Broadband News
Wed, 29th Oct 2014
Telstra, NBN Co back in court this April
NBN Co and Telstra will this April resume their argument over consumer-price-index (CPI) adjustments in the companies' $11 billion agreement.
Source: Computerworld
'Camouflaged' internet concerns the Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police has said that the use of virtual private networks and other methods for people to anonymise themselves on the internet is a continuing concern for the law-enforcement agency.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 28th Oct 2014
255 terabits a second: New fiber speed record?
Researchers from the University of Central Florida and Eindhoven University of Technology say that they've developed a new fiber optic medium that allows data to be sent and received at up to 255Tbps, a roughly twenty-fold increase over current fiber.
Source: Computerworld
Optus signs Foxtel HD satellite agreement
Optus has signed a new agrement with Foxtel to provide additional satellite services for nine new HD channels on a five year term.
Source: ARN
iiNet compromised by Dallas Buyers Club challenge
There can be no doubt that iiNet’s decision to keep Dallas Buyers Club’s nose out of its subscriber database is best practice in terms of championing the customer. But will the ISP inadvertently hand Hollywood and its lobbyists a political win?
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 27th Oct 2014
Vocus takes 10% stake in rival Amcom for combination proposal
Vocus Communications has taken a 10 percent stake in Amcom Telecommunications Limited, along with a conditional proposal that could see a combination of the rival businesses.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Megaport spins off fibre business
Network virtualisation company Megaport is splitting off its dark fibre assets into a separate business, to be named 'Superloop', and is reviewing whether the company should list on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiNet Downloaders Club - not that kind of club?
iiNet and copyright infringement is back in the news, with the owners of the Dallas Buyers Club movie applying to the Federal Court to force iiNet to divulge contact details for IP addresses alleged to have downloaded the movie.
Source: iTWire
ASIC pushes for telco data interception powers
Financial regulator ASIC has lobbied the Government to expand the agency's powers so it can receive telecommunications data from law enforcement bodies to aid in its efforts to combat financial crime.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 24th Oct 2014
Telstra, Optus not worth chasing in Dallas Buyers Club piracy crackdown: lawyers
Online pirates on the Telstra and Optus networks can breathe easy for now, while those downloading illegal copies of movies over iiNet and smaller providers may soon receive an invoice for up to $5000 if an unusual legal case in the Federal Court is successful.
Source: SMH
DDoS attacks skyrocket: Akamai State of Internet Report
Distributed denial of service attacks have acceleted in terms of size and volume in the third quarter of 2014, according to the Akamai State of the Internet - Security Report.
Source: ARN
NBN-Telstra deal 'in the home stretch'
NBN Co's renegotiation with Telstra over access to its copper network is in the 'home stretch', according to CEO Bill Morrow.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN a tangled web, not just with cabling
Australia's giant but trouble-prone infrastructure project, the National Broadband Network, declared it had rolled past 640,000 homes - an outcome that has taken five years to achieve.
Source: SMH
Thu, 23rd Oct 2014
'Red tape' Bill takes out reporting for telco customer data disclosures
The Australian government's 2014 'Spring Repeal Day' could see the removal of the Australian communication watchdog's unwarranted data request disclosure and reporting requirements.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co expects Telstra deal to be signed by Christmas
NBN Co expects to have reached a deal to resign its $11.2 billion definitive agreements with Telstra by the end of the year, with the network builder’s chief executive today revealing the two had reached material agreement on the new contract.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co posts $252 million loss in first quarter
NBN Co has recorded a loss of $252 million and revenue of $29 million in its 2015 first quarter financial results.
Source: ARN
Telstra's mobile growth slows
After years of adding millions of customers onto its mobile network, Telstra CEO David Thodey has admitted that the company is entering a phase of slowed growth.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Perth call centre staff have language problems, says Telstra chief David Thodey
The next time you get mad at Telstra's call centre staff for having poor English, there is a 50 per cent chance you should aim your rage at Perth and not Mumbai or Manila.
Source: SMH
TIO reports for the first time on NBN complaints
Delays in connecting users to the national broadband network dominated the first set of NBN-related complaints reported by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN complaints on the rise
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has begun reporting a rise in complaints from customers connecting to the National Broadband Network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Wed, 22nd Oct 2014
Website blocking is not internet filtering: Australian government
The Department of Communications has argued that forcing ISPs to block certain websites under Section 313 of the Telecommunications Act is not a form of internet filtering.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN roll out continues as copper networks switch off in Crace
Copper wires for landline telephones in up to 2700 homes and businesses in Crace will be disconnected from Thursday as the NBN roll out continues in Canberra's north.
Source: SMH
iiTrial 2.0? iiNet back in court over P2P file sharing
For the second time, Internet service provider iiNet has been dragged to court over the alleged copyright infringement of some of its customers.
Source: Computerworld
ACCC won't factor in NBN Co payments in pricing decision
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has stated the regulatory value of Telstra's assets, rather than payments made to Telstra by NBN Co, will set the price for wholesale fixed line services.
Source: ARN
Telstra move to raise network access charges 'ludicrous'
Telstra's competitors have criticised the telco's bid to increase what it can charge for access to its network.
Source: ABC News
Tue, 21st Oct 2014
Australian government warrantless data requests pass 500,000
The Australian communications watchdog has revealed that Australian government agencies are accessing more data than we previously thought.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC: Telstra promises improved Aussie Consumer Law compliance
Telstra is famous for a few things: hopeless customer service, ACCC dealings, awesome Next G/4G networks, playing hardball with the Government and competitors and using Magda Szubanski in its latest ads touting customer service.
Source: iTWire
Telstra accused of misleading customers on mobile phone rights
Telstra has been forced to review its handling of complaints about faulty mobile phones after an investigtion by the consumer watchdog uncovered 400 instances where customers may have been misled.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 20th Oct 2014
Will metadata musings ever mature beyond paranoid fears?
Australia's metadata-retention debate needs more than just an injection of technical clue. Some nuanced political discussion, informed by history and the law, would also be handy.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra tries for digital intimacy in customer-first strategy
Telstra is angling for greater digital intimacy with its customer base as it opens its new generation flagship Sydney store and leverages Salesforce cloud infrastructure to drive a customer-first strategy.
Source: ZDNet Australia