Hon. Senator Stephen Conroy visits M2 small business customer connected to NBN in Scottsdale
M2 Telecommunications Group Ltd(“M2” ASX: MTU), today welcomed the Hon. Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to Scottsdale Tasmania, to visit one of its valued small business customers connected to the NBN via one of M2’s subsidiaries iPrimus.
M2’s Chief Customer Officer, Tom Mazerski and Senator Conroy visited Scottsdale’s IGA to see the business taking full advantage of its high-speed broadband connection. The local business has been connected to the NBN for over a year having taken part in the NBN’s Tasmanian trial rollout in 2010.
Lou Barrett, owner of Scottsdale’s IGA, explained to Senator Conroy how the speed and quality of her connection enables her to undertake all stock ordering, banking and administration online, improving efficiency and saving valuable time. This allows her to focus on growing the business which is at the heart of the local community in this remote area of Tasmania.
Senator Conroy commented “It is clear that the NBN is positively changing the way small businesses across Australia are working. High-speed broadband capability is enabling many enterprises, like Scottsdale’s IGA, to work more effectively, delivering business growth that helps strengthens the local economy.”
M2’s CEO Geoff Horth added“We are honoured to welcome the Senator to Scottsdale to visit one of our first NBN customers in Tasmania in order to witness first-hand the positive effect the NBN has had on this small regional community. Our strategic relationship with the NBN Co to deliver high quality and affordable services to customers will ensure that communities around Australia will be able to enjoy the same benefits.”
Lou Barrett, Scottsdale IGA business owner said “The speed and reliability that we get from our connection to the NBN means that we have been able to take advantage of a range of new applications and content that have helped us streamline our business practices. This has helped us improve our service to our loyal and valued customer base in Scottsdale."
M2 has a sizeable presence in Tasmania. It currently operates a 200+ seat call centre in Hobart and the company is committed to further expanding its economic footprint in the region.
Tasmania has also been a key focus for NBN activity and preparation, primarily through the iPrimus roll out of its Fibre, for both consumer and business products and services. iPrimus connected its first residential fibre customer in Midway Point and first business fibre customer in Scottsdale in 2010. Primus also recently announced the first use of NBN Co’s B2B gateway in Sorrell to connect to the NBN and connection of the first residential customer to the NBN in newly lit up area of Triabunna.
ENDS
Photography of Mr Conroy’s visit will be available later this afternoon. Please contact Pru Quinlan at Einsteinz Communications to obtain a copy. pru@einsteinz.com.au
For media information please contact:
Andy Lee
iPrimus
Tel: 0438 439 680
E: alee@primustel.com.au
Debra Mansfield
M2 Telecommunications Group
Corporate Communications Manager
Tel: 03 9674 6569 / Mob: 0404 875 582
E:debra.mansfield@m2.com.au
About M2 Telecommunications Group Ltd
Established in 1999, M2 Telecommunications Group Ltd (“M2”, ASX: MTU) is Australia’s pre-eminent challenger telecommunications service provider to the business market. Headquartered in Melbourne, M2 employs more than 950 people across Australia and New Zealand.
M2’s retail business division operates under the leading brands of iPrimus and Commander and in New Zealand, Black + White. Within this retail division, M2 offers a suite of traditional and next generation telecommunications services, equipment, personalised service and value-added offerings targeted principally at the small and medium sized business market. These retail products are offered across Australia under the trusted Commander brand, through M2’s extensive sales organisation encompassing a national dealer network and the Company’s own internal sales team.
Through the M2 Wholesale division, M2 provides wholesale fixed line, mobile and data telecommunications services to small and medium-sized telecommunications service providers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). M2 has consistently delivered growth in both revenues and profit year-on-year since listing on the ASX in 2004 and will graduate to the S&P/ASX200 on 15 June 2012.
M2 has an established dividend pay-out ratio policy of 70% of net profit after tax (NPAT) and has consistently delivered upon this dividend policy for every fiscal half year since 2005.
For more about M2 visit www.m2.com.au
Related Company sites (part of the M2 Group):
www.commander.com
www.iprimus.com.au
www.m2wholesale.com.au
www.bw.co.nz