NBN Co targets businesses with new services
NBN Co has launched Medium Business Services specifically for Australian medium-sized businesses as part of its latest enhancement to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
An NBN Co spokesperson said the wholesale business products of its Medium Business Services range will enable telcos to potentially offer packages with symmetric network speeds ranging from 5Mbps up to 40Mbps. This will enable them to support business applications, such as multiline high definition video conferences and converged business voice and data solutions.
The spokesperson noted the Medium Business Services will also give telcos the choice of enhanced fault rectification service levels, including the ability to have outages restored 24/7.
"These state-of-the-art products and services which were once only the domain of big business, due to the money and resources required to implement them, will now be accessible to businesses of all sizes thanks to the NBN," said John Simon, NBN Co chief customer officer, in a statement.
"We have designed these enhancements to allow service providers to tailor packages for both small and medium sized businesses, allowing them to make use of a host of new digital tools.
"By embracing new technologies such as cloud computing and multiline high-definition video collaboration, Australian businesses can potentially lower their operating costs and open themselves up to new markets and innovations."
Commander and Macquarie Telecom today confirmed that they will be among the first telecommunications providers looking to offer business-specific services for medium-sized businesses using the Medium Business Services enhancements.
"We are delighted to support the expansion of NBN business services across Australia. The NBN, together with cloud and mobility, provides opportunity for a dramatic change in business models. We see the combination of these three trends as the key to unlocking the full potential for our customers," said Chris Greig, Macquarie Telecom telco business group executive.
According to the NBN Co spokesperson, the Medium Business Services will be delivered in a "phased approach".
A Deloitte study outlined that 51 percent of Australian businesses expect the NBN to increase their ability to operate in new geographic markets, and 48 percent believe it will help them target new customers. 50 percent of businesses in the same study said they expect the NBN to "change the way they do business".
These results are contrary to a report developed by the CSIRO and the Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation into Australia's broadband challenges, where some businesses indicated they are delaying investment in IT for broadband, citing "the uncertainty surrounding the delivery of the NBN" as a big issue.