PowerTel
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| PowerTel Limited | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private (owned by Telecom New Zealand) |
| Founded | 3 July 1979 as Bancorp Holdings Ltd |
| Headquarters |  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Industry | telecommunications |
| Products | wholesale telecommunications |
| Revenue | ▲ $199.4m AUD (2006) |
| Website | www.powertel.com.au |
PowerTel is an Australian telecommunications company that operates urban and inter-city fibre optic networks across Australia. The company was launched in August 1998 and received its carrier licence from the Australian Communications Authority that year.
In February 1999, PowerTel began building a fibre-optic ATM network in the central business districts of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and a long-haul fibre backbone between each city.[1] PowerTel had the right to use electricity network ducting for its fiber network owned by EnergyAustralia, CitiPower and Energex through rights held by DownTown Utilities Pty a joint venture between the three electricity companies which owned 34.99% of PowerTel.[2] The ATM and Frame Relay network was launched on October 25, 1999.[3]
In 2002, PowerTel secured fifteen-year access agreements for fibre-optic network capacity, linking their Eastern State network to South Australia and Western Australia.[1] The company also formed an alliance with Macquarie Telecom that saw PowerTel take a 10% shareholding in Macquarie and for Macquarie Telecom to use PowerTel's network for the delivery of traffic.[1]
In 2003 PowerTel developed AccessAdvantage which used SHDSL technology to provide integrated voice and broadband service. The service was launched following the local loop unbundling of Telstra's network mandated by the federal government. AccessAdvantage was developed as an alternative to PowerTel continuing to build its own fibre optic network across Australia.[1]
[edit] Ownership
PowerTel is a fully owned subsidiary of Telecom New Zealand. Significant past shareholders include WilTel Communications who sold their shareholding in August 2003 to TVG Consolidation Holdings SPRL.
