Kordia
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| Type | State-owned enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | telecommunications |
| Founded | New Zealand, 2003 as THL; New Zealand, 2006 as Kordia |
| Headquarters | New Zealand |
Kordia is a New Zealand government-owned broadcast and telecommunications company, operating in Australia and New Zealand. It provides national communications services for broadcast and telecommunications customers in New Zealand, as well as specialized network solutions. New Zealand customers include: Vodafone, 2degrees, Sky Television, TVNZ, Mediaworks, Radio New Zealand, Telecom New Zealand, Freeview, and The Radio Network. In Australia, Kordia provides contracting and consulting services for major telecommunications players, including Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Hutchison.
The New Zealand Kordia network is based primarily on digital microwave technology. The company also has access to a number of fibre networks running between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Part of Kordia's 60 year heritage is the nationwide network of transmission towers that was built by the company in its various iterations, including: NZBC, Television New Zealand, BCL and now Kordia. In 2007, Kordia upgraded its high sites to build the digital terrestrial television (DTT) platform, which now hosts Freeview (Free-to-air digital television in New Zealand).
As well as use of licenced point-to-point microwave network links, Kordia also owns a variety of radio spectrum usage rights, including frequencies suitable for television and radio broadcast. Kordia also owns and operates a point-to-multipoint CDMA-based network for wireless broadband and WiMax technologies.
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[edit] History
In November 2006, the business (THL Group, BCL, THLA, AAPCS) was rebranded to Kordia. The name “Kordia” is derived from the Latin word “accordia”, meaning “harmony”. The New Zealand business was formed as a subsidiary of Television New Zealand Ltd (TVNZ) on 1 July 1989 [1] and was sold off as a separate entity in 2003.
Kordia operates both the analogue and digital television platforms in New Zealand - digital terrestrial television (DTT) and direct-to-home (DTH-satellite), including:
TVNZ's TV1 and TV2, TVNZ U and TVNZ7,
Mediaworks,
TV3 and TV3 plus 1,
C4,
Maori Television,
Stratos,
Parliament TV,
Chinese TV8,
Central,
Cue,
Te Reo,
Radio New Zealand National,
Radio New Zealand Concert,
George FM,
Base FM,
Prime Television and
Sky Network Television.
Kordia's nearly 400 high sites are available for co-location. This allows the introduction of other network operators' equipment into these strategic sites.
[edit] Today
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Wikinews has related news: Kordia's annual report shows increase in profit |
Kordia competes and co-operates with other operators of physical (layer 1) telecommunication network providers such as Telecom New Zealand, TelstraClear and Transpower New Zealand Limited (the national grid operator). Kordia has trialled DVB in New Zealand and DAB in New Zealand and Australia.
In early 2007, Kordia announced that it had signed a distribution agreement with RoamAD for the distribution of RoamAD metro Wi-Fi networks throughout New Zealand.
In early 2009, Kordia forced long-time tenant Amateur Radio organisation NZART to pull almost all of their volunteer-installed radio equipment from their sites, by forcing untenable costs and conditions on the volunteer organisation. NZART is a valuable part of New Zealand emergency communications community, and Kordias' predatory actions caused a lot of strong feelings. NZART Meeting MinutesNZART Vice-Presidents' Report
On 2 July 2007, Kordia acquired Orcon Internet.[2]
On 7 September 2007, Kordia launched Kordia Metro WiFi, an unbundled open access network of metro Wi-Fi hotzones.
In 2008, Kordia announced a joint venture with PIPE Networks to build an underwater fibre optic cable to Australia, in competition with the Southern Cross Cable.
