Take it easy, telcos warn customers

By RICHARD BRADDELL

WELLINGTON - The sheer volume of calls, rather than Y2K-related failures, is expected to be the biggest problem facing telecommunications companies on the eve of 2000.

Telcos, who have spent millions to get their networks in shape, say they are well prepared for potential Y2K problems, even if they cannot give a total guarantee that their equipment will not fail.

"We are confident but not complacent about being prepared," Vodafone spokesman Mark Champion said.

But in a joint plea, four of the largest companies - Telecom, Clear, Saturn and Telstra - have asked customers to avoid making calls around midnight and not to keep on dialling if they fail to get an immediate connection through overloading.

While a heavy load is expected from people making the traditional calls home, or to relatives in other countries, the internet is also expected to boost the load on networks as users test out whether they are Y2K-compliant.

"It's a matter of common sense. If everybody calls at midnight, no network can handle it," Telecom spokeswoman Kerry Lamont said.

If callers get an overloading signal, she suggested they have a cup of tea before trying again.

Telecom completed the final testing of its products and services on December 6, and its main focus this year has been on business continuity planning - ensuring that if something does not go to plan, there will be systems in place to sort the problem out quickly.

Although Telecom has spent $100 million and employed 300 staff since 1996 in making sure its network is Y2K-compliant, it still says it cannot guarantee that there will not be Y2K-related failures.

Clear Communications spokesman Ross Inglis said that dealing with the Y2K bug had turned out to be a case where normally fiercely competitive telecommunications companies had cooperated well. That was essential because although a network could do everything to ensure its own house was in order, that was no guarantee against problems arising in other networks.

Clear has spent $20 million dealing with the problem, and recently disbanded a Y2K team which at its peak numbered 100.

But while it is confident its systems and customer services will perform well on the night, it is rostering 200 staff on around the country to handle any problems.

Mr Inglis said call volumes were likely to be greater than usual, but networks were already accustomed to handling peaks and Christmas and New Year.

Apart from the potential for overloading, the biggest risk was from telephone companies in other countries that had not done their work.

Clear's testing with New Zealand and Australian telephone companies, and with parent British Telecom, gave a high degree of comfort that there would be no problems.

To cope with demand, Clear has laid on between 10 and 20 per cent extra capacity on key domestic and international routes.

Vodafone has also expanded capacity, particularly in areas such as Gisborne which are expected to have a high number of visitors.

However, Vodafone does not give any figure for the cost of Y2K compliance, saying it is too difficult to separate out what would have been normal expenditure and that related to ensuring compliance.

In Australia, Telstra has downgraded its original $A500 million estimate for Y2K compliance to $A400 million after finding a higher level of compliance in its network and products than expected.

However, problems are more likely with less-mainstream destinations, with one report suggesting that in Russia only one in six long-distance calls get connected at the best of times.

But while most people's focus will be on midnight, December 31, that split second is only the beginning of possible failures.