Telstra CEO forecasts mobile Internet 'revolution'
- 20 May, 2010 06:55
- Comments 3
Telstra CEO David Thodey has declared the expansion of mobile Internet will drive Telstra's business well into the future.
Thodey addressed the Trans-Tasman Business Circle in Sydney this week, saying mobile technology will be vital to the future of Telstra's business.
"Within three to four years I forecast that virtually every person over the age of 10 will have access to mobile Internet with one or more devices and this will become a critically important way for people to access the Internet," he said.
He went on to say the majority of Telstra's traffic is video content and, accordingly, Telstra is finding new ways of making access to this content easier.
"By 2012, Internet video will nearly be 700 times more than the US Internet backbone of 2000."
“80 per cent of our traffic today is video... Telstra is moving into a 4G environment over time," Thodey said.
With NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley amongst the 450 guests at the event, Thodey was reluctant to speculate on how the NBN may impact the future of Telstra, but was clear to point out that his address was in no way hinting at his opinions of the current negotiations.
"The fact that I'm focusing on the potential of the mobile Internet should not be seen as a veiled commentary on the National Broadband Network. For Telstra, the NBN negotiation is purely commercial and our fiduciary duty to our shareholders is paramount."
He did, however, go on to say that in order for greater access to mobile broadband services, a faster broadband network must be developed.
"We do need a very fast broadband network to make this happen," Thodey said.
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Comments
Noel Peters
The Government is a cancer on broadband. Without their incompetence Telstra could have an NBN up and running now and it wouldn't have cost taxpayers one cent. Dumb and dumber (Howard and Rudd) have been running this country down the drain.
Trudi Bell
By the time the NBN becomes a reality it will be old technology. Wireless is the way of the future. Minister Conroy should be sacked.
Didigy
Telstra could have at ANY time in the past 5 years had an NBN like network up and running - maybe you should ask why they haven't as the technology was available.
The NBN has provided leverage to the government that ended the previous Telstra management 's 'combative' culture which it used to retain its monopoly position. Sure it was good for Telstra shareholders but held ordinary citizens to ransom, stopped technology (i.e. only 'allowed' 1.5Mbps when it could have delivered 8Mbps years before it did), introduced 'charges by the traffic used' model not used in almost any other country and kept Australia as a backwater throughout the nascent Internet age.
Whether the NBN is built or not it is helping cut the Gordian Knot that has held Australia captive for far too long. Long live 'level playing field' competition
Trudi, wireless is definitely 'A' way of the future but video needs large optical backhaul pipes to get it to the wireless base stations across the nation and if you want to view High Definition 3D content on demand you'll need Fibre to the Home.
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