![]()
TPG Network had its origins in the Federally funded, CSIRONET project commenced in 1969. This project’s Australia wide network and Australian developed packet switches were subsequently used by Federal and State Government bodies around Australia. There is no doubt that the network hardware and software products developed by this company over the past 25 years were, and are, in world class.
Since TPG acquired the company in 1992 it has become more tightly focused and has regained a commercial viability as well as significantly increasing its penetration of the Australian marketplace. There are now over 1000 of its TPG 7000 and 5000 Frame Relay Packet switches installed. This number continues to increase on a monthly basis.
This company has become a significant Value Added Network provider of growing status and is in the process of expanding its State Capital City trunk network into 100 country areas of Australia and also to New Zealand.
TPG Network evolved from the original group of people involved in network research and development at the CSIRO in the late 1960’s. This project became CSIRONET which first established a network between computers in Canberra and Melbourne in 1972 and progressively expanded that network to over 100 nodes and 10 host sites in Australia with a smaller scale version of the network being run by DSIR in New Zealand.
This network’s nodes/switches were based on PDP-11 hardware from Digital which by the end of 1970’s was becoming dated. CSIRONET put out a replacement hardware tender in 1980. When no suitable replies were received it was decided to develop the new network solutions ‘in house’. The first of these new products (Ultranode) was put into service in April 1983 and by late 1986 there were over 300 Ultranodes in four networks around Australia used by both government and commercial organisations.
By this time the project group was a commercially oriented enterprise and CSIRO decided to formally sever its connection by privatising the operation. This was done in January 1987 and many of the key hardware and software development engineers accepted positions with the new commercial enterprise.
The first major project undertaken by the new commercial organisation was the development of a new Frame Relay based packet switch and a continuation and widening of the development of supported protocols.
Major contracts for the supply of the new Frame Relay packet switch hardware and software were won in 1988 against the best, and much better known, products then available from US and European companies. From 1988 onwards the company’s Frame Relay switches, routers and software products remained at the forefront of communications technology and were selected, not only by Australian organisations but also by the New Zealand Defence Department.
TPG Network’s current range of communications hardware products have evolved from an unbroken R & D and manufacturing effort that goes back to 1980. The TPG 7000 and 5000 Frame Relay packet switches allow a user to connect their LAN, PABX, Multiplexers, Voice Multiplexers, Video Conference Stations, Host Computers, Terminals, PC’s and other devices to virtually any communication medium.
These connections can be made over ISDN, DDS, Fibre Optic Cable, Microwave and Radio Modem links. The TPG 7000 and 5000 allow for the ability to integrate already installed facilities including Voice/Data/LAN/WAN and other network equipment. TPG Network also offers router and terminal adaptor products of its own design and manufacture.
Australia is a very large geographic area with a very small population that is largely concentrated around its shore line; over 50% of the total population resides in five seaboard cities. Compared to other countries it is also very different with a very significant proportion of its communications traffic being generated and received by its Federal administration base and by a number of remotely located mineral operations.
Communications models based on USA or European requirements simply do not match Australia’s topography and topology. Its three most, relatively, populous States (Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria) also exhibit hugely different characteristics. Queensland’s population is, essentially, concentrated in Brisbane plus five coastal locations. New South Wales’s population covers a similar geographic area but comprises Sydney plus twelve other locations, while Victoria is a fraction of the size of Queensland and New South Wales, with its population based in Melbourne and a, scattered, number of other locations.
In building its Australian communications network TPG Network has, obviously, first established trunk connections to the seven state and territory capital cities. It has also established trunk links to the two largest New Zealand population centres of Auckland and Wellington. With a growing demand for Internet services it has also established links to the USA and plans further direct links to the Asia Region.
TPG Network recognises the great importance of Australia’s non capital city areas and has made major strides in implementing a program to connect all of those population centres into its communications network by the end of 1997. This program will result in a Frame Relay (or ATM) connection of around 100 non-capital city locations into TPGN’s Value Added Network by the end of 1997.
TPG Network is an Australian company committed to providing all of Australia with the same connection capabilities as those enjoyed by residents of the world’s largest cities at lower costs by the end of this century. |
||