ADSL Update
3.5 Kilometers? Oh please let me be within range…
Coming soon – high speed services over the phone network
Telstra today revealed the first exchanges that will offer customers fast access to internet and data services over the standard telephone line in its drive to provide affordable and high quality internet access to all Australians.From the end of August this year, the rollout of high-speed internet access via Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) will commence in all national capital cities and Toowoomba (Qld), Launceston (Tas) and Bunbury (WA).
Ziggy Switkowski, Telstra’s Chief Executive Officer, foreshadowed the rollout in March at Telstra’s half year results when he outlined Telstra’s strategy to ‘broadband’ the country with cable, ADSL and satellite. Denis Mullane, Telstra’s Data Product General Manager said the technology would initially be installed in about 200 exchanges providing high-speed internet access to about 3.5 million premises targeting residential, small, medium, corporate and ISP customers. “About 90 per cent of Australian households and businesses will have access to Telstra’s high-speed media and data services by mid 2002,” he said. “The beauty of ADSL is that in most cases the line speed is 30 to 50 times faster than standard dial-up services and customers can make and receive telephone calls while surfing the net.”
Customers including small office, home office and small and medium enterprises will be able to have ‘always-on’ access to Big Pond Advance where they can enjoy high-speed access to the internet and CD quality music, video clips and video games.
Business customers will be able to establish high-speed links between premises, such as the office and home (teleworking), via Remote Network Access (RNA).
Information on which exchanges will get ADSL will be available on the Telstra website http://www.telstra.com.au/adslfrom Monday, 29 May or by calling 1800 151 454.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) looking to offer high-speed upgrades totheir dial-up customers can call Telstra’s ISP Sales and Service Centre help line on 1800 624 512.
“We are committed to a very aggressive rollout program to achieve substantial high-speed coverage by the end of this year,” Denis said.
Customers who cannot get high speed internet access via ADSL or cable can receive similar services via Telstra’s satellite access. Each month as the rollout gathers pace, details of additional exchange coverage will be posted on Telstra’s web site. Telstra will unveil its customer pricing plans by August. Telstra’s wholesale customers will be offered a choice between two products to deliver broadband on copper to their customers – QuickStream and AccessLink.
Frequently asked questions
Telstra is bringing you great, new, fast internet access on your telephone line
* It’s non-stop. There’s no dialling up. And you make voice calls at the same time as you surf the net, all on the one line. It gives you access to real-time, interactive multimedia and video.
* Telstra will provide this using ADSL. It will transform Telstra’s phone network for the digital age and will be available from August this year.
[ADSL is an acronym for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. The asymmetry allows you to download a LOT faster than you send out – the perfect symmetry for Internet users]What can I use ADSL for?
* High speed always-on internet access
* Telecommuting (remote LAN access) and specialised network access
* Interactive video, including video on demand such as delayed TV segments
* High speed video games, video catalogues, and video information retrieval
* Collaborative computing
* Video conferencing
* Distance learning
* Internet and telecommuting applications for SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) applications.How fast is it?
* High-speed always-on access gives a faster response to the internet and is a more satisfying experience.
* Or, about 30 to 50 times faster than standard dial-up services.
* Playing computer games online will be much faster
* Files are up-and-down-loaded much faster for instant sharing of photo’s, videos, and music
* ADSL means always-on, high speed internet
* It also gives you simultaneous internet and voice/fax capabilities over a single phone line – so you don’t need a second line for internet use and you can still make calls while surfing the net.
* Homes and businesses worldwide are already running out of spare lines on existing telephone cables, so ADSL spares the expense of providing new cable or copper lines for internet access.What will I need to use ADSL?
* Firstly, because ADSL is a distance dependant technology, you will need to live within approximately 3.5 kilometres (cable distance) of an ADSL equipped telephone exchange.
* You will also need an ADSL modem and a computer with at least a Pentium 133, 32 Meg RAM capacity with a CD ROM , capable of supporting Windows 95 or upgrade to 64Meg RAM with NT 4.0. An external ADSL modem will normally require a 10BaseT (Ethernet) interface card.
* The modem connects over Telstra’s copper phone lines to ‘Customer Multiplexer’ equipment in Telstra’s local exchanges which switch data to and from a high speed backbone network.
* Business customers will typically use a router instead of an ADSL modem and provide internet or intranet access to a number of users simultaneously.Denis Mullane
General Manager
Product & Business Development
Telstra Retail Services
12:06pm (GMT +10.00) tomorrow from Work, North Sydney
