ISP Swiftel is in the process of commencing ADSL services in Adelaide and Darwin and will soon boast broadband coverage across all mainland capital cities in Australia except Canberra.
Swiftel spokesperson Colin Marland said ATM services have been provided for Adelaide with equipment to be installed within two weeks.
“We would look to take on some ‘beta test’ clients for an initial period of two weeks then have an official launch the second week in March,” he said.
The ISP has also announced there are now over 15,000 active users utilising its ADSL broadband services and says it is on track to sign up 30,000 DSL subscribers across Australia by the end of June this year.
According to its latest subscriber figures, Swiftel has approximately 9000 ADSL customers in NSW, around 3000 in Victoria, 2100 in Western Australia and 1000 in Queensland. Some 3400 of these signed up the ISP’s ADSL service in January 2004.
Swiftel began its national expansion across Australia in early 2003 after signing a wholesale DSL agreement with Telstra in October 2002. The ASX-listed ISP, originally based in Perth, has since established DSL services for both residential and business customers in NSW and Victoria, with Brisbane coming on board in November. Swiftel relocated its headquarters to Sydney late last year.
Swiftel plans to extend its services into Tasmania mid-2004, but has no current plans to push into the ACT, Marland said.
The ISP also signed an agreement with People Telecom in July 2003 allowing People to resell Swiftel DSL services to its corporate customer base in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Marland said the volume of customers via its deal with People continues to increase.
“These customers are generally higher value [customers] and amount to 100 to 150 per month,” he said.
Marland said Swiftel is interested in pushing its products through the retail channel, and is currently in negotiations for retail distribution of its ADSL services. More details on its retail strategy will be available shortly, he said.
