Telstra Dealer Calls NextG Utter Crap

[woodbe]

Because no one else wants to put the infrastructure in, they all want a free ride.

To be fair, it's not a free ride. The other carriers pay a wholesale rate for the access and traffic to Telstra. So Telstra is able to cover it's costs and probably make a profit (they wouldn't admit that) from third party carrier sales of it's network.

I think that having a private company owning the infrastructure and marketing services on it is not such a smart move. there is a lot to be said for separating the infrastructure from the marketing, eg: One company or Government Authority installs infrastructure and sells access to the carriers who then supply the market for mobile services, land lines etc.

Be nice if they sort out the confusion of convoluted phone plans while they are at it.

woodbe.

[echnidna]

We're talking mobile service here, where each operator provides its own infrastructure. It's all rather silly really.

P

Its not silly midge, it goes beyond mobile phones.

You lot may be talking about mobile phone service, which is demonstrably lousy and getting worse.

But I'm also talking about broadband internet.
Dialup here is hopeless, the connection can repeatedly fall out after a few minutes. Even twin channel isdn falls out here every hour or so.

I pay $47 monthly for unlimited isdn plus the phone line rental.

When Telstra scraps isdn they want me to go to their nextg internet at over $100 a month with download limits, Plus the cost of the phone.

I'd love to have access via Virgin but that may not be viable at the moment.
I currently have 2 alternatives to telstra.
Wireless through Westvic or 2way Satellite.
(I'd prefer wireless as it should be more portable if I move house)
Wirelkess & Satellite both work out dearer than isdn but are cheaper than nextg. engin can replace telstras crappy phone service.

But the scene is changing relatively often so I'm inclined to hang out till the last minute in case a new player such as Elders/Optus (Opel) becomes viable.

BTW Cdma at the campground worked, nextG is hopeless unless you buy a special phone (which has only just become available.)
Should a serious accident occur here (leading to an otherwise avoidable coroners inquest) I won't have any hesitation criticising telstras lousy service to the coroner.

[bitingmidge]

Its not silly midge, it goes beyond mobile phones.

You lot may be talking about mobile phone service, which is demonstrably lousy and getting worse.

But I'm also talking about broadband internet.

Of course I agree, again the companies proudly announce that they cover 96% of the population. If you aren't in it (and I'm not), well good luck.

I'm not sure that I'm so concerned about the "what if there's an accident" thing though. The 96% of cover is over something less than 20% of our land mass.

That leaves an awful lot of places you don't want to have an accident!

Cheers,

P

[echnidna]

but when they replace a workable system with an unworkable one and call it an improved system.

Telstra seems to be trying to eliminate their opposition at the expense of service

[RufflyRustic]

............

I'm not sure that I'm so concerned about the "what if there's an accident" thing though. The 96% of cover is over something less than 20% of our land mass.

That leaves an awful lot of places you don't want to have an accident!

Cheers,

P

To be honest, that's exactly what I'm concerned about

but when they replace a workable system with an unworkable one and call it an improved system.

Telstra seems to be trying to eliminate their opposition at the expense of service

and then there's this, which at this point, is my take on the situation, though I'd have to voice the assumed thing about making money as well

cheers
Wendy

[fxst]

Bob said..."BTW Cdma at the campground worked, nextG is hopeless unless you buy a special phone (which has only just become available.)
Should a serious accident occur here (leading to an otherwise avoidable coroners inquest) I won't have any hesitation criticising telstras lousy service to the coroner"
True enough but I work on the theory that if things go bad and the method is there use it.
To this end I got myself a sat phone (telstra) and solved the prob re emergencies. Its kept fully charged and not on a plan etc (bought outright)
The law states that emergency calls must be answered. To date I haven't had to use it but then I only carry it when I go camping in out of the way places.
Pete

[Wood Borer]

Question:

So what would you do if you found a Telstra Executive broken down or injured in an area with no mobile coverage?

