IiNet
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry |
Internet Service Provider Telecommunications |
| Founded | Perth, Western Australia (1993) |
| Founder |
Michael Malone (founder, former managing director) Michael O'Reilly |
| Headquarters | Perth, Western Australia |
|
Area served
|
Australia |
|
Key people
|
Michael Smith (chairman) |
| Products | Broadband Dialup Telephony VoIP |
|
Number of employees
|
>2000 (2013) |
| Parent | TPG |
| Website | www.iinet.net.au |
iiNet Limited is Australia's second-largest internet service provider with more than 1.3 million customers as of 15 August 2011. It was acquired by TPG Telecom in September 2015 for $1.56 billion, but retained its corporate name. Its subsidiaries include Internode, Westnet, AAPT Limited, Adam Internet, TransACT and Netspace. Their focus is primarily on ADSL-based Internet access, using their own ADSL2+ infrastructure, and reselling Telstra ADSL services. iiNet also provides optical-fibre, dial-up, and voice services.
iiNet has in its growth acquired or merged with many smaller ISPs building a substantial customer base in Western Australia, and then, by acquiring ihug and OzEmail, expanded significantly into the eastern states.
iiNet was founded in 1993 by Michael Malone and Michael O'Reilly, who started the business in a suburban garage in Perth as iiNet Technologies Pty Ltd. It began as one of the first Australian ISPs to offer TCP/IP Internet access, as opposed to the store-and-forward techniques (such as MHSnet) that were then in use at other ISPs. It claims it was the first ISP to offer access in Australia, and to be the first to base operations on the then new Linux operating system.
The company outgrew its suburban home in 1995 and moved to CBD office accommodation yet its early growth during the Internet boom was hampered by the ability of Telstra (not releasing Bigpond as an ISP until 1997) to cope with the demand of needed telephone lines, and by the sheer competitive pressure in the Perth market, which had a comparative oversupply of low-cost providers. In 1996, iiNet successfully expanded into the Adelaide market under the name light.iinet.net.au (named after Colonel Light), in partnership with locals John Lindsay and Leigh Hart. The SA arm moved quickly to become the number three ISP in the state, before being acquired by Auslink in 1998.
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Wikipedia