Broadband News
Mon, 09th Feb 2015
Optus makes unlimited data cheaper on ADSL, cable and NBN
Unlimited data on ADSL, cable and NBN is now cheaper for Optus subscribers, but we’re still light years away from unlimited data on mobile networks.
Source: iTWire
Vodafone completes trials of voice calls using 4G
Vodafone has completed a successful trial of its first voice calls using 4G - also known as Voice over LTE or VoLTE.
Source: ARN
If you want our metadata, show us yours
With many governments around the world looking to consolidate communications surveillance as a central tenet of society, security expert Mikko Hyppönen has put forward the idea of transparency reports on what governments do with metadata.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co to punish high-volume satellite users
NBN Co has ordered all retail service providers on the interim satellite service to enforce a 50GB four-week usage threshold for customers to combat ongoing congestion on the service.
Source: iTnews Australia
NEXTDC, Telstra test new path to renewable energy
NEXTDC is examining options to use the roof space of neighbouring buildings to run solar arrays in what would be a major expansion of its renewable energy strategy.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co completes build of 10 satellite stations to serve 400,000 Australians
NBN Co has completed construction work on all 10 of the satellite ground stations which will help deliver services to 400,000 Australia in remote and rural areas.
Source: ARN
Fri, 06th Feb 2015
NBN Co and Optus co-build mobile towers
NBN Co and Optus are in the 'early stages' of plans to co-build mobile towers for the company's respective fixed-wireless and mobile networks.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ISP minors threatened by ‘half-baked’ metadata law
Hundreds of small internet service providers are at risk of collapse under proposed new metadata laws, as industry warns the scheme is “half baked” and will burden business with red tape.
Source: The Australian
Thu, 05th Feb 2015
Telcos reject Abbott's claims on data-retention costs
The telecommunications industry group the Communications Alliance has rejected claims from Australia's prime minister that mandatory data retention wouldn't be costly to the industry.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone frees up weekends for prepaid customers
Vodafone is offering free data at weekends to customers on certain prepaid plans, along with unlimited calls to five countries.
Source: iTWire
TPG's cloud arm wins small victory in stolen data lawsuit
The cloud services arm of TPG Telecom has won a small victory in an ongoing legal battle with rival Core Desktop over the latter's alleged use of confidential business data to steal customers.
Source: iTnews Australia
Abbott dismisses data-retention cost complaints from telcos
The Australian prime minister and the Australian Federal Police have urged the quick passage of the mandatory data-retention Bill, explaining that it will not be a financial burden for telcos and will assist with criminal investigations.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Abbott wants data retention laws by March
Controversial data retention laws will pass parliament next month if the federal government gets its way.
Source: ARN
Telstra to axe 64 Ballarat jobs
Telstra will axe 64 jobs in Ballarat as part of 78 positions to go across the country in April.
Source: ARN
Wed, 04th Feb 2015
No 2015 deadline for NBN wireless rollout
Plans to finish the NBN fixed-wireless network in 2015 have gone since the change of government, despite the company meeting its own new running targets since the strategic review.
Source: ZDNet Australia
M2M: Vodafone connects the unconnected with MachineLink 3G Plus
A new alternative for unconnected machines that need a larger selection of interface options has been unveiled by telco giant Vodafone and network equipment specialist Netcomm.
Source: iTWire
Australian IaaS market grows as internet traffic increases
Frost & Sullivan has predicted that the Australian infrastructure-as-a-service market will continue to grow strongly over the next five years, and hit AU$439 million by 2018.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 03rd Feb 2015
Expats phone home, says Optus
Optus says it is encouraging expats in Australia to phone their homelands by lowering postpaid text and voice costs.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co faces satellite launch delay
The National Broadband Network satellites will likely be stuck on the ground for three months longer than planned.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 02nd Feb 2015
Virgin Mobile: No FebFast, just FeBonus Data
Virgin Mobile is throwing in 1GB of bonus data on its $35 SIM Plan - but just for this month.
Source: iTWire
Village Roadshow boosts donations amidst copyright crackdown
Village Roadshow significantly increased its donations to political parties over the past year as the Government works to crack down on online copyright infringement.
Source: iTnews Australia
Abbott pushes data retention in Press Club address
The government's counter-terrorism efforts and its plan to implement a controversial mandatory data retention scheme made the cut in Prime Minister Tony Abbott's highly anticipated National Press Club address.
Source: Computerworld
Officeworks CFO joins iiNet
ASX-listed telco iiNet (ASX:IIN) has crowned Michael Howard as its new chief financial officer.
Source: ARN
Over a million Australians use two mobile phones
Around 1.14 million Australians use two or more different mobile phones. And they're not all secret agents and adulterers.
Source: iTWire
UK telco BT to pilot G.fast copper broadband
British telco incumbent BT intends to kick off two large-scale pilots of the G.fast digital subscriber line, with the aim of delivering 500 megabit per-second broadband over copper to customers within a decade.
Source: iTnews Australia
Foxtel shakes up broadband vista
Foxtel has ignited a new battle for the nation’s 12.5 million internet subscribers, unveiling long-awaited broadband plans and renewed intent to greatly expand its pay-TV penetration.
Source: The Australian
Fri, 30th Jan 2015
NBN failure leaves man with no phone or internet, but he's still getting the bills
A resident of Wollongong suburb Dapto has spent the past three months without a phone or internet connection — but says Telstra keeps sending him bills anyway.
Source: SMH
Optus says data retention is 'workable'
Australia's second-largest telco has joined its biggest rival in confirming the proposed set of data that the government wants telcos to retain for law-enforcement purposes is 'workable' for the company.
Source: ZDNet Australia
No rules for data destruction in retention scheme
Optus has voiced concerns that the Government has made no provision to ensure data collected under its proposed retention regime is destroyed once the two-year mandatory storage period is up.
Source: iTnews Australia
Data retention to involve 'petabytes of data' for Vodafone
Recording data that will allow IP addresses to be matched to individual customers will involve Vodafone storing petabytes of information it would otherwise be unlikely to keep, the telco has said.
Source: Computerworld