Austar

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Austar United Communications Ltd
Type Public
Founded 1995
Headquarters Sydney, New South Wales
Gold Coast, Queensland
Key people John Porter, CEO
Mike Fries, Chairman
Industry Subscription Television
Dial-Up Internet
Mobile Telephony
Products Austar Television
Austarnet
Austar Mobile
Website www.austar.com.au www.austarunited.com.au
An Austar Remote
An Austar Remote

Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Pay TV, although it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones. The company commenced operations in 1995, and thus celebrated its 10th birthday in 2005.

It is owned by Austar United Communications Limited (ASX: AUN). 54% of Austar United is owned by Liberty Global, through United Austar Partners. The remaining 46% is owned by public shareholders [1]

Austar also owns 50% of XYZnetworks, a pay television program provider, a 50-50 joint venture between Foxtel and Austar. [2][3]

Contents

[edit] Mobile telephony (Austar Mobile)

Established in 2000, Austar Mobile offers mobile services via resale agreements with Optus and Telstra for access to their GSM and CDMA mobile networks respectively.

At the end of 2005, there were about 30,500 customers. [4]

[edit] Dial-up internet (Austarnet)

Established in 2000, Austarnet currently outsources its network to COMindico and is available across Australia.

At the end of 2005, there were about 38,326 customers. [5]

[edit] Subscription television (Austar Television / Austar Digital)

Austar's main business is subscription television, serving customers outside of the major metro areas. It takes programming from both Foxtel and Optus services, and operates in both analog and digital platforms.

Austar Television is available in 2.4 million homes in regional and rural areas of all mainland states (bar Western Australia), Tasmania & the capital cities of Darwin & Hobart.[citation needed] Subscriber numbers to Austar Television are second behind Foxtel. Delivery methods include utlising the Optus C-Class Satellite Optus C1 and a digital cable network in Darwin

[edit] Austar Digital

Launched in March 2004, Austar Digital subscribers account for about 75% of all of Austar's Television Subscribers. In October 2004 the cable network utilised in Darwin was converted to allow the Austar Digital product to be sold over that delivery method. In December 2006 it was reported that Austar was in talks with Channels Seven and Ten about providing AFL coverage to rural areas.[citation needed]

[edit] The Mystar Personal Digital Recorder

Announced in November 2005, Thomson SA have been awarded the contract for the development of a 4 tuner PDR, two of which will be dedicated for Australia's Digital Terrestrial free-to-air (FTA) service. Mystar will also allow for recording of two shows at one time, while still being able to watch one pre-recorded

Its estimated release is set for the first half of 2007 [6]

[edit] Channel lineup

Note: this is the Austar Digital package. The Analog package is considerably different, and some channels are available only as add-ons to the standard Analog package. Some businesses (namely hotels and motels) take on a customized package, with some channels not included. Please check with www.austar.com.au for details.

Starter Pack

Sports

Living

  • The Comedy Channel +2
  • Hallmark Channel
  • Lifestyle Food
  • How To Channel
  • VH1
  • UK TV
  • Discovery Home & Health
  • E!

Quest

  • The History Channel
  • A1
  • Discover Travel & Living
  • Discovery Science
  • Ovation
  • The Biography Channel
  • Animal Planet
  • Crime and Investigation

Fun

  • Animal Planet
  • Boomerang
  • Channel [V]2
  • The Comedy Channel+2
  • ESPN
  • Fuel TV
  • MTV
  • Nick Jr.
  • Playhouse Dsney
  • Sci Fi

Movie options

  • Movie Network
    • Movie Extra
    • Movie Greats
    • Movie One
    • Movie Two
    • World Movies Channel;
    • Turner Classic Movies
  • Showtime
    • Showtime
    • Showtime 2
    • Showtime Greats
    • Turner Classic Movies
    • World Movies Channel
  • World Movies
    • World Movies

Special interest options

History option

  • History Channel

Racing option

  • TVN

Game options

  • Playin'TV
  • MindGames
  • The Arcade

[edit] Channel line-up

Channels on the Austar Digital service:

[edit] General

[edit] Regional ABC TV variants

These are not available on Darwin cable.

