[EE] NZ Telecom plans to replace whole telephone network with voice 
over IP system

I've checked. It's not April the 1st.

This has got to be about the biggest telecommunications news in NZ in 
the last decade or two - probably longer, and has implications for 
charging, access, and the ability, or not, to remove Telecom's fingers 
from one's communications throat. Once implemented it will be almost 
impossible to escape the monopoly, which they are apparently being 
allowed to create. To compete other players would need to implement a 
parallel investment. The stated costs sound, far too low to me. $200 
million is about $NZ50 / person  nationwide - about $US35. A bargain 
to obtain a monopoly which will be untouchable by prior agreement. I 
don't know how much of the proposed activities this cost is meant to 
cover but it feels far too low to me.

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3392267a28,00.html

Depending on timing (not mentioned in the article) this could place NZ 
near the forefront of telephony and IP communications. And attract the 
attention of most of the world's hackers :-). Imagine the ability to 
take out a whole country's telephone system with a suitably cunning 
virus. I imagine that the timescale for rollout would be substantial.

This news is news to me, but I assume that this decision has been well 
known in relevant circles for some while.



        Russell McMahon 

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