Kiwi ISP 'Slingshot' stones geo-blocked content

New Zealanders will once again get offered “global by default” Internet access that lets them past the geo-blocking of international services like Netflix, the BBC's iPlayer, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Kiwi ISP FYX announced a similar service in 2012, but it only lasted two days. Now another New Zealand ISP, Slingshot, has …

[Sebastian A]

This is a serious issue

I'm pretty sick and tired of paying 50% more than the US price for many Steam games simply because of publisher greed and their "Watcha gonna do about it?!?" attitude. it's not like NZ/AU incomes are comparatively higher.

[croc]

Re: This is a serious issue

"I'm pretty sick and tired of paying 50% more than the US price for many Steam games simply because of publisher greed and their "Watcha gonna do about it?!?" attitude. it's not like NZ/AU incomes are comparatively higher."

\start rant\

Games? <font size="4">GAMES?</font> You Provencial Putz! I'm sick and tired of getting screwed for region-priced software that I DOWNLOAD FROM THE SAME SERVER AS YOU! I am sick and tired of not being able to send a mate overseas a DVD because of REGION CODING! I am sick and tired of not being able to PAY TO SEE A NEW MOVIE THE SAME DAY (MONTH?) THAT IT IS RELEASED (usually) IN THE USA! I am sick and tired of getting screwed on hardware pricing BECAUSE OF REGION PRICING! I SICK AND TIRED OF COMPANIES CRYING "<font size="6"> GLOBALIZATION!!!!</font> ALL OVER THE PLACE UNTIL IT COMES TO THEIR BOTTOM LINE, THEN WHISPERING <font size="1">regional...</font> \end rant\

[Winkypop]

Interesting

BIG Content:

Don't pirate 'cause we don't get paid!

Don't geo-unblock 'cause we....errrr, get paid in an acceptable currency....!?

Hang on?

[corestore]

I've said it before...

...and I make no apology for saying it again; this kind of service IS the future of the internet.

The attempts to balkanize and carve up the internet - with Google search result filtering in Europe, and 'Cleanfeed' secret censorship in the UK being the two most glaring examples - won't succeed. Customer demand is too strong. Before too long, this kind of service will be the *default* from ISPs in non-US countries. The demand is there; if ISPs don't meet it, services like unblock-us.com will.

Trying to stop or regulate the internet at national borders has a name: I call it 'Canute Syndrome'.

[zenmaster]

You just watch...

Australia not implement this!

George Brandis will look at this and say its piracy by proxy...or some such rubbish.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: You just watch...

And Malcolm will just say, meh!

[Scott 26]

shame its Slingshot - you'll never be able to watch Netflix/Hulu/etc via it anyway... well, not without buffering all the time

[LINCARD1000]

We've had it enabled for a few days now and have only seen one instance of buffering while watching Netflix (and that instance wasn't during prime-time either). I'm guessing Slingshot have enabled some jiggery-pokery on their routers that give preferential treatment to certain types of network traffic or to certain sites, perhaps.

So far so good as far as I'm concerned :-) Go Slingshot!

[Deltics]

"By default" is the only news here

fyi - the service was introduced over a year ago, but initially had to be enabled on your account.

If Big Content had any intent to shut it down they have had ample opportunity.

[Michael Xion]

Or just use a DNS service to get around it

getflix.com.au works for both Australia and I think New Zealand. Costs $3 per month and lets me access Netflix and the US iTunes story no problemo.

[Pedo Bear]

I live in Dubai and use UnoTelly and it works a treat