In early 2021, one of our staff members caught up with founding member, Kim Heitman, as part of the research process for content for our website. Looking back on the interview, it’s interesting to read his perspective in conjunction with other founding members, as it gives a sense of just how united the founding Committee were. Here’s what Kim had to say about WA-IX:
“The need to build WA-IX in 1997 arose from the Association bringing together hundreds of ISPs and content service providers all operating like small businesses. They needed purchasing power and alternatives to telco services. WA-IX was a great leveller and helped small ISPs and associated businesses build their service offerings in Perth and surrounds.”
“The Association was heavily behind the ‘Stop Telstra’ campaign, prompted when the telco floated the proposal to charge ISPs for receiving dial-up users’ calls on a timed basis – called ‘B Party charging’. The user would pay the usual phone flagfall but the ISP would pay a second fee to Telstra by the minute. This was an existential threat to small ISPs and was handily defeated in the public debate.”
When asked about the obstacles the Association faced and how they overcame them in the early years, Kim responded:
“In the early days, before WA-IX revenues helped the bottom line, the income from subscriptions was insufficient to hire staff, including tech support for WA-IX. We struggled from year to year to find the funds to achieve our goals and do public events such as Internet demonstrations or conferences. The visibility and impact of the Association depended on the commitment of volunteers and their ability to support Association roles while trying to make a living. Luckily, the bonds of friendship within the WA industry were strong, and it was mostly a fraternal relationship with members competing against the world rather than each other. WAIA collaborated in 2001 to form the Information Communications and Telecommunications Alliance of WA (ICTWA) with several other professional bodies, including the Australian Computer Society, the Australian Information Industry Association, the Australian Interactive Multimedia Industry Association, the Telecommunications Society of Australia, the Institute of Engineers, and Software Engineering Australia. This cross-cultured approach to advancing industry policy led to an informed and educated generation of businesses and technology workers and eventually growth in information industries in this State and elsewhere.”
“The consolidation of the WA – and Australian – ISP industry in the 2000s was an extraordinary transition from a typically small-business profile to massive telecommunication giants. The role of the IAA in providing infrastructure for those competing with the world leaders and national companies will continue to be relevant, and other sectors (such as higher education or research collaborators) may find the not-for-profit providers such as the IAA a boon to their missions. The support of the Association for its members and customers is a bright spark in an otherwise cut-throat industry.”
“In the early years, the incumbent telco was routinely criticised by ISPs with a 90% dissatisfaction rate on new services, delays and connection problems were part of their struggles. While there is plenty to criticise with the current telecommunications infrastructure, competition did drive better services and cheaper prices.”
“Profits on bandwidth and services have put the Association in a strong and stable financial footing, and I would urge further investment in the multitude of technologies still ahead of the curve.”
