Netspace likely to get paws on iiNet's ADSL2+
Evidence is mounting that Netspace will be one of the first Internet service providers to gain wholesale access to iiNet's national ADSL2+ broadband network.
iiNet has not previously allowed others to use its network, but following an earnings forecast downgrade, gave business and wholesale telco PowerTel exclusive rights to sell wholesale services in late May. The two have since been finalising plans to interconnect their systems.
On Tuesday Netspace announced it would sell services nationally based on the ADSL2+ standard, allowing speeds of up to 24Mbps. At the time Netspace said it would use a combination of wholesale partners and its own hardware to provide the service.
The ISP has subsequently issued a list of supported geographical areas that bears a close resemblance to iiNet's network, giving credence to a deal between Netspace and PowerTel.
Netspace's list is almost an exact copy of iiNet's own in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Other states have some discrepancies, but with a large amount of similarities. This could be expected in Victoria especially, where Netspace has a substantial amount of its own hardware.
In addition, on Tuesday Netspace said its service would cover the areas around some 250 telephone exchanges. iiNet's currently consists of more than 260 exchanges.
Telstra's ADSL network is the largest in Australia, but the incumbent does not currently offer ADSL2+ services. After Telstra and iiNet, the next biggest would be the network now being built by Optus, which currently reaches around 150 exchanges.
Internode, Primus, TPG and others are known to have smaller networks.
On Tuesday, Netspace declined to reveal the names of its wholesale partners, saying only there would be more than one. Today, a spokesperson for iiNet declined to comment on the issue, directing enquiries to PowerTel.
A PowerTel spokesperson could not immediately comment.
The likely opening of iiNet's network comes as the nation's number two telco Optus is also gearing up to provide wholesale ADSL2+ broadband services.
In early September the SingTel subsidiary said Internet service providers Internode, iseek and Exetel were currently testing its wholesale services.