Melbourne, Australia: nbn® telecommunications service provider Activ8me is rapidly accelerating its presence throughout regional Australia as fixed wireless services are progressively deployed in new areas.
Regional telecommunications users in many areas are being offered choice across technology platforms for the first time and Activ8me is witnessing increased demand for fixed wireless in previously underserviced regional areas.
Activ8me CEO, Tony Bundrock said,
“as the nbn® network continues to widen its deployment and expand its regional footprint, customers are reaping the benefits of new technology for their business and homes.”
The current nbn® fixed wireless service, which operates via radio signals instead of cable infrastructure, offers speeds up to 25/5Mbps. “Fixed Wireless is a secure and robust technology alternative for regional customers in locations where fibre nbn® services are difficult to access or not cost effective,” Bundrock explained.
The response in regional areas has been enthusiastic with around 1000 Activ8me customers migrating to wireless over recent months. At the end of May, 89 new service areas across 32 regions were deployed by nbn, with an additional 96 new service areas across 37 locations in June.
“Areas that have suffered from satellite latency issues can now have a robust alternative with nbn® fixed wireless solutions. For our customers migrating from satellite this will mean significantly faster access to online content across these new coverage areas,” he added.
From May, selected nbn® users on the fixed-wireless network in regional areas is piloting faster speeds of up to 50Mbps download. The pilot, which is taking place on the the nbnTM’s Fixed Wireless long-term evolution (LTE) network features up to 50Mbps down and 20Mbps upload. Activ8me customers are taking part in the pilot with a commercial launch anticipated for late 2015.
“The Activ8me team is working actively to move eligible customers onto the newer technology. nbnTM Fixed Wireless opens up a unique opportunity for many of our satellite customers to move across to faster speeds. The current nbn® pilot of up to 50 megabits per second being trialed by nbn® Co and service providers is producing promising results.”
For those established satellite customers, Activ8me has also implemented a series of initiatives that will assist in refining service delivery. These include creating bandwidth access priority for mission critical tasks and de-prioritising non-urgent tasks that consume a lot of bandwidth during peak times.
“We want to ensure that all customers using satellite access technologies are experiencing the best service possible under the nbn® Fair Use Policy constraints to equalise satellite bandwidth capacity and delivery. Activ8me is working closely with affected customers to streamline service requirements as much as possible,” Bundrock stated.
The improvements to traffic prioritisation and load balancing of satellite coverage is part of Activ8me’s commitment to open up access to a range of broadband services to rural communities.
Regional Australia will soon benefit from the significant upgrade to the nbn® satellite service with nbn’s first commissioned satellite launching into orbit later this year. The dedicated nbn® satellites scheduled to provide wholesale services in the first half of 2016 which will increased speeds and open new possibilities in health, education and commerce.
“The nbn investment in Long Term Satellite services is crucial to bridge the digital divide between the city and the bush.We welcome the impending launch and look forward to bringing the revamped, dedicatednbn® satellite services to our customers and ensuring that the most underserviced broadband areas of Australia are connected at the best possible speeds and capacity,” Bundrock said.
Activ8me has a strong history in providing telecommunications services to regional Australia and understands the essential reliance they have to reliable and robust service.
“We are committed to helping accelerate and enable the benefits of high speed broadband connectivity for rural and regional communities and businesses. Fast broadband is critical to the success of regional businesses, education, medical providers and providing the glue that fosters a connected and productive regional community,” he said.