Latest news with #Lepper
CNET
2 days ago
- Business
- CNET
5G Internet Is Beating Fiber in Customer Satisfaction: Here's Why 5G Might Be Here to Stay
Since its widespread launch in 2019, 5G home internet has become a staple in many urban homes and a viable solution for rural connectivity. While I generally tout a 'fiber-first' mindset when recommending cost-efficient, reliable high-speed internet options, 5G has often surpassed my expectations, and consumers seem to think so, too. J.D. Power data from 2024 and 2025 suggests that customers prefer fixed wireless internet, specifically 5G or 4G LTE, over both fiber and cable internet. The report finds that even while adoption has grown to nearly 12 million subscribers, a 47% increase since last year, customer satisfaction has remained stable in the past two years. J.D. Power Technology, Media & Telecom Intelligence Report June 2025 That's a significant achievement, even if subscribers are still in the 'honeymoon phase,' as Carl Lepper, senior director of the technology, media and telecommunications intelligence practice at J.D. Power, writes in the report. 'I think there's a bit of a halo effect,' Lepper told me. 'I do think there are a lot of people who were early adopters who loved it because it gave them an option they didn't have, and it gave them a price point they didn't have before.' That echoes the thoughts of a former CNET colleague, Rick Broida, who tested T-Mobile's 5G home internet service in 2021 and concluded, 'Imperfection is a lot more tolerable when you're paying less than half what you were before.' Locating local internet providers As more consumers sign up for 5G internet, the fact that the 5G home internet services continue to receive high marks is impressive. The American Customer Satisfaction Index also affirms customer satisfaction with 5G, with scores for non-fiber providers trending upwards. In contrast, fiber scores remained stagnant, and for the first time, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet tied with AT&T Fiber for first place overall. As an industry, broadband receives pretty low customer satisfaction scores overall, and it's not hard to see why. Everything from navigating confusing marketing lingo, dealing with sales-forward customer service and paying expensive monthly bills makes for a frustrating internet user experience. Plus, if you have an unreliable internet connection, it may not seem like you're getting the most out of your money. A recent CNET survey found that 63% of US adults are paying, on average, $195 more for their internet service than last year. J.D. Power Technology, Media & Telecom Intelligence Report April 2024 As an internet solution for rural communities without the luxury of fiber internet or the infrastructure of cable networks, 5G is an increasingly appealing alternative, especially over DSL, slower fixed wireless internet and satellite internet. Recent FCC data shows that the nation's biggest 5G provider, T-Mobile, covers 64% of households nationwide, and a significant portion of its coverage is rural. 'Is it a better product than fiber? Absolutely not,' Lepper said. 'No one would say it is, but it's hitting all the other buttons just right.' 5G may not always be consistent, but it's getting better J.D. Power uses several metrics to gauge customer satisfaction with broadband, the most notable being the level of trust an internet user has with an ISP. Fixed wireless internet is generally more unreliable than fiber internet since it's more susceptible to congestion and requires proximity to a tower and good weather conditions. However, it has substantially improved over the years. Former CNET writer Eli Blumenthal switched from Spectrum to Verizon 5G and hands-on tested T-Mobile 5G and AT&T Internet Air. While Blumenthal didn't get consistent gigabit speeds with any provider, each connection handled the stress of heavy bandwidth tasks from multiple users just fine. In that vein, I'll note that CNET router expert and broadband writer Joe Supan spent a week testing AT&T Internet Air in his apartment in Seattle and found the speeds sorely lagging -- they barely passed 10Mbps down. Still, while Supan's experience emphasizes the potential inconsistencies of 5G internet, AT&T Internet Air is a preferred alternative to AT&T's legacy DSL network and is much easier to install in rural communities than fiber. Additionally, while fiber providers often emphasize lightning-fast speeds, that speed only gets you so far. Depending on your internet usage and the number of devices in your home, you probably don't need more than 100 or 300Mbps of download speed. Equipment upgrades from T-Mobile 5G Home Internet have allowed the provider to boost speed maximums to 415Mbps down. That's quite an improvement from when T-Mobile 5G Home Internet first debuted in 2021. Broida was one of the earliest adopters of the service, and he saw max speeds of 132Mbps down and a low speed of 6.8Mbps, but those average speeds were still more than fine to get through the work day. In fact, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between 300Mbps of download speed and 1,000Mbps of download speed. What you can pick up on, however, is latency, lag and congestion. The true measure of a good internet connection is it's overall reliability, and if this latest batch of high customer approval ratings for the service suggests anything, it's that 5G has some staying power. What's next for 5G? The promise and convenience of 5G lie in the fact that mobile network operators can use the same technology powering our phones to get us online at home. But that technology has some limitations, like the amount of licensed spectrum, for example. 