Unwired

Unwired Australia Pty Ltd was an Australian telecommunications company and consumer-facing broadband brand focused on fixed-wireless Internet access. Its service was designed to connect homes and businesses to the Internet through a terrestrial wireless network rather than through a conventional fixed-line connection. The company operated in Melbourne and Sydney and was associated with an early phase of Australian broadband development in which wireless access was used to extend Internet availability without requiring a cable or telephone-line installation at every customer premises. The Unwired network was a data-only network and used base stations to broadcast microwave signals to customer equipment. Its architecture was comparable in broad concept to WiMAX, although the service was not described as a fully mobile broadband network. Customers generally used an external modem or receiver to connect to the network. The equipment could be portable between suitable locations, but the service did not work reliably while the receiver was moving. The network operated in the 3.5 GHz band, which was reserved for Unwired's use, and supported advertised speeds of up to 1,024 kbit/s. Unwired was described as Australia's first data-only network dedicated to Internet services. The underlying technology was supplied by Navini Networks, an American wireless-equipment manufacturer, and Venturi Wireless Solutions. Unwired combined that infrastructure with customer service and network operations, including free technical support seven days a week and on public holidays. Its proposition was particularly relevant to customers seeking broadband where a fixed-line service was unavailable, inconvenient, or slower to deploy. The service was fixed-wireless rather than mobile: customers could receive access without a physical last-mile cable, but they were not purchasing a smartphone-style connection intended for continuous use while travelling. Unwired underwent a major ownership change in 2008, when Network Holdings, a subsidiary of The Seven Network Limited, acquired the company for a reported A$127 million. David Spence, who had been Unwired's chief executive, left the company at that time. The business was subsequently consolidated into Seven's wireless-broadband division, Vividwireless, which was based in Perth. This integration meant that Unwired increasingly became part of a broader wireless-network strategy rather than operating solely as an independent consumer broadband company. In February 2012, Optus announced an agreement to acquire Vividwireless from Seven Group for A$230 million. Optus stated that the transaction would support the creation of a new 4G mobile-broadband network in Australia. Following the acquisition, Optus retired the Unwired network at midnight on 28 February 2013 so that the relevant spectrum could be redeployed for its 4G network. Subscribers had to move to another Internet service provider. Prepaid customers received refunds for remaining credit and pro-rated refunds for unused data. Unwired therefore ceased operating as a standalone network brand after the shutdown, although its infrastructure and spectrum formed part of the transition toward a newer mobile-broadband platform.

Unwired Australia Pty Ltd developed and operated a fixed-wireless Internet network in Australia. Its service used base towers to transmit microwave signals to external customer modems or receivers. The system was broadly similar to WiMAX in its use of wireless broadband access, but it was not intended to provide continuous connectivity to customers in motion. The equipment could be portable between appropriate service locations, while the network itself was best understood as a fixed or nomadic broadband system. The company operated in Melbourne and Sydney and used the 3.5 GHz frequency band, which was reserved for its network. It was described as Australia's first data-only network providing Internet services. At speeds of up to 1,024 kbit/s, the service represented an alternative to traditional fixed-line broadband, particularly for customers who could obtain wireless coverage more readily than a wired connection. Navini Networks and Venturi Wireless Solutions supplied technology used by the network. Unwired also offered free technical support seven days per week and on public holidays. A major corporate transition occurred in 2008, when Network Holdings, a subsidiary of The Seven Network Limited, acquired Unwired for a reported A$127 million. David Spence departed as chief executive around the transaction. Seven subsequently integrated Unwired into its wireless-broadband activities under Vividwireless, a division based in Perth. The integration placed the Unwired network within a wider corporate effort to develop wireless broadband infrastructure. In February 2012, Optus announced that it would purchase Vividwireless from Seven Group for A$230 million. Optus presented the acquisition as part of its plan to create a new 4G mobile-broadband network in Australia. The transaction ultimately changed the role of the Unwired assets: rather than continuing as a standalone fixed-wireless consumer network, the spectrum was redirected toward a newer mobile-broadband generation. Optus shut down the Unwired network at midnight on 28 February 2013. Customers had to migrate to another Internet service provider. Prepaid subscribers received refunds for unused credit and pro-rated refunds for data that had not been used. The shutdown marked the end of Unwired's operation as an active broadband network and completed its transition from an independent service brand into an absorbed and retired part of Optus's network strategy.

• 2013

  Unwired network closes

  [1]Unwireden.wikipedia.org

  Optus shut down the network at midnight on 28 February 2013 so that its spectrum could be used for a 4G network.

• 2012

  Optus agrees to acquire Vividwireless

  [1]Unwireden.wikipedia.org

  Optus announced a A$230 million acquisition of Vividwireless from Seven Group and linked the transaction to plans for a new Australian 4G mobile-broadband network.

• 2008

  Acquisition by Network Holdings

  [1]Unwireden.wikipedia.org

  Network Holdings, a subsidiary of The Seven Network Limited, acquired Unwired for a reported A$127 million. The company was later integrated into Seven's Vividwireless wireless-broadband division.

An early Australian fixed-wireless broadband provider offering data-only Internet access in areas of Melbourne and Sydney without requiring a conventional fixed-line connection.

• Internet access service

  Unwired fixed-wireless broadband

  Unwired's principal offering was a fixed-wireless Internet service delivered through base stations transmitting microwave signals in the 3.5 GHz band. Customers connected through external modems or receivers rather than a conventional fixed-line last-mile connection. The service was portable in the sense that equipment could be used at suitable locations within coverage, but it was not designed to operate reliably while moving. The network offered speeds of up to 1,024 kbit/s and was available in Melbourne and Sydney before its 2013 closure.

• 2013

  Retire the Unwired network for 4G spectrum useGeneration change

  Background

  Optus required spectrum used by the Unwired fixed-wireless network for its next-generation mobile-broadband deployment.

  Action taken

  Optus shut down Unwired at midnight on 28 February 2013 and redirected the spectrum toward its 4G network.

  Aftermath

  Unwired subscribers had to migrate to another Internet service provider. Prepaid subscribers received refunds for remaining credit and pro-rated refunds for unused data.

  Source

• 2012

  Acquire VividwirelessM&A

  Background

  Optus sought wireless-network assets and spectrum to support a new 4G mobile-broadband network in Australia.

  Action taken

  Optus announced the acquisition of Vividwireless from Seven Group for A$230 million.

  Aftermath

  The transaction led to the retirement of the Unwired network and the redeployment of its spectrum for Optus's 4G network.

  Acquisition price. A$230 million (2012)

  Source

• 2008

  Sell Unwired to Network HoldingsM&A

  Background

  Unwired was acquired by Network Holdings, a subsidiary of The Seven Network Limited, in a reported A$127 million transaction.

  Action taken

  Network Holdings acquired the company, after which Unwired was consolidated into Seven's Vividwireless wireless-broadband division.

  Aftermath

  Chief executive David Spence left, and Unwired continued within Seven's broader wireless-broadband structure.

  Reported acquisition price. A$127 million (2008)

  Source

1. 1Unwireden.wikipedia.org