High-speed net nearly ready

Thailand's Shin Satellite, owner of the newly launched IPStar-1, is getting ready to flick the switch on high-speed internet services to New Zealand.

Shin said final orbital tests were under way for the satellite, which launched in August, with local commercial services planned to start on November 1.

Shin subsidiary IPStar New Zealand said it planned to migrate its 300 customers, currently supplied via another satellite, by January 31.

IPStar NZ currently sells through two service providers: ICONZ and Bay City, via a contract with Ericsson. ICONZ's current satellite plans start from $99 a month for 256 kilobits per second and a 1 gigabyte data allocation. Necessary equipment costs also run to $2000, plus up to $1595 for installation, as well as GST.

IPStar NZ director John Humphrey said the company was working with service providers to reduce those costs, and he expected new package options - when they are announced - to cost "slightly more" than comparable Jetstream offerings from Telecom.

"I don't think we'd be cost-effective inside Jetstream coverage areas, but definitely outside," he said. "There's still a big number of households available for us to target."

Sean Weekes, ICONZ chief operating officer, said any cost reduction from new services would be passed on to customers.

"At the end of the day what will enhance the uptake is cheaper pricing," he said. "We want to do all we can to stimulate that."

Dumrong Kasemset, chief executive of Shin, said the 6.7-tonne IPStar-1 had bandwidth capacity of 45 gigabits per second, which was equivalent to 45 average satellites.

Its gaze will stretch across Asia Pacific and about 1 per cent of its capacity had been allocated to New Zealand, which was sufficient to supply broadband to about 50,000 people, he said.

Kasemset said the IPStar-1 would enable a triple-play solution of data, video and voice over internet and would boost broadband uptake in general.

"I'm very optimistic that the days when any homes in New Zealand could not get access to any kind of broadband service are numbered."