'There is a finite amount of spectrum,' Alex Roytblat, vice president of worldwide regulatory affairs at the Wi-Fi Alliance, told me in a previous interview. 'It's like real estate.' Major 5G internet providers Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet use a mixture of frequency bands, such as millimeter-wave, low-band and midband 5G spectrums, to optimize customer experience. 'The higher in frequency you go, the more challenging it becomes to propagate the signal,' Roytblat said. 'The attenuation of the signal becomes greater as the frequency increases.' Concerns of spectral efficiency, or the limits to what information we can transmit in a communication channel, are also at play in the effectiveness of 5G. In fact, due to 'network capacity,' T-Mobile 5G Home Internet has a waitlist of around 1 million people. After covering the broadband industry for nearly two decades, Lepper is optimistic about how 5G technology will evolve in the hands of today's major mobile network operators. 'I'm always amazed how much control the industry has over the new technology, and what's next is already ready to go,' Lepper said. 'I think 5G has been extremely well-marketed.' Telecoms like Huawei and Bell Canada have successfully tested new technology to improve spectral efficiency. In February, Verizon 5G achieved record-breaking upload speeds of 480Mbps, mainly due to the newly opened 6-GHz band. 'The MNOs [mobile network operators] of the world have such a strong network that is impressive now,' said Lepper. 'When it taps out, will they have the next thing ready to go? Absolutely.'
1News
2 days ago
- General
- 1News
Fear of confusion sparks Manutahi Park name rethink
Worries about a new Manutahi Park being mistaken for another Manutahi an hour's drive away has New Plymouth's council considering adding the name of a British Military Settler. The park is a planned green space in Lepperton village, about 15km from New Plymouth, on the site of a hall demolished three years ago. New Plymouth District Council asked mana whenua about a name for the park, and Manutahi was suggested by Puketapu hapū. Manutahi remembers the name of the Māori village where Lepperton now stands, as well as nearby Manutahi Pā which was built to defend against British invasion in the Taranaki Wars. The name – literally One Bird — references local bird-hunting forests and is supported by neighbouring Pukerangiora hapū. ADVERTISEMENT When LDR visited the village, a taonga pūoro practice at Lepperton School by coincidence featured carved instruments inspired by birds: the literal translation of Manutahi is 'one bird'. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Manutahi is already widely familiar: it's the name of one of the two country roads intersecting in the village. But a council report says consultation found some locals worried that people would confuse the new park's location with an even smaller hamlet – also called Manutahi – 80 kilometres away between Hāwera and Pātea. "Generally, those who did not support the name felt that [Manutahi Park] did not reflect the Lepperton location and non-locals will not know where it is," staff reported. "The name 'Manutahi Park – Lepperton' is proposed to address this potential confusion." Although, perhaps confusingly, not necessarily as the official name. "The addition of Lepperton… could either be a formally recognised part of the name or a component that is put in place as required to confirm the location, as opposed to formally recognised as part of the park name." ADVERTISEMENT Council policy is that reserves' names reflect history. "If there is a strong Māori cultural connection to a reserve, a Māori name should be considered in consultation with mana whenua. "Likewise, a strong European cultural connection to a reserve should result in an appropriate European name. "Where appropriate, both Māori and European names will be used." The report recognises the name might be disputed. "There is a risk that adding the location descriptor of Lepperton to the name could be seen as not needed by hapū and/or some of the community that were supportive of the proposed name." Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell Lepper was a British soldier with the 14th Regiment, redeployed from colonial duties in Ireland to fight Taranaki Māori in 1860. ADVERTISEMENT Taranaki Military Settlers – including their commander Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell Lepper – were volunteers rewarded with Māori land in return for 'policing duties'. