Telstra BigPond

Australia-wide internet host and service provider

BigPond is owned by Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications carrier. Providing a wide range of data and internet products for residential customers and businesses including internet services, data networks, wideband internet protocol (IP), private IP service and dial-up IP.

Telstra BigPond possesses over 1.7 million dial-up and broadband customers. In the company’s self-proclaimed bid to ensure all Australians can access high-speed, convenient internet services, BigPond offers three delivery technologies – cable, satellite and phone line.

Ultimately, Telstra BigPond offers a range of internet products and packages. BigPond Home and Business offers dial-up modem and ISDN internet services to residential and business customers across Australia, while BigPond Broadband provides broadband internet services to consumer and business customers via hybrid fibre coaxial cable, satellite or ADSL access technologies. In addition, Telstra Internet Direct provides business customers with high quality dedicated internet access within Australia at transmission rates up to one gigabit per second. Internet speeds for BigPond packages range from 56 kilobits per second up to 155 megabits per second.

On July 1, 1997, the Australian Government opened the Australian telecommunications markets to full competition by removing the limit on the number of carriers that may enter the market and substantially amending the regulations that apply to providers of telecommunications services. Telstra’s internet roots begin in AARNet – the first Internet network in Australia. Telstra bought out AARNet in 1995, and has since run the country’s largest internet infrastructure. Telstra launched BigPond in 1997 and since this time it has grown to become Australia’s largest Internet Service Provider.

Last updated by Helen Wong (2009-10-23)