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Thread ID: 20599	2002-06-08 10:00:00	Telecom - enough to make you cry!!	Guest (0)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
53243	2002-06-08 10:00:00	Heres a little story. A couple of days ago I noticed the fastest connection speed I could get was 28.8k after getting 53.3k each and every time for over 2 years. Naturally I rang Telecom to get them to test and repair my line (something I have done over 10 times in the last 4 years). I just expected that I would be moved to a new pair as they have done every time in the past and all would be well. Telecom come back to me and tell me that all of a sudden they are no longer able to test my line remotely as they have recently upgraded the system in my area and testing is no longer possible as well as the fact that I have been upgraded from 53.3k connection to 28.8k connection. I tried to explain that for 99.999999% of the worlds population an 'upgrade' results in better service not worse but they cannot understand this concept. Apparently upgrade in their dictionary says things will be worse after an upgrade. They send a tech to test on the spot (which is still barely possible still) and at 4pm yesterday he informs the faults service everything is perfect and running well. There is an unfortunate side effect for me though in that I now have no phoneline at all after the repairs. This lasts 27 hrs after which time they finally send another tech who finds 'wait for it' after testing they neglected to reattach my wire!!! Customer service at its best. So I crank up my connection and lo and behold I now get 31.2k max. I complain to the tech who then proceeds to explain the following to me. Telecom are putting new boxes all over auckland with new tech involving a thing called a PCM card. This new tech is what we are all going to end up on. It totally stuffs modem connection speeds permanently once enabled on your line. 31.2k is all I get forever!! Oh did I also explain. These new PCM cards have a firmware which checks/syncs a signal and resets it every 2 minutes and guess what that does to a modem 80% of the time - Disconnects it!! So now due to telecoms upgrade in my area I can only stay online 5 mins max before being disconnected and I can only connect at a maximum 31.2k nice one Telecom. For me this means I have to move to where they have not upgraded as I repair and build PC,s at home and as all of you know Windows requires 200 odd mb of updates to be stable. I get these updates online machine by machine. A full Windows98/IE update used to take about 8 hrs. it will now take 15-17hrs so I am stuffed by this Telecom upgrade. Why not just get DSL you say? COST! I think the government should be looking into whats going on. Telecom know what this new tech is doing to modem connections but as they regard modems as the devils instrument they are not interested in fixing the problem. They are attempting to force everybody onto DSL as they make a LOT more money with DSL. This is wrong and should be stopped. I intend to go to the Telecommunications Ombudman, FairGo and the Minister for Telecommunications but I hold out little hope anybody is going to take Telecom in hand over this debacle. Using their monopoly position in the industry telecom are downgrading their systems to the detriment of us the citizen who originally paid for the infrastructure. We need to get control back from the accountants at telecom and put it in the hands of people who know what telecommunications is about. I am one very very angry citizen who now cannot use the web the way he has for over 2 years. Pages that took 20secs to load now take over 3 mins. I get dropped off the connection at least once every 5 minutes. I cannot enjoy my main form of recreation (online games) as 31.2k is useless with most of the (overseas) servers I play on. I am also unable to do the work I have been doing for a while now. All due to Telecoms drive to make more profit for the shareholders and stuff the customer. Anybody know a good telecommunications dispute lawyer? I have a lot of money to recover from telecom!! None of my problems have anything to do with my gear. I have the best external modem money can buy, run 2000 tweaked to the max and know how to get the very best from a modem. This is purely a problem created by Telecom. Telecom are well aware there is a major problem with these PCM cards - do you reckon they should fix it?	Guest (0)
53244	2002-06-08 10:16:00	<corporate.windowsupdate.microsoft.com Download the updates manually and put them onto a CD/HDD or something. It saves having to do all the updates each time. JM	Guest (0)
53245	2002-06-08 10:40:00	This is yet another moment where i shall piss all people who don't live in central CHCH or wellington off, and say just how much i love my cable modem. I shall also express utter fear for what will happen when i finally sell my land and go and live somewhere more rural.	Guest (0)
53246	2002-06-08 10:43:00	AHA! Telecon strikes again. I would love to host this story under my telecon NZ section of my rant site..... check it out at www.vectorstar.net porsche@vectorstar.net Brendon	Guest (0)
53247	2002-06-08 11:06:00	Brendan you are welcome to help me make as big and long a noise about this as possible and use the post. What Telecom are doing is going to affect everybody in NZ eventually which is very important to remember. its not just about me its about all of us who find DSL as supplied by telecom far to expensive. We need the ability to get 50-53k connects in order to get the best use from the net. Telecom are effectively blocking the poor and socially dispossessed in NZ society with this upgrade. And I am personally really pissed and want people to know and think about what i am saying. I can't even stay online while posting to forums and things and I actually help moderate a huge local tech forum for gamers and the like so i am badly affected more than a lot of people. JM thanks for the link. I will spend the next 24hrs trying to get it all. Anybody know a good downloader that can resume after disconnects and has NO spyware? I have always just used IE's integrated FTP as I used to get 5.8-6.4k download speeds consistently. That of course is now only 2.8-3.5 now with my upgraded connection. Chris telstraClear offered cable to Auck for free (i.e. they pay to run it out-we pay to hire it) and unfortunately we have the most stupid mayor in NZ and he came out against it with his cronies and Telecom. It could be blocked still but if not then I can say quite truthfully I would camp out overnight outside TelstraClears offices the night before you could sign up.	Guest (0)
53248	2002-06-08 11:25:00	Maybe Geoff Palmer is your man, he has experience of taking on Telecom, send him a copy of your posting. His email address is in PC World. Cheers	Guest (0)
53249	2002-06-08 11:49:00	About your problem: 'as all of you know Windows requires 200 odd mb of updates to be stable. I get these updates online machine by machine.' and the solution is stated to be a burn of the data downloaded from corperate.windowsupdate.m$.com or what ever..... I have a question, does it break M$ licence agreement if one person on a fast connection downloads these updates and sells the update CD at cost of media & data costs to those who are on too shitty a connection to download them themselves?? and another question, does anyone know if telstra-clear plan too 'upgrade' thier phone lines in the same way? At the moment they seem to be better for modems than Telescons mouldy old wires, which in turn often out-perform the 'upgraded' ones	Guest (0)
53250	2002-06-08 11:55:00	But terry. Did Juha or Geoff win ?? I think not.	Guest (0)
53251	2002-06-08 12:59:00	Hi John: I can understand why you are brassed off - however.... I would go along with winding your modem back a little. What is the point of having 'the most expensive modem' if it won't allow you to stay connected. Wind it back for your own sanity - you can still go Telecom (and I would).... and regarding the ugly fat wires that Banksie 'banned' - I would have to agree. Noone wants them, they are pretty nasty looking..... Anyway, fight the good fight, and keep us informed of how you get on. Good Luck!!! Regards, ALAN	Guest (0)
53252	2002-06-08 13:34:00	I appreciate everyones input so far and am taking it on board. The wires will be ugly - absolutely no doubt about it but......Auckland badly needs cable....Telecom badly needs real competition they cannot use their monopoly position against to keep prices artificially high...we live in the biggest city in NZ and there is no cable??? Its a joke right?? I have no hope of taking on telecom successfully so will either have to move or go to DSL. If I get rid of my 2 cats I will be able to afford the DSL as I will save the necessary $10 a week extra I need for the usurious telecom charges by not having to purchase cat food. I am loath to do it but I need a decent connection.	Guest (0)
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