Request Broadband - DSLAM Market Modelling 
 
In late 1999, three enterprising individuals conceived a new business.  The business would operate at the junction of telecoms, internet and DSL - three arenas commanding much attention at the then height of the stock market boom.

The business - Request Broadband (originally Request DSL, later acquired by PowerTel) - would be a national DSL carrier that delivered an engaging range of multiple broadband services over a unified technology platform.  Request's founders visited the USA, were introduced by Cisco to leading DSL carriers and returned to Australia very enthused.

Clearly, much work lay in front of the three founders - building the team, raising capital, making site selection decisions, developing its go to market model and value propositions, establishing operational support etc etc!

Given the long lead times involved, making early decisions about DSLAM deployment was critical.  However, there was no existing customer base from which to draw DSLAM deployment conclusions.  So how would the new carrier decide where to locate its infrastructure?

In March 2000, Cisco introduced Callpoint's principal to Request's founders.  The challenge had begun.

Methodology

Callpoint relished the opportunity to help Request by developing the Market Deployment Model.  The model identified and profiled the most attractive exchanges for Request's DSLAM rollout.  The project incorporated Business data, Number Prefix and Industry Profiles into a scenario-driven model, supplemented by Geospatial analysis.  Not surprisingly, no Telstra exchange polygons were available, and RIMs were scarcely known of, so the modelling had to be based on other data sources and various assumptions.

Callpoint's principal worked with the new team, tapped into his contacts and knowledge base.  Cisco provided much support, and acquired his recommended geospatial tools.  These efforts were supplemented with Brian's investigative and modelling skills plus Geospatial capabilities to create the project objectives. 

The process started with a thorough understanding of Request's business objectives, including target market profile (then evolving!) and telecommunications platform.  This was significantly refined when Phil Sykes arrived as CEO.  We methodically gathered the required external data, designed and refined the model.

Nuts and Bolts

The capital and deployment costs of Request's initial 52 DSLAM rollout was a multi-million dollar exercise.  The DSLAM deployment model took three months from concept to delivery.

Client Outcomes

Given Request's startup position, it was critical that the model delivered the site selection recommendations with precision.

Request expressed high satisfaction with the recommendations and has become Australia's leading business-grade DSL wholesaler.  Callpoint has since assisted Request with a range of consultancy services and deliverables.

"We had to be smart about where we deployed our DSLAMs. Callpoint's recommendations in 2000 were 98% right. The other 2% couldn't have been done."

- Request Broadband CEO Phil Sykes, March 2003
 
 
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