Telstra is considering launching a 128kbps symmetrical ISDN product before the end of the financial year in a move to extend high-speed Internet access across its fringe metro and regional user base.

The product is designed to deliver high speed, symmetrical access to users outside the reach of its cable and ADSL networks, and for whom satellite is not a reasonable option. The product is likely to be tailored to business users whose requirements include the ability to both down- and upload large files at reasonable speeds.

Asymmetrical products are typically designed to benefit residential users, whose download requirements generally far exceed their upload needs.

The carrier does presently offer a regional asymmetrical product, based on satellite downstream and ISDN upstream, priced at $AU120 per month.

ZDNet Australia   understands the symmetrical product has been awaiting approval within the telecommunications heavyweight's management since the carrier announced plans on 19 November last year to beef up its network with AU$10 million worth of investment.

It is understood branding and pricing of the service is yet to be determined. Telstra insiders said the move stemmed largely from a recognition within the carrier that it needed to be more innovative in the delivery of high-speed Internet services. This involved moving beyond its core high-speed Internet delivery networks of cable, satellite and ADSL, exploring the opportunities offered by alternatives such as ISDN.

The carrier regards ISDN as a "growth solution" for many businesses as it transforms an ordinary copper cable into an information pipeline made up of two digital lines each capable of carrying 64 kbps.

The carrier's ISDN network has a far broader footprint than cable or ADSL, while satellite delivery can be hampered by a range of issues, including expense, latency and occasional weather or solar-flare engendered outages. The ISDN network reaches 96 percent of Australia's premises, whereas ADSL is available to seven million premises and cable 2.5 million.

The 128kbps sits, however, significantly under the 200 kbps mark generally regarded as the minimum threshold for broadband-quality speeds.

The telecommunications company is undertaking a raft of measures, designed to beef up its Internet network, also announcing yesterday the commercial deployment of 10 Gbps technology in Sydney and Melbourne to accommodate future broadband demand.

Telstra's business and government director of data products, Paul Geason, said the use of broadband applications by business customers had fuelled growth of Internet traffic by 55 percent over the last 12 months.

The carrier wants to have one million broadband customers using its network by the end of 2005, up from the present figure of 250,000 customers.

"Previously, a one gigabit system serviced the majority of Sydney and Melbourne metropolitan customers but the increased use of broadband applications by businesses has meant significantly more traffic now occupies our network," Geason said in a statement.

"Telstra's Internet network now carries 17 terabytes of traffic per day - the equivalent of 700 million emails with standard attachments - so we must be prepared to manage future growth to ensure customers continue to enjoy a high quality communication experience".

Telstra has also confirmed in an interview with broadband community site Whirlpool that it is "investigating future billing strategies", as well as scaling its usage meter to cope with the rise in demand for broadband services.

The carrier also signaled that it was prepared to examine future billing strategies such as automatic credit card deduction. Telstra's broadband chief, Justin Milne, is quoted on Whirlpool as confirming "Telstra is looking into this, it's on our radar. We know the level of functionality that customers require..."

Meanwhile, Telstra is preparing to announce its half-yearly financial results tomorrow, with analysts expecting a flat performance in data revenues.

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