[it wire] The Government has decreed that data services on Telstra's Next G network are now "metro comparable" in price and performance and it will not longer provide subsidised services under the Australian Broadband Guarantee scheme to people living within Next G's coverage area
Communications minister Stephen Conroy announced that: "Following Telstra's announcement of more competitively priced wireless broadband services, the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has undertaken comprehensive, independent testing of the performance and coverage of the Next G network [and] found that NextG services are metro-comparable under the ABG in most areas of the network."
As a result the ABG programme will no longer subsidise new customer connections across these NextG service areas, except in areas beyond Telstra's handheld mobile coverage or in any blackspots.
This has been achieved despite the throughput requirement for ABG services being doubled. Conroy also announced that from July minimum broadband speeds would be doubled to 1Mbps download, and 256kbps upload, with stricter performance standards and a stricter testing regime.
The Next G price cuts that achieved the 'metro-comparable' rating were announced in January and iTWire pointed out at the time that they took prices for Next G data services below the ABG threshold.
Next G eats into Australian Broadband Guarantee zone
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