The bundling deal is offered by ActewAGL, which provides the ACT with electricity, water and natural gas. The deal, available from 1 July, bundles its utility offerings with telecommunications services on-sold from TransACT, a broadband infrastructure provider partly owned by ActewAGL.
"The response has been encouraging," Michael Delgigante, the chief executive officer of TransACT, told ZDNet Australia . However, he cautioned that because the program had been running for less than a month, it was "still too early to evaluate [its success]."
ActewAGL was looking to strengthen its position in the marketplace after the deregulation of the energy industry, and TransACT benefited because ActewAGL had a far greater penetration than the telecomunications company.
"Our network runs on their network, our cables are strung up on their electricity poles," said Delgigante, adding that although this helped smooth the way for the deal, TransACT would be open to bundling proposals from other companies.
The two companies recently had their infrastructure destroyed by bushfires in the Australian capital. The energy sector has long been pitched as an ideal partner to increase the coverage of broadband, with powerlines going to most houses in the country.