[edit] Movies

[edit] Sports

[edit] Games
  • Channel 555 - Games World (now includes all the games on one channel)

[edit] News

[edit] Factual

[edit] Kids

[edit] Music

[edit] Speciality

[edit] Austar/Unwired Alliance

In 2005, Austar United and wireless internet provider Unwired announced a deal to swap spectrum under either companies control to allow for interoperable wireless broadband services across the country. In 2006, Austar United and Unwired together with Soul formed AUSalliance for the purposes of obtaining funding from the Australian Government's Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program and rolling out a regional broadband network [7]

Austar holds a considerable number of 2.5 & 3.5 GHz spectrum licences that they have purchased for delivery of their former MMDS Service and for an ill-fated attempt at wireless internet through a joint-venture with Chello

The deal will also allow WIMAX wireless services to commence in Australia.

Austar Broadband have launched wireless (non-WIMAX) services in:

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Austar United Website: http://www.austarunited.com.au/aboutus/ownership.asp
  2. ^ XYZnetworks Website: http://www.xyznetworks.com.au/xyznetworks/About.aspx
  3. ^ Austar United 2005 Annual Report
  4. ^ Austar United 2005 Annual Report
  5. ^ Austar United 2005 Annual Report
  6. ^ Austar United Presentation: http://www.austarunited.com.au/pdf/06-09-29%20Investor%20Day%20Presentation%20inclcover%20page.pdf
  7. ^ Austar United Press Release: http://www.austarunited.com.au/pdf/06-03-29%20AUSTAR%20_%20Soul%20partner%20for%20regional%20b'dband%20network.pdf
  8. ^ Austar United Press Release: http://www.austarunited.com.au/pdf/06-06-08%20AUSTAR%20Broadband%20launch%20release%20-%20final.pdf
  9. ^ Austar United Press Release: http://www.austarunited.com.au/pdf/06-11-28%20AUSTAR%20broadband%20arrives%20in%20Tamworth.pdf

[edit] External links


Cable, satellite and other speciality television providers
v • d • e
Cable television: Adelphia | Austar | Bright House Networks | CableOne | Cable TV Hong Kong | Cablevision (US) | Cablevision (Canada) | Canal Digital | Charter | Champion Broadband | Cogeco | Columbus Communications | Comcast | Com Hem | Cox | Eastlink | Foxtel | GCI | Global Destiny | Globosat | Insight | Kabel Deutschland | Knology | MASTV | MCV Broadband | Magica | Mediacom | Midcontinent Communications | Millennium Digital Media | Neighbourhood Cable | Net Brasil | Ono | Optus | Persona | RCN | Rogers | Satview Broadband Ltd |Service Electric | SkyCable | Shaw | StarHub CableTV | Suddenlink | TDC | Tele2 | TelstraClear InHomeTV | Time Warner | TransACT | TV Cabo | Vidéotron | Virgin Media | Wave Broadband | WOW! Internet Cable Phone | WightCable
Satellite television: AlphaStar | ART | Astro | Astro Nusantara | Athina Sat | Austar | Bell ExpressVu | Canal Digital | CanalSat | Cyfra+ | DialogTV | Digital+ | Digiturk | DirecTV | Dish Network| Dish TV | DStv | Euro1080 | Freesat | Freesat from Sky | FreeView (NZ) | Foxtel | GlobeCast World TV | Globosat | Glorystar | Home2US | NTV Plus | NOVA Cyprus | NOVA Greece | Orbit | Premiere | PrimeStar | SelecTV | Showtime Arabia | Sky Angel | Sky Digital | SKY Italia | Sky PerfecTV! | Sky TV (NZ) | Star Choice | STAR TV | Tata Sky | TPS | TV Cabo | UBI World TV | Viasat | Voom | WOWOW
IPTV: Aliant TV | Alice | BT Vision | Canal Digital | Clix | ITVN | Free | Fine TV | Tiscali TV | Imagenio | Neuf | now TV | Orange | Portugal Telecom | TeliaSonera | T-com Hrvatska | U-Verse | Viasat
Terrestrial television: Boxer (Sweden) | FreeView (NZ) | Freeview (UK) | MiTV | Multi-Choice TV (Barbados) | Télévision Numérique Terrestre (France) | Top Up TV
Fiber-Optic: Verizon FiOS
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