Answer:

Because Telstra is so hell bent and verging on the ridiculous with it's OH&S policies, I am sure they wouldn't want me to tow their vehicle (gee I have not got any towing qualifications that are recognised by the US). Telstra could sue me if anything went wrong.

I couldn't give them any water or food because I am not registered to handle food. Again Telstra might sue me.

I couldn't administer First Aid because I have no qualifications there either and could be found negligent after going to court attempting to defend myself against their team of corporate lawyers.

I am not qualified to give them any advice because then again if something went wrong I could be held responsible.

I guess I would be obliged for legal and OH&S reasons to leave the Telstra Executive there and report the incident when I got back into mobile range.

Would Telstra refund me for the rip off cost of the call though?

Sounds cruel and callous? I would merely be following their lead and concern about people in the bush.

If it was someone else - they would be on the road again in a flash after being feed and watered and attended to for any injuries and they would most likely be very grateful.

[echnidna]

Lets hope the executive is either Mr Ziggy or Mr Mexican

[Wood Borer]

A mate who has since retired from the organisation sarcastically tried out their OH&S policy whilst working in rural Southern NSW.

The techs are issued with first aid kits which are audited regularly. If anything is used or missing then the tech is in deep poo if there is not a corresponding near miss or accident report.

This bloke scratched his finger on a cable sheath, it was not enough to draw blood but he figured it was best if he could protect it with a bandaid.

He called his supervisor who instructed him to sit down and rest until the supervisor arrived. This took a couple of hours because the supervisor's office was 180Km away.

The supervisor arrived with another person with some First Aid certificate and they applied the bandaid. They decided it was OK for my mate to drive home (about 20Km) however the next day he had to drive the 180Km to the office to write up the report. This was checked and approved and then my mate had to drive back to his area.

Of course with the travelling time, meal breaks etc it was knock off time by the time he returned back so the entire day was lost reporting a scratched finger. Not sure whether the customer was off the air for all that time or not.

This incident and similar incidents were the prime reasons my mate and several others left the organisation - they considered the ridiculous OH&S rules and the extent to which they are administered make employees out to be idiots. A form of mental torture and a total waste of time for everyone concerned.

[echnidna]

Obviously Telstra shoulda called the flying doctor

[DavidG]

Used to work for that crowd, at a remote locality.

Took two guys from the regional office to come out and inspect the lawn mower. (clean, sharp blades, fuel etc)

BUT they did not want to know about the 170kva 6 cyc diesel generator .................

[rodm]

Perhaps its the OHS and blame game we now involve ourselves in that is the cause. Supervisors are in the sights now so do you blame them for protecting their families from get rich quick litigation?

[Wood Borer]

OH&S is very important but when companies go overboard no doubt due to wimpy greedy lawyers and scaredy cat sheltered insurance brokers it becomes ridiculous.

The comedy like behaviour of supervisers is not entirely a reflection of the supervisors but it is certainly a reflection on the company.

I have pride and I am sorry for those who do not have any pride. I suggest to anyone who has any self pride and is ordered to follow stupid procedures for them to raise the issue with management. If management does not respond then take action like resigning especially if you hold a key position.

If you are a customer of such an organisation then take your business elsewhere. Do you want to be associated with fools?

I do not like to see adults treated like fools by these large companies where adults responsible for their families and community are threatened with the sack if they don't act like moronic idiots. How demoralising it must be for them.

This stupidity has to stop. The dangerous part of it is that people could possibly classify all OH&S procedures as ridiculous based on some iof the idiotic procedures.

Safety and OH&S is vitally important but not when it is implemented to the point of being ridiculous under the guise of being a litigation risk.

[Ron Dunn]

Yeah ... "safety" ... "privacy" ... they're all a cop out for the lazy and stupid.

Time we rebelled.

My idea: Let's have a day of national disobedience where every service club in Australia holds a barbecue on the steps of its local council office WITHOUT A FOOD SAFETY PLAN!!

The worst (best??) that could happen is that we kill a few councillors with crook sausages ... hahaahahaha

[echnidna]

where can we get some crook sausages?