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Retiring from the Empire's army, Lepper then commanded the Taranaki Military Settlers – volunteer troops who were rewarded with land taken from Māori in return for 'policing duties'. In 1865 the area was proclaimed confiscated and Manutahi declared a military settlement. Lepper was honoured with the town's name and the family thrived on that confiscated land, with many descendants also recognised on Lepperton's war memorial obelisk and as contributors to Lepperton School. Locals who spoke with Local Democracy Reporting said they were not confused about Manutahi. Out with the grandkids, Lindy Moratti said she didn't even know where the other Manutahi is. Manutahi is also a tiny town on State Highway 3 in South Taranaki, an hour's drive from Lepperton. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) ADVERTISEMENT "I cannot see any issue with it, I would not think that would be a problem at all. "To me it's very, very clear and very obvious that it would be here." Speedway driver Sean Price didn't think Manutahi alone would confuse people, but was happy either way. "I'm on the fence really," he said. "Definitely you know where it is, if you say Lepperton – I mean, that confirms it. Lepperton would be bang on." Dave Trinder was delivering taonga pūoro, traditional musical instruments, to Lepperton School for a practice session with students. He deferred to hapū leaders with more knowledge, but neither he nor the kids helping with the taonga had any confusion about Manutahi. The naming decision goes before NPDC's iwi committee Te Huinga Taumatua on Tuesday afternoon. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
Scoop
3 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Fear Of Confusion Sparks Name Rethink For Manutahi Park
Worries about a new Manutahi Park being mistaken for another Manutahi an hour's drive away has New Plymouth's council considering adding the name of a British Military Settler. The park is a planned green space in Lepperton village, about 15km from New Plymouth, on the site of a hall demolished three years ago. New Plymouth District Council asked mana whenua about a name for the park, and Manutahi was suggested by Puketapu hapū. Manutahi remembers the name of the Māori village where Lepperton now stands, as well as nearby Manutahi Pā which was built to defend against British invasion in the Taranaki Wars. The name - literally One Bird - references local bird-hunting forests and is supported by neighbouring Pukerangiora hapū. Manutahi is already widely familiar: it's the name of one of the two country roads intersecting in the village. But a council report said consultation found some locals worried that people would confuse the new park's location with an even smaller hamlet - also called Manutahi - 80 kilometres away between Hāwera and Pātea. "Generally, those who did not support the name felt that [Manutahi Park] did not reflect the Lepperton location and non-locals will not know where it is," staff reported. "The name 'Manutahi Park - Lepperton' is proposed to address this potential confusion." Although, perhaps confusingly, not necessarily as the official name. "The addition of Lepperton ... could either be a formally recognised part of the name or a component that is put in place as required to confirm the location, as opposed to formally recognised as part of the park name." Council policy is that reserves' names reflect history. "If there is a strong Māori cultural connection to a reserve, a Māori name should be considered in consultation with mana whenua. "Likewise, a strong European cultural connection to a reserve should result in an appropriate European name. "Where appropriate, both Māori and European names will be used." The report recognised the name might be disputed. "There is a risk that adding the location descriptor of Lepperton to the name could be seen as not needed by hapū and/or some of the community that were supportive of the proposed name." Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell Lepper was a British soldier with the 14th Regiment, redeployed from colonial duties in Ireland to fight Taranaki Māori in 1860. Retiring from the Empire's army, Lepper then commanded the Taranaki Military Settlers - volunteer troops who were rewarded with land taken from Māori in return for 'policing duties'. In 1865 the area was proclaimed confiscated and Manutahi declared a military settlement. Lepper was honoured with the town's name and the family thrived on that confiscated land, with many descendants also recognised on Lepperton's war memorial obelisk and as contributors to Lepperton School. Locals who spoke with Local Democracy Reporting said they were not confused about Manutahi. Out with the grandkids, Lindy Moratti said she didn't even know where the other Manutahi is. "I cannot see any issue with it, I would not think that would be a problem at all. "To me it's very, very clear and very obvious that it would be here." Speedway driver Sean Price didn't think Manutahi alone would confuse people, but was happy either way. "I'm on the fence really," he said. "Definitely you know where it is, if you say Lepperton - I mean, that confirms it. Lepperton would be bang on." Dave Trinder was delivering taonga pūoro, traditional musical instruments, to Lepperton School for a practice session with students. He deferred to hapū leaders with more knowledge, but neither he nor the kids helping with the taonga had any confusion about Manutahi. The naming decision goes before NPDC's iwi committee Te Huinga Taumatua on Tuesday.
