MATE Brings Friendship to Australia’s Telco Space

There’s been a lot of talk in Australia in recent years about the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), the country’s biggest ever telecommunications overhaul and the Federal Government’s family-friendly answer to faster internet speeds.

While the exact make-up of the NBN has changed with Australia’s “musical chairs” governments over the past decade, the one certainty for most people was that one of the country’s main telco providers — Telstra, Optus and the like — would be the ones delivering, and billing for, the service.

A few years ago, an alternative sprung up. A nod to the laconic Aussie term for friendship — and for how blokes Down Under refer to other blokes, whether they’re friends or not — MATE was conceptualised in March 2015.

Self-touted as “the exact opposite of a giant, faceless telecommunications company”, MATE is the brainchild of identical twin brothers David and Mark Fazio and family friend Jonathan Dundovic.

Despite being among the fastest growing movers in the telco space — they’ve gone from 1200 customers in 2016 to almost 36,000 customers in 2018, and won Product Review’s ISP of the Year, 2017 and 2018 — MATE is ensconced in Sydney’s West and plans on staying that way. It’s a decision that has kept tech jobs as well as the Sydney call centre in the area, ensuring their customers have a “local mate on the ground” to help them navigate the complexities of the NBN.

To add to the matey vibe, Western Sydney-raised Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan has been brought in as an ambassador. “He’s one of the most talented goalkeepers going around, and we know we can rely on him to position MATE as a safe bet for Aussie consumers to choose,” says Mark Fazio, General Manager at MATE.

Mat says his first impression of MATE HQ didn’t exactly align with what he’d anticipated from a telco head office. “Everyone is so upbeat and positive and you get a real sense of being in a family environment,” he says. 

“As a goalkeeper for the Australian national team, it’s my job to help my teammates and myself from having a bad day by protecting our goal,” says Mat. “At MATE, the same principles apply. MATE protects Aussies from bad service, instead offering great service to all of their customers.”

For more information about MATE, head along to their website.