Telstra Dealer Calls NextG Utter Crap

[echnidna]

Here

[Wood Borer]

The fact they are a Telstra Dealer does not mean they have any technical ability. They are mostly sales sucks who have access to big $s and are prepared to put up with the cr@p that Telstra dishes out to them. They are privately owned shops who pay a fortune to Telstra for the signage and are locked in to selling only Telstra products - in other words essentially a franchise.

The lack of technical knowledge is demostrated by the words used by this person including the mispelling of aerial. I wish they didn't pretend they know what they are talking about and qualifying their ignorance with "I am a Telstra Dealer".

Having said that, 3G coverage in the bush is sadly lacking.

Up here Telstra told our community if we want mobile coverage then we have to come up with $230,000 if we want a mobile tower. What an insult and a demonstration that Telstra is no longer involved in providing telecommunications for the people but more into pampering their precious shareholders.

[echnidna]

I'm going somewhere else when they close the isdn down.
Nextg phones here are hopeless, so hows the nextg net gunna work.

They intend to treble the cost of internet compared to their present isdn charges.
When I go their phone goes too coz I'll go engin etc.

Don't think virgin will work out here , pity.
Another option is westvic but they're a little exxy

Anyway I'm waiting to see what comes out of the Elders/Optus partnership.

In any event I'm not rushing into anything as its all too fluid at the moment.
Though if virgin was suitable out here I might be tempted to go now.

[Wood Borer]

I agree with you Bob, it's a difficult decision.

I worked for Telecom for quite a few years in many areas and in those days the decisions were mainly based on providing communications for all Australians with quite of clever engineering decisions.

Telecom were once world beaters in technology and they gave their staff every opportunity to improve themselves thus improving the service levels. I was fortunate and privelaged to work for them during that time.

These days many of the techs and engineers have been given packages and the decisions seem to be based merely on profit and share prices.

I used to be loyal to the old company because of what it did and what it stood for even though there were many areas for improvement. Now I treat them the same as I do any other telecommunications company even if the alternatives are offshore companies.

[rodm]

How are the country brigades affected by the change to digital mobiles? Is there enough coverage with digital or are they operating on VHF radios or other communication?

[Sebastiaan56]

What an insult and a demonstration that Telstra is no longer involved in providing telecommunications for the people but more into pampering their precious shareholders.

Yup, that what they are on about now. Aint privatisation grand.....

[Wood Borer]

How are the country brigades affected by the change to digital mobiles? Is there enough coverage with digital or are they operating on VHF radios or other communication?

Digital mobile is not an option up here for any purpose although there are some rare spots where if you stand and point in the right direction with your hands in the air you can get signal at times.

An interesting point for those who are unaware - if you are in an area where mobile coverage is non existent, your mobile batteries will flatten quicker than if you are in an area with coverage. I understand the mobiles are automatically increasing their sensistivity in poor coverage areas by increasing their gain thus drawing more current. Switch them off in poor coverage areas.

We use VHF for the Fire Brigade but coverage is still very poor. Despite requests for a repeater and the large fires we had last year, there are no plans for a repeater. This means that tankers and crews are often out of communication range and are expected to look after themselves for the sake of some clerk getting a pat on the back because they kept under budget.

UHF fills in some gaps that are not covered by the VHF even though the bases and mobile radios are side by side. This is a bit surprising because UHF is more line of sight than VHF however that is the way it is here.

Privatisation to please investors at the expense of providing service seems ridiculous to me but I am probably in the minority with this opinion possibly because I don't worship $$$$'s.

I wonder if we would get mobile coverage and VHF repeaters if a politician came to grief up here and couldn't summon help. If they did raise an alarm, the emergency services couldn't communicate due to lack of coverage!

[wheelinround]

Welcome to the world of free enterprise and false advertising
I make it look good on paper
I'll get my squillion payout and my mates who cover for me
Who cares what the customer pays for
I go home afterwards and someone else can clean up the mess
This way also Australia is left lagging behind the rest of the world.

One of the largest share holders is the Government super funds.

[DavidG]

Telstra should have been split into two parts.
A network provider which provided services to all at the same costings.
And a retail section that had to compete on an equal footing.

[RufflyRustic]

HWMNBO and I went to change his CDMA phone on the weekend. Had a look a the digitial network, the 3G and the Next G network. Very unimpressed by all 3, especially with telstra keeping Next G to themselves.

After thinking about it for a couple of days, we decided to transfer him to Digitial, staying with our current provider. It means he's going to have practically no coverage beyond some towns and the truck phone until the digital network is expanded over the next few years.

But, this was better than going for Telstra's rip off deal - imho.

[Big Shed]

Telstra should have been split into two parts.
A network provider which provided services to all at the same costings.
And a retail section that had to compete on an equal footing.

That's the way it was done with the privatisation of electricity, so why not with Telstra?

The current situation is a dog's breakfast.

[rodm]

WB
Thanks and fairly much the same over here. It is a shame because CDMA had good coverage in comparison.
Work changed my mobile over and all it wants to do is connect to the internet.
I think I will start to store it in a bucket of water soon.

[woodbe]

That's the way it was done with the privatisation of electricity, so why not with Telstra?

Maximum return to the government on the share sale, where we all got the chance to buy what was already ours.

In other words, the greed of vested interests won the day leaving an intelligent solution that might have suited all Australians in the dust.

Telstra has been rotten for a long time before the privatisation though, despite the fact that it was generally better for all consumers back then. A government supported monopoly is only a good idea for the short term to get things started.

woodbe.

[MrFixIt]

Hi

telstra keeping Next G to themselves.

Optus also have NextG.

[wattlewemake]

I have just moved from Telstra to optus due to arguements over service and the astronomical costs Telstra was charging me.
On a side note, at my house in the middle of Brisbane, with optus I am getting a way better signal than what I could with Telstra. I dont have move around the house trying to get a decent signal. This is with my original handset... my new phone is a month old and I have only seen it for about 1/2 that time.... been in the shop being repaired for the rest of the time

Shane.