For more than 100 years, copper phone networks have served New Zealanders well, but with newer, more reliable, digital ways of communicating now widely available, Vodafone is hanging up on this outdated technology.
From today, the company is moving customers still using older circuit-switched phone lines (plain old telephone system / POTS) onto services that offer voice over fibre, wireless, UltraFast HFC or copper broadband (VoIP).
Joe Goddard, Experience & Commercial Director, Vodafone NZ explains: “We’re simplifying and improving our systems and withdrawing the legacy analogue voice technology for residential customers and offering to move them onto newer technology before April next year. Most customers will actually save themselves money by moving onto a broadband-based calling system.
“All Vodafone copper phone customers will have the option to move to a broadband based calling service to stay connected. Depending on where they live and their personal circumstances, that might be using fibre, wireless broadband, UltraFast HFC or copper broadband access technology.
“Technologies constantly get superseded by the new. People stopped using analogue TV when digital viewing came to the fore, and Kiwis no longer rely on classified ads to sell stuff now that TradeMe has made it heaps easier. So, to ensure customers get the most out of the new technology sooner, we’re calling time on the plain old telephone system (POTS) that uses the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
“The first customers we’re transitioning are those who still use the old Spark (originally Telecom) copper phone network, which totals around 10,000 connections that we’ll handhold through the upgrade before March 31, 2022.”
As Vodafone now only sells phone plans that make calls using broadband technology, if customers want to keep a phone service with Vodafone, they’ll need to get a broadband plan that comes with a phone line. Customers can keep their existing phone number on the service they choose, which may include fibre, wireless broadband, UltraFast HFC or copper broadband depending on their address, see www.vodafone.co.nz/addresschecker for more info.
Joe adds: “We’re starting to send out letters to relevant customers from today and asking people to call our specialist team based here in Aotearoa New Zealand to get them sorted and moved onto a newer phone service, as well as answer any questions.
“We know that while this will be better for customers, change can be difficult, so we’re happy to help walk customers through the newer options. We’re asking customers to call us even if it’s to let us know they don’t need their phone line anymore.”
For more information please visit www.vodafone.co.nz/voicetransition or call us on 0800 000 047.