Telstra To Invest $10 Million In Broadband Expansion

Communications Today, Nov 25, 2002

Australian carrier Telstra [TLSR] has announced plans to spend AU $10 million (US $5.63 million) in the first half of 2003 expanding broadband access, particularly in the outer suburbs of major Australian cities and "regional Australia" which typically means more rural areas.

Among projects for which the funds are earmarked: upgrading 100 additional exchanges for ADSL (Telstra currently has around 800 ADSL-capable exchanges), installing "mini-ADSL devices" that will eventually be used to deploy service to remote integrated multiplexers in neighborhoods and apartment complexes, and "working out new technically feasible and cost effective ways to assist more customers [to] access alternative copper paths for ADSL and ISDN." Telstra also said it plans to improve its existing broadband demand register to better capture customer interest in broadband and target buildout efforts.

[Copyright 2002 PBI Media, LLC. All rights reserved.]