Split lines slow net access

By RICHARD WOOD

Twenty-six thousand Telecom customers are unwittingly sharing telephone line capacity with their neighbours, causing slow internet access.

The line splitting, known as "Pair Gain, 1+1" or "0+2", puts two separate phone services down one physical copper pair line.

The effect is a service that is suitable for voice, but means much slower internet access speed.

Network group manager of service performance Christopher Pye confirmed that customers would not know they were on a split line unless they complained to Telecom about modem speed.

Pye initially said Telecom would then move them to a full line at no charge by rearranging the network but Telecom general manager network investment Rhoda Holmes later contacted the Herald and said this was not always possible.

In that case, Holmes said, Telecom would look for economic justification for putting in another line.

It would then look at its forecasts for the area involved to see if it could justify upgrading the cable to provide more service or to provide DSL (fast internet) services.

Holmes said most of the customers on 0+2 had no dial up problems.

When asked whether customers were entitled to a line suitable for dial up internet access, Holmes said, "It's not a case of entitlement. It is a case what we can do to best serve them for their needs."

Under the upgraded Kiwi Share arrangements between the Crown and Telecom, 95 per cent of consumers are to be upgraded to a dial up speed of 14.4Kbps and 99 per cent to at least 9.6Kbps by 2004.

Pye said Telecom was very careful about giving people 0+2.

"We check to see if they have been using the internet and if so we don't give it to them."

Pye said splits were no longer being installed but were previously put in where existing lines were not available and where it was the most economical option. He said it amounted to 2 per cent of Telecom's 1.7 million customers.

He said Telecom was in the process of eliminating line splitting from the network.

The problem was highlighted when student Paul Dieben moved to Whangarei and found his internet access speed went down to 24Kpbs from the 36 or 48Kpbs he was getting at Kerikeri.

Dieben said the local Telecom contractor advised him of his split line situation and told him the only way to get it changed was to move to a high-speed DSL service, as that would force an upgrade on his line.

Dieben said he had been a happy Ihug Ultra satellite user using dial up modem for the uplink.

He said he resented spending $500 to move to DSL and that Telecom never offered to have his line upgraded.

Holmes said Telecom would investigate the matter.