Recently iiNet signed a deal with Fairfax Digital and Anytime, this is rather significant in the way average users use the internet, by granting the ability for people to stream movies to their desktops and media centres at home, in a type of rivalry to Cable Television such as Foxtel.

By one ISP Provider signing a deal, it opens the door for more flexibility and options on a normal Broadband account, and indeed many ISPs will follow this to compete with iiNet and any other ISP who takes the same path. Video on Demand (VoD) is not a new technology, being around since the early 90’s, however VoD as we know it today only started settling in around 1999-2000. Currently, the only VoD Provider in Australia is TransACT, however they only provide to customers in ACT, so having a significantly large ISP like iiNet and it’s service coverage offering VoD, will bring it to nearly everywhere, especially when iiNet is still rolling-out it’s iiDSLAMs in a fairly fast time.

But back to the original point, Offering VoD in the coverage iiNet has will pretty much revolutionize the way average Australians use the internet, no longer will users just download email and chat, but partake in watching movies and TV Series in a way which would rival Foxtel, but be tremendously cheaper. Especially as stated here:

Anytime on Volt has signed a 12-month deal with internet provider iiNet to allow iiNet customers to download the movies — some of them close to one gigabyte — without affecting their monthly download limits.

So when iimedia starts, it should be somewhat interesting to watch the next twelve months afterwards, because in the monopolized market which is Broadband in Australia, this could both increase iiNet’s stake in the market and either change internet usage drastically or fail in the attempt.