CNET
06-06-2025
- Business
- CNET
Beyond the Hype: J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey Confirms 5G Internet Might Be Here to Stay
Since its widespread launch in 2019, 5G home internet has become a staple in many urban homes and a viable solution for rural connectivity. While I generally tout a 'fiber-first' mindset when recommending cost-efficient, reliable high-speed internet options, 5G has often surpassed my expectations, and consumers seem to think so, too. J.D. Power data from 2024 and 2025 suggests that customers prefer fixed wireless internet, specifically 5G or 4G LTE, over both fiber and cable internet. The report finds that even while adoption has grown to nearly 12 million subscribers, a 47% increase since last year, customer satisfaction has remained stable in the past two years. J.D. Power Technology, Media & Telecom Intelligence Report June 2025 That's a significant achievement, even if subscribers are still in the 'honeymoon phase,' as Carl Lepper, senior director of the technology, media and telecommunications intelligence practice at J.D. Power, writes in the report. 'I think there's a bit of a halo effect,' Lepper told me. 'I do think there are a lot of people who were early adopters who loved it because it gave them an option they didn't have, and it gave them a price point they didn't have before.' That echoes the thoughts of a former CNET colleague, Rick Broida, who tested T-Mobile's 5G home internet service in 2021 and concluded, 'Imperfection is a lot more tolerable when you're paying less than half what you were before.' Locating local internet providers As more consumers sign up for 5G internet, the fact that the 5G home internet services continue to receive high marks is impressive. The American Customer Satisfaction Index also affirms customer satisfaction with 5G, with scores for non-fiber providers trending upwards. In contrast, fiber scores remained stagnant, and for the first time, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet tied with AT&T Fiber for first place overall. As an industry, broadband receives pretty low customer satisfaction scores overall, and it's not hard to see why. Everything from navigating confusing marketing lingo, dealing with sales-forward customer service and paying expensive monthly bills makes for a frustrating internet user experience. Plus, if you have an unreliable internet connection, it may not seem like you're getting the most out of your money. A recent CNET survey found that 63% of US adults are paying, on average, $195 more for their internet service than last year. J.D. Power Technology, Media & Telecom Intelligence Report April 2024 As an internet solution for rural communities without the luxury of fiber internet or the infrastructure of cable networks, 5G is an increasingly appealing alternative, especially over DSL, slower fixed wireless internet and satellite internet. Recent FCC data shows that the nation's biggest 5G provider, T-Mobile, covers 64% of households nationwide, and a significant portion of its coverage is rural. 'Is it a better product than fiber? Absolutely not,' Lepper said. 'No one would say it is, but it's hitting all the other buttons just right.' 5G may not always be consistent, but it's getting better J.D. Power uses several metrics to gauge customer satisfaction with broadband, the most notable being the level of trust an internet user has with an ISP. Fixed wireless internet is generally more unreliable than fiber internet since it's more susceptible to congestion and requires proximity to a tower and good weather conditions. However, it has substantially improved over the years. Former CNET writer Eli Blumenthal switched from Spectrum to Verizon 5G and hands-on tested T-Mobile 5G and AT&T Internet Air. While Blumenthal didn't get consistent gigabit speeds with any provider, each connection handled the stress of heavy bandwidth tasks from multiple users just fine. In that vein, I'll note that CNET router expert and broadband writer Joe Supan spent a week testing AT&T Internet Air in his apartment in Seattle and found the speeds sorely lagging -- they barely passed 10Mbps down. Still, while Supan's experience emphasizes the potential inconsistencies of 5G internet, AT&T Internet Air is a preferred alternative to AT&T's legacy DSL network and is much easier to install in rural communities than fiber. Additionally, while fiber providers often emphasize lightning-fast speeds, that speed only gets you so far. Depending on your internet usage and the number of devices in your home, you probably don't need more than 100 or 300Mbps of download speed. Equipment upgrades from T-Mobile 5G Home Internet have allowed the provider to boost speed maximums to 415Mbps down. That's quite an improvement from when T-Mobile 5G Home Internet first debuted in 2021. Broida was one of the earliest adopters of the service, and he saw max speeds of 132Mbps down and a low speed of 6.8Mbps, but those average speeds were still more than fine to get through the work day. In fact, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between 300Mbps of download speed and 1,000Mbps of download speed. What you can pick up on, however, is latency, lag and congestion. The true measure of a good internet connection is it's overall reliability, and if this latest batch of high customer approval ratings for the service suggests anything, it's that 5G has some staying power. What's next for 5G? The promise and convenience of 5G lie in the fact that mobile network operators can use the same technology powering our phones to get us online at home. But that technology has some limitations, like the amount of licensed spectrum, for example. 'There is a finite amount of spectrum,' Alex Roytblat, vice president of worldwide regulatory affairs at the Wi-Fi Alliance, told me in a previous interview. 'It's like real estate.' Major 5G internet providers Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet use a mixture of frequency bands, such as millimeter-wave, low-band and midband 5G spectrums, to optimize customer experience. 'The higher in frequency you go, the more challenging it becomes to propagate the signal,' Roytblat said. 'The attenuation of the signal becomes greater as the frequency increases.' Concerns of spectral efficiency, or the limits to what information we can transmit in a communication channel, are also at play in the effectiveness of 5G. In fact, due to 'network capacity,' T-Mobile 5G Home Internet has a waitlist of around 1 million people. After covering the broadband industry for nearly two decades, Lepper is optimistic about how 5G technology will evolve in the hands of today's major mobile network operators. 'I'm always amazed how much control the industry has over the new technology, and what's next is already ready to go,' Lepper said. 'I think 5G has been extremely well-marketed.' Telecoms like Huawei and Bell Canada have successfully tested new technology to improve spectral efficiency. In February, Verizon 5G achieved record-breaking upload speeds of 480Mbps, mainly due to the newly opened 6-GHz band. 'The MNOs [mobile network operators] of the world have such a strong network that is impressive now,' said Lepper. 'When it taps out, will they have the next thing ready to go? Absolutely.'
