Netspace turns on Tasmanian ADSL2+

Melbourne-based internet service provider Netspace today said it had switched on ADSL2+ broadband services in Tasmania, making it one of the first to do so in anticipation of the launch of the Basslink fibre-optic cable across the channel.

The ISP said immediate coverage was available in the cities of Hobart and Launceston, with broader coverage to come in the next few months.

"A number of ADSL2+ exchanges have been turned on today, with others coming online soon," said Netspace managing director Stuart Marburg. "Approximately 80 per cent of our customers will be able to switch to ADSL2+ by the end of August this year."

By investing with its own ADSL2+ infrastructure in Tasmania, Marburg said, Netspace hoped to be well placed as one of the first retailers to offer Tasmanian customers the transition to the National Broadband Network when it became available.

Marburg said Netspace had worked closely with state-owned utility Aurora, which administers the Tasmanian Government's optical fibre network, to access backbone links between telephone exchanges. Other ISPs are shortly expected to enter Tasmania due to expected lower prices from the Basslink cable in competition with incumbent backbone provider Telstra.