Starlink opens for business in New Zealand

SpaceX's LEO broadband satellite constellation signing up customers

Starlink, the low earth orbit satellite internet service has begun taking customer orders. At the time of writing it is yet to reveal a go-live date for New Zealand. There are sporadic reports it is giving customers who sign up estimated service dates starting in either late 2021 or early 2022.

To get the service customers must first purchase a satellite dish.

A post on the Geekzone website suggests the dish costs around $800. Plan prices are around $160 a month for unlimited data at speeds between 50 and 150Mbps.

Poor latency

During the start up stage the service will have a latency of between 20 and 40ms. Starlink says this will improve over time.

While the advertised performance is poor compared with fibre, it is on a par with RBI fixed wireless where customers are on urban frequencies. It is much better than the performance seen by more remote RBI fixed wireless customers. In addition, there are no data caps.

Starlink says it will process orders on a first-come, first-served basis. Charges for pre-ordering are refundable, but there is small print warning customers there are no guarantees they will be able to get service.

Self-configuring Starlink dish

According to Starlink, the satellite dish is self-configuring. It needs a clear line of sight to the existing satellites' orbit. For now that's restrictive, although this will open up as more satellites are launched. A mobile phone app can help prospective customers determine if they are able to use the service.

Starlink, which is owned by Elon Musk, is the first LEO satellite network to start taking orders. Others are on the way including an ambitious 4,400 satellite project promised by Amazon.

Tenancy Act change means more fibre connections

Changes to the Tenancy Act mean landlords can no longer refuse requests for a fibre connection when the installation is free. Now they have to permit a fibre install and respond to requests from tenants or network companies within 21 days. The move will enable more homes to connect to the UFB network. There are exceptions where an install could affect the structural integrity of a building or undermine the weather tightness.

ComCom wants input on Chorus spending plans

The Commerce Commission wants to hear views from interested parties on Chorus’ proposal to spend $1.6 billion over the first three years of the new fibre regulatory regime.

Chorus's capital expenditure that is approved by the Commerce Commission will be used to determine the regulated prices it is able to charge retail service providers. These costs are passed on to consumers.

The proposal for the first three years includes investments of $983 million on network extensions, installations and to sustain service quality. Chorus proposes to spend a further $599 million on network operations.

Takeover bid values Vocus at A$3.4 billion

Vocus Group, for now the Australian-based parent company of the local operation, has received an offer valuing the company at more than A$3.4 billion. The offer comes from Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Holdings which aims to buy 100 percent of the company's shares.

The move comes as the Group plans to spin off its New Zealand business in a float. The move is not expected to change those plans

Vocus Group was in takeover talks twice in 2019.

Streaming violence bill heads to select committee

Jan Tinetti, minister of internal affairs, says the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Urgent Interim Classification of Publications and Prevention of Online Harm) Amendment Bill has been referred to Select Committee for public consultation. The bill aims to protect New Zealanders from inadvertently seeing harmful online content. It makes live-streaming objectionable material a criminal offence.

Leadsom fills new N4L chief customer and brand officer role

Network for Learning has hired Michelle Leadsom as its chief customer and brand officer. The position is a new role for the organisation. Her job will mean creating a customer experience for the 860,000 students, teachers and school staff served by N4L. Until recently Leadsom was head of marketing and customer experience at Tower Insurance.

Boyes to fill Bogoievski's shoes as Infratil CEO steps down

Banker Jason Boyes will succeed Marko Bogoievski as Infratil CEO and will become a director of the business. The move is effective from April 1. Bogoievski is stepping down after 12 years in the role. He will continue as chief executive of the investment bank Morrison and Co.

Wallis to replace Woodhouse as Voyager CEO

Voyager Internet founder and serial online entrepreneur Seeby Woodhouse is standing down as the company's CEO, Former general manager Alf Wallis will move into the role. Woodhouse says he will continue to be involved as managing director. Elsewhere at Voyager Deidre Steyn has been promoted to chief commercial officer, while operations manager Steve Armstrong becomes chief operating officer.

Tuanz publishes rural to-do list

Tuanz has published its 2020 Rural Connectivity Symposium Communique. The document highlights the need for the government to deliver its planned rural broadband programmes on time. Tuanz CEO Craig Young says this coincides with Climate Change Commission report which wants the Rural Broadband Initiative to have the resources to achieve those goals. That way farmers can have access to the data needed to practice precision agriculture.

Tuanz lists five rural broadband actions that could make a difference:

• Building on the work and investment to date, we support the call for a 10 year strategic, multilateral plan for improving rural connectivity in NZ.
• Our end goal should be to ensure that the rural experience is at least equivalent to urban, recognising the requirement for a multi-technology approach.
• This will require a change to the funding model to a more transactional and end-user focused approach to ensure continued investment in network capacity, capability and offering enhancements such as free installs of CPE, as is the case in UFB.
• This end-user focused approach should be supported by rolling out a publicly available national connectivity register, allowing users and providers with a view of the best form of connectivity available at their location, as well as providing real-life experience reporting.
• All this will fail though if users are not aware of their options or the opportunities they are missing out on. We need a concerted and planned awareness programme delivered at the community level.

Southern Cross Cable picks Ciena for Next cable

Ciena will help construct the Southern Cross network's Next cable, a 72Tbps 13,500km submarine link connecting Auckland and Sydney to Los Angeles. There will be branches to Fiji, Tokelau and Kiribati. Southern Cross says cable laying will start later this year with network completion expected early next year.