Telstra Wireless NBN To Hit 'Mid-2013'
0Overall Score

Telstra’s wireless NBN services could be here in less than 12 months, CEO David Thodey revealed yesterday

The telco will kick off testing wireless services on the National Broadband Network soon, and full service is likely to be available mid 2013, Thodey said yesterday.

The revelations came yesterday as Telstra’s top execs gave a ‘where we’re at’ strategy presentation to shareholders at an investor day.

Telstra already has fixed line NBN services where the high speed broadband network is in play.

Thodey also said Australia’s biggest telco was “considering” its NBN satellite options, according to reports, a service which will be used in remote and regional areas.

And Telstra, who will get an $11 billion pay out from the NBN Co in total, is carefully devising business plans as the rollout continues,  but has ”no god-given right that it will be successful” on NBN, despite being the country’s biggest telco, its boss admitted to shareholders. 

However, Telstra is “working closely with NBN to on the build of the transit network” and almost “one quarter of dark fibre links and 3000 equivalent rack spaces delivered,” according to the company presentation slides.

Telstra’s NBN activations have also increased steadily over the past three months, the presentation also showed, although there was a dip recorded during several weeks recently including mid-October.

Telstra is also getting nicely paid by NBN Co for the shutting down of its copper network and transferring infrastructure into the hands of Mike Quigley’s NBN Co and received $321m last year.

It also pledged to make the switch to the NBN as easy as possible for millions of customers, something which could cause confused chaos as the switch over gains pace in the future.

On other strategies, Telstra’s Mobile Director, Warwick Bray, pointed out the importance of mobile to Telstra’s revenue stream, and despite the market slowing says it will aim to grow revenue by monetising data growth and pushing MBB and Market to Market apps.

 

Average monthly revenue per user on postpaid mobile was “steady” but has declined in 6 months of FY12 from $63.38 in H1 to $59.08 in H2 and mobile broadband ARPU also dipped.

Telstra sold a massive 405,000 4G LTE ready smartphones and its 4G customer base is now veering steadily towards the 1 million mark with 802,0000 devices sold including wireless hotspots, phones and tabs.

Telstra’s strategy includes growing new business in Asian markets, Media, and Network Applications and Services (NAS).

Its Media group, which includes Foxtel, is also a major area of focus and it aims to increase the penetration of pay TV in Oz, and Thodey also alluded to supporting ‘treble play’ on Foxtel, bundling broadband, Pay TV and phone services and wants to become a “leader in multi screen IPTV” for sport and local content.

Improving customer service and simplifying pricing is also on the telco’s agenda.