Briefly: Yacht races test networks, Datacom result, Waitangi spectrum claim fails

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 on their networks.

It should be good news for the mobile industry. An activity like this gets people used to making more use of their 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, there is a revenue boost for the carriers.

• Away from the domestic mobile networks, Stephen Stanford, NZ sales manager at Vocus Communications, the Australian company reselling international submarine cable bandwidth to ISPs and telcos told me: “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”. Māori spectrum rights helped 2degrees get off the ground as it formed the nation's third mobile carrier.
• 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.