SOS Telstra: Meow To Save ADSL?

Just one meow is all its takes. Forget emergency services, Telstra are planning to save broadband from disaster with its MEOW Mark II.

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MEOW Mark II or Mobile Exchange on Wheels, is a portable ADSL 2+ enabled exchange hut on a trailer, used to provide temporary services in the event a natural disaster destroys an existing Telstra exchange.

The original MEOW was used during the floods in Brisbane last year, to ensure customers had service while the telco repaired weather damaged infrastructure.

Each MEOW Mark II will provides up to 330 landline services and 330 ADSL 2+ services, Telstra said on its blog.

MEOW II is smaller than its predecessor, constructed from existing ISAM (intelligent services access manager) and CMUX (customer multiplexer) cabinets.

Telstra also has a similar MEOW II setup in NSW ready for action, it confirmed.

And with the flooding that has hit parts of NSW and Qld, MEOW can’t come a minute too soon.

“We wanted to new MEOW Mark II  to be highly visible and let customers know it’s purpose, I am pleased to say that with its branding and colour we think it will stand out in any terrain,” said Mike Wright, Telstra’s Executive Director – Networks & Access Technologies.

“With the highly visible Telstra ‘T’ on the top of the unit it will even be seen by passing helicopters.”

With gaudy red and orange colours the new MEOW is sporting, there’s no fear of missing it.