X
International

Mail-TV sinks

The company responsible for bringingemail to Australia's TV screens has sunk quietly, with little more than a rickety single-page Web site left in its wake.
Written by Byron Kaye, Contributor
Reports suggest MailTV Australia signed up to pay AU$26 million to a UK technology provider for the use of its interactive TV services locally - also called MailTV.

However, sources from MailTV's ISP partner, Dot Communications, confirmed MailTV Australia had already been forced to "close up shop" due to funding difficulties.

Almost all MailTV Australia's staff have already been retrenched, one source said.

MailTV's managing director and biggest shareholder Peter Boonen did not return ZDNet's calls.

MailTV had its sights set on being the first company to equip Australian TV sets with email and other transactional Internet services, such as banking transactions and bill payments. Dot Communications was responsible for the local management and operation of the Web TV product.

Reports show MailTV Australia was committed to pay around US$13.6 million (AU$26 million) in cash to London-based ISP World CallNet, the original developer of MailTV technology.

It is not known how much cash MailTV Australia dished out to World CallNet before its operations folded. World CallNet was uncontactable by telephone in Australia.

MailTV Australia is currently under administration with Star Dean-Wilcox. Star Dean-Wilcox did not return ZDNet's calls by publication time.

Reports on World CallNet's UK website (www.world-callnet.com) suggest MailTV is still afloat in Europe.

Editorial standards