South Australian internet service provider Adam Internet has won a contract to provide WiMax wireless broadband services to blackspot areas in Adelaide.
The contract — which was put out to market a year ago — is aimed at addressing around 55,000 premises in metropolitan Adelaide which can't access broadband due to low pair gain systems in Telstra's copper network or because they are too far from telephone exchanges.
The 15-month project will be partially funded by the South Australian State Government to the tune of $3 million, and partially through the Federal Australian Broadband Guarantee.
SA Minister for Science and Information Economy, Michael O'Brien said Adam Internet had won the deal because of its strong track record and position in the industry. "This contract will initially create an extra 110 jobs during the network construction and customer connection phase with 75 permanent jobs required in the longer term for ongoing operation and maintenance," O'Brien said in a statement issued this afternoon by Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's office.
"Work will begin almost immediately on addressing more than 350 blackspot locations across Adelaide. First connections are marked for significant problem areas in Reynella and other southern suburbs."
Adam Internet chief Greg Hicks said the new offering — dubbed Adam Max — would provide ADSL2+ equivalent services.
I live in flagstaff hill, right on the border between aberfoyale park and flaggy and I a stuck with mobile broardband which crawls along and costs me in excess of $110 a month. Being a universith student the internet is important to me.
Telstra always was unable or unwilling to provide decent access..now thanks to adam we will finally have affordable and resonable download limits.
Three cheers for the problem solvers.