new zealand faces new "copper tax"

[ShiverMePenguins]

Bad example...deluded fools still think the Prius is an "eco" car even though it causes so much environmental damage making those inefficient batteries,

 

Google is overrated tbh. They only give you 2 options; either get dsl lite like speed for "free" with the one time payment or 60usd a month for 1gbps. The thing is, not everyone wants to shell out $60+ for an internet connection no matter how good a deal for 1gbps it is. If they had a middle plan that was around the 29.99 mark, more or less, then they'd have something. You don't /need/ a 1gbps, you just /want/ it because we're so used to the crappy speeds. Imagine spending around $35 dollars for a 500mbps connection. Why Google doesn't offer real choice is a missed opportunity in my eyes.

isn't google fiber free 15/5?

 

most peoples ACTUAL speed isn't 15/5. i'm paying for high speed 30/10 right now and am only getting 20/2

[Mooshi]

isn't google fiber free 15/5?

 

most peoples ACTUAL speed isn't 15/5. i'm paying for high speed 30/10 right now and am only getting 20/2

I was wrong... 1gbps is actually $70 a month. And the free is $300 one time payment and "Up to 5Mbps download, 1Mbps upload speed" according to their site.

[LAwLz]

Please try to write a little summary of the article and add your own opinions next time.

 

 

It's not the role of government to bring you faster internet. These are businesses and as long as you keep giving them your money, they will continue to be satisfied shafting you and taking said money while not doing anything.

I disagree. I think the system we use in the city I live in works very well. The municipal (local government entity) paid a bunch of private companies to dig down a ton of fiber cables, and then the government owns the routers and switches that are connected to the cables (not sure if they own the cables as well, but it's not an ISP that owns them). The ISPs can then buy ports from them. What this means is that any ISP can go in and say "hey, I want to rent a fiber port to house X24". It drives competition through the roof because all ISPs get an equal playing field. I believe they can also order upgrades to the switches if they for example want more ports.

The good thing about fiber cables is that they are very future proof. You can upgrade the switches and routers alone to get higher bandwidth (in theory) because you can do things like send more colors through them. However I guess it might become a problem in the future if we need more cables (but then it shouldn't really be much bigger of an issue than getting a big ISP to upgrade).

[LAwLz]

I honestly hate having to use the EA of cable aka Time Warner just because of the lack of choice.

Wait, you live in a city where Google Fiber is available and you don't have it? Why?! I agree that it would be nice with more tiers, but 70USD/month for gigabit is already a really good deal.

 

 

 

I was wrong... 1gbps is actually $70 a month. And the free is $300 one time payment and "Up to 5Mbps download, 1Mbps upload speed" according to their site.

They decided on the "5Mbps for free" speed because that's what the average speed in the US was when they announced it. You can also make it 25USD/mo payments for 12 months. That's pretty much the same same as what a lot of ISPs would expect you to pay for that speed, except with Google fiber you only need to pay it for 12 months and then ever again.

Personally I wish Google Fiber was available everywhere. I think you're 100% by saying that it is overrated. It could be better by having more tiers, but it's still one of the best things to happen to the Internet for a very long time (at least in the US).

[Vanderburg]

Please try to write a little summary of the article and add your own opinions next time.

 

 

I disagree. I think the system we use in the city I live in works very well. The municipal (local government entity) paid a bunch of private companies to dig down a ton of fiber cables, and then the government owns the routers and switches that are connected to the cables (not sure if they own the cables as well, but it's not an ISP that owns them). The ISPs can then buy ports from them. What this means is that any ISP can go in and say "hey, I want to rent a fiber port to house X24". It drives competition through the roof because all ISPs get an equal playing field. I believe they can also order upgrades to the switches if they for example want more ports.

The good thing about fiber cables is that they are very future proof. You can upgrade the switches and routers alone to get higher bandwidth (in theory) because you can do things like send more colors through them. However I guess it might become a problem in the future if we need more cables (but then it shouldn't really be much bigger of an issue than getting a big ISP to upgrade).

 

Let's say it's not the role of the FEDERAL government, then. I'm all for local municipalities putting stuff together, if they can afford it.

[frontliner]

don't you mean 90% of nz's population that resides within the cities will be getting fiber?

 

yeah, like 10,000.

 

honestly. this is a good thing. it will encourage everyone to get fiber, because if you don't, you'll get a nice tax.

 

There are ~600,000 rural New Zealanders who will only ever get 5mb internet over copper. Out of a population of 4.8million there will be a significant amount of people who will never see fibre.

[ShiverMePenguins]

There are ~600,000 rural New Zealanders who will only ever get 5mb internet over copper. Out of a population of 4.8million there will be a significant amount of people who will never see fibre.

if i remember right, they are including suburban life.

 

and 75% life in urban environments, with a further 15% within 5 miles of urban environments.

 

so 10% of 4.4 mil (last consensus) is around 440,000. yes, its quite a bit more than the 10,000 i said, but thats not that big of a deal, considering you can just hotspot your phone, use broadband devices, or just forego the internet together. and being that it won't be finished for quite some time thats not to say that fiber won't eventually happen for others. i like something that does more good than harm.

[crooked windows]

From the great words of Private Jones the butcher, "Don't Panic, Don't Panic"!   if the scientists have it right and the earths poles do flip, we will be on top of the world and Europe and it's superpowers will be at the bottom of the world. so as you can see, we will still be up s*it creek but without copper. :unsure:

 

FYI- John KEY is the prime (suspect) minister, running NZ down the drain) needs to sell anything that is worth a buck, to the east.