Otago Daily Times
28-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Anger over slashing of ICU beds
The number of intensive care unit beds planned for Dunedin's new hospital on opening has been slashed by a third, the Otago Daily Times has learned. The proposal has angered former head of Dunedin Hospital's emergency department Dr John Chambers, who said it could lead to pressure on the wider hospital network and surgery delays. Documents released under the Official Information Act show that on January 23 this year, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) infrastructure lead Blake Lepper told then Health Minister Dr Shane Reti it planned to reduce the number of ICU beds on opening from 30 to 20. The reduction in ICU beds was not made public when new Health Minister Simeon Brown visited Dunedin on January 31 to announce it was building a scaled-back hospital at the former Cadbury's site for $1.88 billion. Mr Lepper confirmed to the Otago Daily Times yesterday HNZ was going ahead with the reduction in ICU beds on opening. Dr Chambers said reducing the number of ICU beds would have significant impacts on the rest of the hospital. "The reason for building a new hospital was the inadequacy of the current buildings. "The aim is to have sufficient capacity to serve the needs of our population for the next 50 years and avoid the problems of our current system, such as elective basic surgery being cancelled due a lack of ward beds or complex surgery due to a lack of ICU beds." Mr Lepper's briefing also conceded that officials' new proposal would have fewer inpatient beds than initially proposed, but said the capacity "meets forecast demand requirements on opening". "It provides more beds than are presently resourced, but less than the current hospital physical capacity. "The approach is aligned with the Australian state of Victoria and validation has also been made against the Queensland state approach." The existing Dunedin Hospital has a 388-bed tertiary facility capacity. Mr Brown announced the new hospital will open with 351 inpatient beds — 59 fewer than originally proposed, but with capacity to expand to 404 beds over time. Dr Chambers said health officials seemed to have been tasked with "retrospectively downsizing the plans across the board in response to projected increasing costs". "The aim should be a staffed facility including an ICU where the cancellation of elective surgery including neurosurgery and cardiac surgery is a very rare event." Mr Lepper said yesterday the number and makeup of bed spaces at the new Dunedin hospital had been guided by more up-to-date bed modelling analysis for the southern region. "This has resulted in some adjustments in capacity for different areas to align with the most recent assessment of expected demand." The new Dunedin hospital will have 20 ICU beds on opening, with capacity to increase to 40 ICU beds over time, he said. The original plan was for 30 ICU beds on opening, and capacity for a further 10 beds. "The bed spaces earmarked for future fitout have been informed by the modelling and current thinking about models of care." Dr Chambers said the officials' correspondence made for grim reading. "The main message I took from the limited information was just how tight the new facility is going to be in terms of its size and bed numbers. "There are fewer inpatient beds than the current hospital, and it's very dependent on new models of care to reduce the need for hospital care and deliver care using an ambulatory /same day model. Last year, the ODT revealed HNZ officials considered removing the sixth floor, which would have housed the psychogeriatric and dementia wing, from the new Dunedin hospital — but in January this year, HNZ officials proposed the sixth floor be "shelled" for future development. Dr Chambers was pleased the sixth floor remained, but said any sort of expansion "could take many years". "There certainly will be the capacity to do a lot more surgery and procedures if all the additional theatres are staffed and functioning. "So, when the new hospital finally opens in five-plus years, it will be a nervous time to see how it copes with increasing the service delivery which our population needs and deserves."
