Request announces strong Q3 operational results
Announcement posted by Request Broadband 06 May 2003
Continues expansion of national network
Request Broadband Pty Ltd (Request), a leading Australian broadband services provider, has reported an EBITDA positive result for the third quarter of the 2003 financial year. The Company is now generating sufficient revenues to fund its own operational expenses.
For an infrastructure-based telecommunications company, that has been in commercial operation for less than two years, to be able to deliver such a strong result is exceptional, said Seevaratnam Balachandran, Requests Financial Controller and Company Secretary. Solid and ongoing financial management has been key to this level of success.
Request is in the process of expanding it national network so that many more Australian businesses can gain access to high performance, highly reliable broadband IP networking services, said Phil Sykes, Requests CEO. The current expansion plans are also focusing on accelerating the commercialisation of a range of new and innovative IP products under development and to further develop and expand the Companys channels to market.
The network expansion plan involves the deployment of DSL networking equipment in up to a further 38 exchanges plus an increase in the capacity of the Companys backbone network comprised of Cisco switching infrastructure and inter capital ATM network. The first four new exchanges are due for completion in June 2003. It is planned that by June 2004, Request will be delivering services from over 145 business-grade exchanges. This includes an additional 55 exchange areas now available as a result of the Request/Optus reciprocal network sharing arrangement entered into in December 2002.
Sykes emphasises that the key to Requests success has been its focus on achieving a self-funding position through the close alignment of its investment in network deployment with customer growth and revenue generation. The company leverages its best-in-breed infrastructure and broadband connectivity to deliver on its pragmatic build-to-demand model.
The long-term survivors in the broadband race will be financially stable operators that own network infrastructure enabling them to offer differentiated products from a cost base they can directly control as Request has demonstrated, concludes Sykes. Leaders in every industry should keep a close eye on broadband in their markets to be ready for the moment when it starts to refashion their value chains.
Today, Request is financially self-sufficient and has achieved a leadership position in the provision of Next Generation broadband IP networking services to Australian businesses. The company has over 160 channel partners (telcos, network integrators and business ISPs) taking Request broadband services into virtually every industry sector in Australia.
Request was recently awarded the 2003 ATUG Industry award for Best Communications Solution - SME for its RequestVPN solution.
- END -
About Request
Request is an infrastructure-based broadband applications and services company delivering flexible and innovative broadband solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) throughout Australia. Requests broadband services are sold in all capital cities and major regional centres through over 160 Request Service Providers.
Delivering on the need for multi-site customer networking Request's Next Generation broadband IP Network architecture specifically supports business evolution to high performance IP-centric internet and e-business applications. Core products include RequestVPN, RequestXpress and RequestSoHo.
In choosing Request, companies are able to quickly and cost effectively establish high-speed internet access, private networks between multiple office locations, voice over IP, video over IP, remote access to corporate networks over the same broadband link without the need for additional infrastructure.
In March 2003, Request was awarded the 2003 ATUG Industry award for Best Communications Solution - SME for its RequestVPN solution. March 2002 saw Request awarded Carrier of the Year at the annual ATUG industry awards for offering a reliable business-grade broadband network with a 99.9% SLA. October 2001 saw Request being awarded the PC Authority Labs Award for Top Business Broadband for its DSL business offerings.
For more information on Request, visit www.request.com.au.
For an infrastructure-based telecommunications company, that has been in commercial operation for less than two years, to be able to deliver such a strong result is exceptional, said Seevaratnam Balachandran, Requests Financial Controller and Company Secretary. Solid and ongoing financial management has been key to this level of success.
Request is in the process of expanding it national network so that many more Australian businesses can gain access to high performance, highly reliable broadband IP networking services, said Phil Sykes, Requests CEO. The current expansion plans are also focusing on accelerating the commercialisation of a range of new and innovative IP products under development and to further develop and expand the Companys channels to market.
The network expansion plan involves the deployment of DSL networking equipment in up to a further 38 exchanges plus an increase in the capacity of the Companys backbone network comprised of Cisco switching infrastructure and inter capital ATM network. The first four new exchanges are due for completion in June 2003. It is planned that by June 2004, Request will be delivering services from over 145 business-grade exchanges. This includes an additional 55 exchange areas now available as a result of the Request/Optus reciprocal network sharing arrangement entered into in December 2002.
Sykes emphasises that the key to Requests success has been its focus on achieving a self-funding position through the close alignment of its investment in network deployment with customer growth and revenue generation. The company leverages its best-in-breed infrastructure and broadband connectivity to deliver on its pragmatic build-to-demand model.
The long-term survivors in the broadband race will be financially stable operators that own network infrastructure enabling them to offer differentiated products from a cost base they can directly control as Request has demonstrated, concludes Sykes. Leaders in every industry should keep a close eye on broadband in their markets to be ready for the moment when it starts to refashion their value chains.
Today, Request is financially self-sufficient and has achieved a leadership position in the provision of Next Generation broadband IP networking services to Australian businesses. The company has over 160 channel partners (telcos, network integrators and business ISPs) taking Request broadband services into virtually every industry sector in Australia.
Request was recently awarded the 2003 ATUG Industry award for Best Communications Solution - SME for its RequestVPN solution.
- END -
About Request
Request is an infrastructure-based broadband applications and services company delivering flexible and innovative broadband solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) throughout Australia. Requests broadband services are sold in all capital cities and major regional centres through over 160 Request Service Providers.
Delivering on the need for multi-site customer networking Request's Next Generation broadband IP Network architecture specifically supports business evolution to high performance IP-centric internet and e-business applications. Core products include RequestVPN, RequestXpress and RequestSoHo.
In choosing Request, companies are able to quickly and cost effectively establish high-speed internet access, private networks between multiple office locations, voice over IP, video over IP, remote access to corporate networks over the same broadband link without the need for additional infrastructure.
In March 2003, Request was awarded the 2003 ATUG Industry award for Best Communications Solution - SME for its RequestVPN solution. March 2002 saw Request awarded Carrier of the Year at the annual ATUG industry awards for offering a reliable business-grade broadband network with a 99.9% SLA. October 2001 saw Request being awarded the PC Authority Labs Award for Top Business Broadband for its DSL business offerings.
For more information on Request, visit www.request.com.au.