May fever has hit New Zealand's mobile carriers. Telecom New Zealand and Vodafone both have big initiatives under way ... and is that three? NZ Communications (formerly Econet) kicks off a third competitive network to give the big guns nightmares.
May will see plenty of mobile action in New Zealand, if all goes well. Telecom will launch its new XT WCDMA 850 network on 13 May, ahead of schedule and to eventually replace the perfectly
capable but stranded CDMA 2000 1xRTT EV-DO Rev A (phew — mobile
acronyms are hideous) one.
No speed figures have been
mentioned yet, but Telecom needs to hit 14.4Mbps minimum for
marketing reasons
Telecom's kept the network roll-out under wraps, giving out
precious little details, but promises full 3G coverage nationwide
(well, 97 per cent then) and fast performance. Thanks to the Alcatel-built
XT network running in the comparatively low 850MHz frequency range,
it should provide good coverage and reach, something that's been a
problem for Vodafone's 3G network that runs in the 2.1GHz
spectrum.
Performance-wise, word is that Telecom has beefed up the
backhaul to the cell-sites, with multiple gigabit Ethernet bearers
for each access point. Maybe so, and that would explain some of the
half a billion plus capital expenditure on the new network. Either
way, Telecom can't afford to miss any targets on XT, so it'll have
a nervous time ahead next month. No speed figures have been
mentioned yet, but Telecom needs to hit 14.4Mbps minimum for
marketing reasons, even if there are precious few (if any?) devices
that support it.
Telecom has already made some design decisions with the new
network that I find a bit dubious. First, no GSM and GPRS support;
not building a 2G network in 2009 when the world is 3G and looking
at 4G seems fair enough, but it would make it easier to poach
customers from Vodafone and support overseas roamers coming to New
Zealand.
Likewise, ditching or postponing 2100MHz support and only
going with 850MHz means only a few devices (like the Sony Ericsson
W995 phone) can be used with both Vodafone and Telecom, through a
simple SIM swap.
Then there's the market for GPRS telemetry devices that will now
land in Vodafone's lap by default. Telecom has CDMA telemetry, and
that network will keep running until 2012 at least, but obviously,
for projects expected to last longer than that, GPRS is the only
option.
Vodafone isn't resting on its laurels while Telecom is rolling
out XT, however. The UK mobile giant has been pushed into building a
new network too with the help of Nokia-Siemens, running in the
900MHz spectrum.
It'll be 3G, and from what I hear, 7.2Mbps HSDPA
with 2Mbps HSUPA and should help Vodafone's less than stellar
network coverage outside the main cities. Since Europe is moving
towards 900MHz 3G, you can expect Vodafone to enjoy a huge
selection of handsets to go with it.
In 2007, there was speculation that Virgin Mobile would enter the NZ market, but that is yet to happen. Will it happen in May?
The one with the highest
profile of them all, the iPhone, does 3G in the 850MHz band as well
as 2100MHz; but with no 900MHz support, so it can't take
advantage of Voda's new network.
Finally, it looks like there'll be a third network starting up
in May. NZ Communications, formerly known as Econet, has a network
up and running after eight years and much arguing with the regulator
and incumbents. I can see it on my mobile phone, but haven't been
invited to try it out.
Information about the telco's network
is sparse apart from being "compatible" with Vodafone's (SIM swap is
possible between the two) and built by Huawei and offering GSM and
WCDMA. Maybe the handsets will come from Huawei too? Helen Twose in
the NZ Heraldspotted a job ad for call centre staff that NZ Comms
wants to start on 11 May, so it looks like they will launch
sometime after Telecom.
The brand NZ Comms will launch under isn't known either. In 2007,
there was speculation that Virgin Mobile would enter the NZ market,
but that is yet to happen. Will it happen in May?
NZ Comms will have an uphill struggle though, as it won't have
the enormous marketing budgets of Telecom and Vodafone and has
a somewhat controversial history of not delivering behind it. A
third mobile network is very welcome in New Zealand though, to
break up Telecom and Vodafone's cosy duopoly, so here's hoping NZ
Comms succeeds.