodafone for the iPhone 4G - plan prices may drop as much as 20%...


I've been thinking about Telecom's position today and I think it could be quite precarious.
Suppose:
1) Apple releases a CDMA iPhone for Verizon Wireless and/or Sprint Nextel in the US. That would mean Telecom have 2 iPhone compatible networks and no iPhone.
2) 2 Degrees gets an iPhone supply contract. Telecom will look like morons.
3) Apple releases an iPhone with 900MHz/2100MHz 3G as well as the current 850MHz/2100MHz 3G iPhone. Vodafone and 2D will supply the 900MHz version and Telecom will lose its ability to tempt iPhone customers across from rival networks.

If these things happened, Telecom would be the laughing stock of NZ Telecommunications and it would be hard to recover any credibility among high-end and business customers. Telecom needs to get an iPhone supply agreement now.

Apparently the NZ smartphone market is completely owned by Apple with daylight in second place. In fact most of the mid to high-end feature phone market has defected to Apple too. Figures I saw last year put Apple as the fourth highest selling manufacturer in the entire NZ cellphone market.
--
Posted: 2010-05-31 12:45:41
Edit : Quote


I would say Apple is probably higher than 4th now too. It's ridiculous how many iPhones I am seeing around these days. I remember being amazed when I saw a rich guy pull up in his Merc holding an iPhone to his ear, now 1 in 3 people I know seem to have one!
--
Posted: 2010-06-01 12:55:30
Edit : Quote


Just in case you were wondering which mobile plan(s) in NZ were the best, I can tell you it's the Vodafone iPhone plans, closely followed by the Vodafone Smart plans.

Why? Because they are the only plans I am aware of that get improved during the 24 month term and the improvements apply to existing customers. Usually one finds a better plan comes along later but your stuck with what you signed up to, but not here.

What has prompted this? Increased competition.
When XT made a play for Vodafone's iPhone customers, Vodafone added 3GB extra per month free for a year.
Now 2 Degrees is hinting at competing for iPhone customers, Vodafone has added more minutes an txts for no extra cost. My iPhone 40 plan just went from 20 mins to 30, and txts jumped from 100 to 300 any network.

This is why iPhone rules in NZ.
--
Posted: 2010-06-02 10:54:44
Edit : Quote


Well I'm now on 2Degrees! yay! now I can actually afford to use a small amount of data per month. The new 2degrees data plans have tempted over people I know with iPhone 2g's (yes, people still have them) so yea, and its cheaper as I send nowhere near enough txts to get the value from txt2000.

I should really read this forum more often, but I dont really find Sony Ericsson's devices all that interesting anymore (especially since I can never afford them )
--
Posted: 2010-06-06 11:04:11
Edit : Quote



I know how you feel. Apple has completely monopolised mindshare since the iPhone 3G and Android as an OS is competing well but is not. Being 3 OS versions behind is not helping the X10 at all.

Vodafone said they would have 21Mbps 3G in October 2009.
In October 2009 they did demonstrate the technology working at 19Mbps for journalists at a press conference, then said they were starting field trials using 100 lucky customers.

Still no sign of 21Mbps.

Since 2 Degrees seem to be waiting for the 4th Generation iPhone announcement to release their 3G network and Telecom are quietly waiting to re-release XT with a 21Mbps upgrade that was due last Xmas, something fairly exciting could be coming from Vodafone to try an retain all those high spending iPhone customers.

It's been hinted to me that a multi-SIM data plan is coming soon which would be great for Vodem+iPhone+iPad use and for including WAGS (wives and girlfriends). How many more iPhones could Vodafone sell if couples could share data plans?

It's looks like the stakes are being raised and it will be interesting to see who jumps first with their 3G data announcement. Whoever goes first may have to revise their offer as Vodafone is very aggressive at holding onto iPhone customers. When XT offered a $600 credit to iPhone owners who buy their way out of Vodafone plans, Vodafone came back with a year of 3GB data and 1000 Pxts free per month. When 2D said recently that they could lower Vodafone customers costs buy 20% Vodafone added 50% more minutes and 200% more txts to some plans (including mine).

There is a big game of brinksmanship going on...
--
Posted: 2010-06-07 04:32:48
Edit : Quote

---

New Topic   Reply

Forum Index