Australia | Jun 01 2006
By Greg Peel
Picture this: Wherever you are, provided that’s not in the middle of the Simpson Desert, you can open your trusty notebook with Unwired broadband connection and, once the home page appears, you can read the latest headlines from the Herald and listen to the latest ravings from The Parrot while googling for back-up information.
What a beautiful world we live in.
In another step down the new media pathway, wireless broadband provider Unwired Australia (UNW) has signed a deal with Fairfax Digital, a division of Fairfax (FXJ) publishers, that will see news, sport and weather updates from either the Sydney Morning Herald or The Age, depending where you’re connecting from, appearing on Unwired’s customer-only home page.
Unwired has also extended its deal with Macquarie Radio (MRN) owners of 2GB and 2CH, such that localised hourly news updates and other content will be broadcast on the home page as well. Last year Unwired and Macquarie radio signed an advertising partnership which included sponsorship of the Alan Jones Breakfast Show.
Unwired also recently signed a deal with Google, providing search engine access from Unwired’s home page, joining the multitude of others with a similar Google deal.
Unwired’s CEO, David Spence, notes company research suggesting that two-thirds of Unwired’s customers use Google and read the Herald/Age. Hence the signings are all about customer convenience. (No mention of 2GB – perhaps they’re ABC fans).
Fairfax Digital is pretty happy with the deal as well, being able to provide "portable" content in line with FD’s general push to conquer on-line and offset the demise of the metro newspaper. (Merrill Lynch has just increased its FD growth expectations to 35% in FY07 from 25%, and 25% in FY08 from 15%).
The Macquarie Radio connection allows for breaking news coverage on a portable basis as well. The network can adapt its content depending on location of the Unwired user, thus providing a national service with a local emphasis.
Unwired describes these deals as providing customers with a "virtual internet launch pad" which means, I presume, they hope it takes off.
Unwired shares have not moved today.