FIRST PIX: Telstra Copies iPhone For New Home Media Hub

Archive, Home Office by SmartHouse AdminOctober 28, 2009June 16, 2017 Share

Telstra is set to slash the cost of their BigPond services as consumers move to a combination of Wireless ADSL and cable delivery of their broadband services. They are also set to launch a smart new 7″ touch tablet media hub with iPhone type applications for the home.

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Front view of Telstra Home Media Device

Speaking at today’s investor briefing Telstra CEO David Thodey said that their broadband pricing was set to be reviewed and that the Company needed to improve their service and support offering.

He said that price cuts were “imminent” and that the Telco was set to aggressively attach the market in an effort to increase broadband market share.

Thodey also said that their NextG offering was among the best in the world and that at an average of 21.5 MB per second the service was a viable alternative for consumers who want a mobile broadband service. He also said that 11% of Australian homes were now operating wireless as opposed to fixed broadband.

Telstra’s most recent results showed a drop in fixed broadband take-up, but its wireless broadband revenue grew by 69.2 per cent to $587 million.

In other moves Telstra has exposed for the first time an impressive 7″ touch screen, home media hub which is also a cordless phone, internet radio and news source.

The device built by French Company Sagem has undergone extensive testing in Australia with David Moffett the departing CEO of Telstra’s consumer claiming that that a great deal of work has gone into getting the product right for the Australia market.

A key requirement for the new device was the ability to use a finger as opposed to a stylus a Company spokesperson said.
The new portable 7″ 800 X 480 resolution touch screen, delivers access to over 60,000 Internet radio stations while allowing consumers to watch YouTube videos.

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The device has a USB and SD Card slot that allows images to be displayed as a picture frame.

Designed as both a DECT and IP enabled device, the touch screen is fast, responsive to touch with a slider menu delivering pages of icons similar to an iPhone screen.

The icons which are crystal clear and easy to access deliver a host of home services such as weather information, news, access to YouTube movies that look impressive on the 800 X 480 screen as well as access to services like Yellow Pages, Facebook, phone dialing including the ability to run three way conversations while also being able to SMS message direct from the portable screen.

Small powerfull speakers are built into the base of the device allowing for music and internet radio to be payed direct from the screen.

No pricing has been set for the device which is expected tin the m arket early in 2010.