Telecommunications.

[Sarongman]

The difference is purely semantic between ultra and super. I'm sure the speed of the fibre optic networks, here and in N.Z., will be equal. As it will have absolutely no impact on anyone outside the major built up areas, I have lost track of the projected speed. Telstra here has been privatised by the Howard government a couple of decades ago and, consequently, service has declined. They still own the copper network that supplies the landline system and, with that monopoly, rent it out to the competition. As for maintenance, I have had a dead landline system now for about two weeks, with all calls patched across to my mobile phone. I have had two text messages from Telstra giving times they will come and repair the system, they still haven't done so. I am of the opinion that they would like everyone to abandon the old landline system and wholly adopt mobile technology.

[crfriend]

As for maintenance, I have had a dead landline system now for about two weeks, with all calls patched across to my mobile phone. I have had two text messages from Telstra giving times they will come and repair the system, they still haven't done so. I am of the opinion that they would like everyone to abandon the old landline system and wholly adopt mobile technology.

The former problem is down to the regulators of said monopoly not doing their job. Copper-based telephone systems tend to be regarded as vital systems (in the strict sense of "vital" meaning life-sustaining in case of emergency) and need to be treated so. "Mobile" systems tend not to be so regarded so the quality of service, well, sucks most of the time. It's the same with VOIP (Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol)).

It's sad that we spent over a century perfecting on-time, in-order delivery of data (e.g. "voice") only to throw it all away. "Ma Bell" (AT&T) actually reached the vaunted "five-nines" (99.999%) of reliability towards the end of their run as a regulated monopoly. That number is now unattainable with the technologies in use. We are not advancing as a culture.

I find it absolutely hilarious that countries with almost entirely wireless/mobile systems are regarded as "more advanced" than those with wired infrastructures that can be counted upon when things go wrong. However, that's a "soapbox" comment and I should stand down from there.

[Jack Williams]

We do well here for telephone service. The local landline is free calling, but mobile is quite expensive, especially dialing mobile 'phones from landline. I therefore get friends' landline number as well as their mobile if they have a mobile 'phone.
So I really can't complain if it takes all night to upload a video!
I'm not sure why they need to put in more ducting actually, as they dug it all up not so long ago and put in ducting. I've just managed to get a decent amount of grass to grow over it again. Also, the local Primary School up the road has already got ultrafast I'm told. Maybe it's just another "make work" scheme!
If we are to be dug up again it would be better if they undergrounded the electricity cables!
That's another outfit of course.

[Jack Williams]

I'm not sure about others, but with my 'phone company/ISP, Slingshot, a wholey NZ owned company "toll" calls outside the free calling area are the same price thrughout New Zealand, and also Australia! I can ring my griend Ron in Dunoon for the same price as a friend Lawrence in Northland here. So it wouldn't be expensive to give you a buzz on your landline there Sarongman! Not sure what the cellphone story is as I havn't got around to getting one of those as yet.
Slingsot are a good mob and ring from time to time to keep in touch. He said I wasn't using anything like my bought 50 gigs a month and suggested getting fewer. The unused ones are still there, added to the next lot. I said the reason was that I didn't watch many videos as I had to massage the finger pad on the computer all the time to keep them moving, which was a bit of a bore. Although it wasn't always like that, and I hadn't got around to sorting it out. He moved me to 40 gigs from the next bill, and wallah! the videos move again! I had thought the system had slowed down or clogged up or something.
There's certainly a heap of multicoloured wires in the cabinet they installed when they put in the duct past my house not that long ago. The line company actually contract a bloke who paints murals on a lot of the cabinets to dicourage grafitti. They are also coated with a finish to make them easy to clean up.
Here's a shot of me with painted cabinet. The theme is the Deaf Education Centre, school for the deaf accross the road.

[Wesley]

As for maintenance, I have had a dead landline system now for about two weeks, with all calls patched across to my mobile phone. I have had two text messages from Telstra giving times they will come and repair the system, they still haven't done so. I am of the opinion that they would like everyone to abandon the old landline system and wholly adopt mobile technology.

The former problem is down to the regulators of said monopoly not doing their job. Copper-based telephone systems tend to be regarded as vital systems (in the strict sense of "vital" meaning life-sustaining in case of emergency) and need to be treated so. "Mobile" systems tend not to be so regarded so the quality of service, well, sucks most of the time. It's the same with VOIP (Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol)).

It's sad that we spent over a century perfecting on-time, in-order delivery of data (e.g. "voice") only to throw it all away. "Ma Bell" (AT&T) actually reached the vaunted "five-nines" (99.999%) of reliability towards the end of their run as a regulated monopoly. That number is now unattainable with the technologies in use. We are not advancing as a culture.

I find it absolutely hilarious that countries with almost entirely wireless/mobile systems are regarded as "more advanced" than those with wired infrastructures that can be counted upon when things go wrong. However, that's a "soapbox" comment and I should stand down from there.

I count on my 4 Western Electric model 500 rotary dial phones over any other piece of communications technology. I even found a pink "Princess Phone" for my daughter once.

[Jack Williams]

I really like my "Batphone".

[pleated]

Here's a shot of me with painted cabinet. The theme is the Deaf Education Centre, school for the deaf accross the road.

That third shot reveals how the system works - there is a little man inside the cabinet!

[Jack Williams]

Love it.

[Jack Williams]

Off the topic a bit, but what does an average Kiwi look like?
I think it's really a matter of personal style, rather than what one spends. "Fashion" stuff tends to be wildly over priced. A simple dress one could run up in minutes costs half a grand.
It's like HiFi was before reality set in.
Here is a shot of me in the Damart tailoted skirt and RipCurl top. With the skirt on end of season sale, total cost of outfit NZ$80.00. Can't complain about that.
Have you got any street scene shots in the USA to share Carl?

[Jack Williams]

P.S.: Well the army surplus hat cost $15.00 new and the sandals I made myself.

[crfriend]

Have you got any street scene shots in the USA to share Carl?

Street photography was never a genre I felt comfortable in, so I never did much of it. However, I did shoot quite a bit of architecture many years ago, and a decent number of those may have people in them, but I'd have to go searching. Maybe I'll grab the digi-cam the next time I head into the city. (Out here in the 'burbs nobody walks anywhere -- they're all in their SUVs.)

[Sarongman]

I'd better update my phone situation. Two days ago I had my ordinary phone ring (for the first time in three weeks) so picked it up knowing it would be the technician, he tod me the fault was traced to a phone junction at the bridge, about six kilometres away. It's a great relief to have landline working again, as I have missed many calls, the problem being, by the time it switched over to the mobile, there were only two rings left. Here, where I live, there are only two spots in the house that are able to receive the signal from the transmitters so, by the time I run down to the mobile, it has rung out. Out here, in the country, has some communication drawbacks but, they are offset by the lack of hustle and traffic the city living brings.

[Kirbstone]

Funny, I thought that on a little island like New Holland all one had to do was shout between cupped hands and one could be heard all over the island.

Now here on this Island of Rogues and Robbers they tend to wire us all up overground, stick fibre-optics underground and build ugly masts everywhere else and still some folks use satellite phones!

Tom.

[Jack Williams]

I guess they are all in their SUVs here too, but when they got to the Diwali Festival Of Light they left them in the parking building I guess. I went in on the bus.
That nice festival was where those shots were taken, catching a goodly collection of people.
I guess most of them would be packing some form of cellphone. They can take pics with most ones these days, but I think my dedicated Canon is better. Cameras is all they do.

[Sarongman]

Hare Krishna food tent, YUM, you'll find me there. There is a H.K. eatery at the Eumundi markets and, when we lived in the area, we often ate there.