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!! Extremely brief history of NetLink

!1985
* VUW Comp Sci provides UUCP access for email/news

!1989
* VUW connects to Internet, permits other agencies to connect if hardware comms costs covered.  No traffic charging in place.

!1992:
* U of Waikato starts charging for international traffic, rather than relying on cost sharing
* VUW holds garage sale to fund a cisco 516CS terminal server to replace pile of PC routers
* WCC traffic exceeds 1GB/month, with exponential growth at ~100% per month.  Something Needs To Be Done.
* December: VUW Internetworking Group formed, charges set.

!1993:
*April: Bills sent out to 7 customers
*Revenue ~ $100k for year (before expenses)

!1994
*Revenue ~ $250k
*VUW Finance eyes burgeoning Internet revenues, expecting CSC budget demands to be met.  Something Needs To Be Done.
*"Internet Administrator" position advertised.
*CTL Comet V-FAST (28kbps) modems used on analogue leased line service.  CTL agrees to design a rack-mountable version; first example installed at VUW.
*Discussions with Victoria Link Ltd (VUW-owned company) to separate Internet operations from CSC.

!1995
*NetLink formed as division of Victoria Link.
*April: NetLink offers dialup PPP, email and web services, on top of form Internetworking Group leased-line service
*August: NetLink takes over management of University of Auckland Internet services

!1996
*Expansion into Christchurch (leased-line & dialup) and Dunedin (leased-line only)
*October: NetLink sponsors General Election web coverage
*Deployment of NetRadio wireless Internet service using Proxim equipment (500 kbps)

!1997
*NetLink formed as separate company
*NetRadio deployed in Christchurch
*Colin Wallis appointed as CEO
*Founding management team, DonStokes & Stuart Wilson resign.

!1999
* October: NetLink sold to Telstra NZ

2 pages link to NetLink:

Version 3, saved on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 9:55:57 am by DonStokes

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