[LINK] RFI: Australian ISP Failure / Turnover

[Roger Clarke]

Peter Chen <pche@unimelb.edu.au>:
>         The ACA put out a report each year called 
>"Telecommunications Performance Report 2000–01" 
>(http://www.aca.gov.au/publications/reports/performance/2000-01/report.htm)

Thanks to the several people who've provided useful sources!

The relevant part of Ch.13 says:
http://www.aca.gov.au/publications/reports/performance/2000-01/chap13.pdf

Internet service providers

The Internet Activity series suggests that the Australian Internet 
industry is undergoing a period of consolidation.Of the 53 ISPs who 
ceased operation in 2000 -01,the majority were small,serving fewer 
than 1,000 subscribers each.
At the other end of the scale,six ISPs serviced ver 50 per cent of 
Australian subscribers (Figure 13.8).

[The stats at http://www.cynosure.com.au/isp/@statistics suggest an 
absolute minimum of 400 companies currently active, and it's more 
likely still pretty similar to the 500-600 that it's been since, 
what, 1996?  50/500 = 10% attrition by number in that year, but much 
smaller by count of subscribers - assuming we exclude one.tel on 
account of it being a blip in the graph ...]

In mid-2001,One.Tel,a major player in the Internet industry,was 
declared insolvent and is under investigation by the Australian 
Securities and Investment Commission.One.Tel was the ISP for 170,000 
Internet customers.These
customers have since been absorbed by ther ISPs.

While the level of horizontal or vertical integration within the 
industry is difficult to quantify,the slight contraction in the 
providers for Internet services in 2000 -01 has led to less 
competition for services,especially among smaller ISPs.

The state of flux in Australian markets also echoes instability in 
ownership of telecommunications and ISPs internationally.Competition 
for service provision in metropolitan areas exceeds remote 
areas,where lack of choice f ISPs,problems with functionality of 
modems over long distances and higher costs have been reported.

[But judging by the rubbish in the following paras relating to 
accessibility, the above info may not be very reliable ...]

-- 
Roger Clarke              http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                 Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke@xamax.com.au            http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor, Uni of Hong Kong, Dept of Comp Sci and Info Sys
Visiting Fellow, Australian National University, Dept of Comp Sci
----------
For Link list information see http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/link/