XPost: nz.comp   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   On 2025-12-15 03:40:13 +0000, Computer Nerd Kev said:   
   > In comp.misc Your Name  wrote:   
   >> On 2025-12-15 00:51:37 +0000, Computer Nerd Kev said:   
   >>> In comp.misc Lawrence D'Oliveiro  wrote:   
   >>>> On Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:39:28 +1300, Your Name wrote:   
   >>>>> The reality is that for most people's needs 3G or earlier is   
   >>>>> prefectly fine ...   
   >>>>   
   >>>> But radio spectrum is a finite resource. And quite an expensive one, too.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> That 3G communication requires radio bands that could be more efficiently   
   >>>> redeployed for 4G or 5G.   
   >>>   
   >>> Less effectively than 3G, so far as coverage range goes. The way   
   >>> they've done it in Australia anyway.   
   >>   
   >> 4G and especially 5G are specifially designed that way by using higher   
   >> frequencies to enable (supposed) faster speeds. That of course means   
   >> the telecoms companies need more towers, etc. to cover the same area   
   >> ... and more money for the tech companies.   
   >   
   > In Aus Telstra are using the 700MHz band for 4G, so lower   
   > frequencies to their 800MHz 3G band before. But even their new   
   > phones that support that band worked better on 3G before it was   
   > switched off (once you disabled 4G in the settings so they   
   > wouldn't keep switching to 4G then lose it again a moment later).   
   > No new towers either, just back to going outside and finding a   
   > good spot to make a call, like it was before more towers were   
   > built in the 2G/3G days.   
   >   
   > Like I say, 4G is evidently a _less_ effective use of the spectrum.   
   > I don't know about 5G, it's on lower frequencies too but I haven't   
   > heard any suggestion that it has better coverage than 4G. Also   
   > using 5G for voice calls is a new feature that's only on some   
   > phones/networks.   
   >   
   > I use my landline instead (still an analogue line), but they're in   
   > no hurry to fix that when it breaks these days because "everyone"   
   > uses mobiles. Huff.   
      
   I've never had a mobile phone and don't plan on getting one any time   
   soon. The other person here does have a cellphone.   
      
   We still have a landline, but because New Zealand is shutting down the   
   copper lines, our landline is now through the internet connection,   
   which is through the 4G cellular. It's a bit silly since if the   
   internet goes down, so does the landline, and since both are via the   
   cellular system a mobile phone won't be working either, so how the   
   [BEEP] are you supposed to ring anyone to report it and get it fixed!?   
   :-\   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)