Kordia seizes on Telstra's 4G "lightening rollout" across the Tasman in another bid to undermine Telecom-Vodafone's success in the government's $300 million rural broadband tender.
Kordia seized on yesterday's news that Telstra plans a "lightening rollout" that will see a 4G/LTE network deployed around Australia.
At the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Telstra's Kiwi-expat chief executive, David Thodey, dropped what Communications Day called a "broadband bombshell".
Using kit from Sweden's Ericsson, and an existing holding of 1800MHz spectrum, the Aussie telco would roll-out 4G in all state capitals and "selected regional centres" by the end of the year.
In lab tests, Telstra has hit up to 149Mbit/s (a fibre-like speed) using 4G/LTE technology (albeit from China's Huawei), and a more realistic 24Mbit/s in field tests.
With some carriers in the US and Europe also deploying 4G, Telstra's move could be seen as bolstering the Kordia-led consortium's bid for the government's $300 million rural broadband tender (for which the Telecom-Vodafone consortium was chosen or negotiations). 4G was central to the Kordia/Woosh/FX networks bid, while Telecom-Vodafone planned to launch with 3G.
But not by Communications Minister Steven Joyce.
Fixed, not mobile
Mr Joyce said Telstra planned a mobile network, while New Zealand's rural broadband network would utilise fixed wireless (both Kordia/FX/Woosh and Telecom-Vodafone proposed celltowers that beamed a mobile broadband signal to booster antennas mounted on the roofs of rural homes. A technician with Nokia-Siemens - the partner for both bidders - told NBR that the fixed nature of the arrangement would allow for higher guaranteed minimum speeds using 3G. There were no moving targets, and no guesswork about the number connecting to each tower).
The minister also noted the limited nature of the Telstra roll-out, which is restricted to CBDs.
After the government's decision to negotiate with Telecom-Vodafone, and the minister told "unsuccessful" bidders they should now work with the pair, Kordia lashed out, saying the decision perpetuated a duopoly and was a tragedy for rural New Zealand.
Mr Joyce was unmoved, telling NBR that 3G was a proven technology. Telecom-Vodafone had an easy upgrade path to 4G later and, overall, their bid promised the greatest ground coverage and the fastest uplink speeds.
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