Telecom NZ scored plenty of media coverage when it reported a huge surge in mobile data traffic as workers live stream America’s Cup yacht races on smartphones and tablets. The company said data traffic doubled during the races.

Other mobile carriers reported similar traffic spikes.

It should be good news for the mobile industry. It gets people used to making more use of mobile data and increases their consumption. Many users will have bust their caps and either purchased upgrade packs or moved to pricey per-MB charging.

Either way, that’s a revenue boost for the carriers.

• Away from the mobile networks Stephen Stanford, NZ sales manager at Vocus Communications, the company reselling international submarine cable bandwidth to ISPs and telcos told digitl: “Between five past eight and ten o’clock each morning our dashboard shows a ‘Manhattan’ effect as people jump online to watch the cup races”.

• The Waitangi Tribunal rejected a review of the government’s 4G mobile broadband spectrum auction clearing the deck for the 700 MHz band to be sold. Meanwhile Communications Minister Amy Adams says: “The Government has a number of initiatives underway to ensure Māori have access to the benefits of digital technology”.

• Privately held Datacom Group reports a 43 percent increase in net profit after tax and a 10 percent rise in total revenues. Revenue for the year was $870 million. The profit figure does not include the proceeds of its one-off sale of its Asian call centre operations during the year which brought in $25 million.

Related posts:
1. Briefly: Will Labour get behind submarine cable? LG’s HD tablet, Mako Networks
2. 4G spectrum auction set with competition in mind
3. Briefly: Curran slams copper tax, Samsung W8 PCs, Wynyard on track
4. Briefly: Adams on US promo trip, Telecom NZ to bid for 700 MHz, Dotcom and Mega

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Digitl

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