Broadband News
Fri, 17th Feb 2017
Telcos call for NBN write-down to lower bandwidth costs for 1Gbps
Lack of demand by customers to pay the hefty fees for gigabit connections shows the NBN pricing model is broken, a collection of Australian telecommunications carriers has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN changes CVC pricing model from industry average to RSP average
NBN has finally implemented a wholesale CVC pricing discount model based on individual RSP averages rather than industry-wide tiers to charge less for using more data.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Why NBN Co Is Wrong About Gigabit Broadband
Last week, NBN Co CEO Bill Morrow took a beating for claiming Australians won't use a gigabit broadband service, even if it was offered for free. He hit back at his detractors with a lengthy opinion piece, explaining his position. We take a look at some of the arguments he made and breakdown why they are flawed.
Source: Gizmodo
Thu, 16th Feb 2017
Interim NBN satellite users urged to migrate as switch-off looms
Consumers still on NBN Co's interim satellite service are being urged to move over to the Sky Muster long-term satellite before they are disconnected on February 28.
Source: iTnews Australia
AGD blind to offshore storage of Aussie metadata
The Attorney-General's Department has admitted it has no way of knowing how much data stored under the national data retention regime is hosted offshore.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra TV Is The Fastest-Growing Streaming Box In Australia, Apparently
Telstra today released its 2017 half-yearly results, which revealed Telstra TV as a roaring success story for the company. There's now 622,000 of the devices in homes around the country, which Telstra says makes it the fastest-growing streaming box in Australia.
Source: Gizmodo
Shock drop pulls Telstra profit down to $1.8b, shares slump
Telstra has seen its first-half profit tumble to $1.8 billion, hit by the effects of tougher competition, adverse regulatory rulings and ongoing restructuring.
Source: ABC News
Wed, 15th Feb 2017
NBN CEO reiterates lack of demand for 1Gbps broadband
NBN CEO Bill Morrow has defended claims that there is 'minimal' demand for 1Gbps broadband, saying the upgrade paths on most of its network technologies will enable gigabit speeds by the time demand does arise.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN not to blame for misleading broadband speed claims: Fifield
Complaints about NBN speeds not matching their advertising should be disaggregated from the company and instead attributed to the RSPs, the communications minister has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Qantas offers NBN-based in-flight streaming
Qantas will offer its passengers free access to content from Foxtel, Netflix and Spotify on domestic flights, beginning in late February.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 14th Feb 2017
How fast exactly? ACCC tackles confusion over broadband speeds
Finding it difficult to make sense of providers' broadband speed promises? You're not alone in Australia, and the ACCC has promised to help.
Source: SMH
nbn sets business network migration deadlines
nbn has outlined new disconnection dates for businesses to move their integrated communication systems over to the National Broadband Network.
Source: ARN
NBN extends migration window to three years for businesses
Businesses have almost twice as long to shift their systems over to the NBN under a new migration extension.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 13th Feb 2017
Proper fibre broadband is not a waste, but you need a little socialism to do it properly
Relying on the market to roll out universal broadband is not helpful when it is easier for companies to focus only on the cities.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telcos band together to oppose removal of competition laws
A lack of competition laws could enable Telstra to behave in an anti-competitive way without timely intervention from the regulator, according to Vodafone, Optus, Macquarie Telecom, MNF, and the small business council.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Fri, 10th Feb 2017
MyRepublic calls NBN 1Gbps claim ludicrous, launching gigatown to prove it
It is the CVC charge preventing RSPs from offering 1Gbps NBN services, MyRepublic has said, not a lack of demand as cited by NBN CEO Bill Morrow -- and it will bear the cost of connecting gigabit services to prove this.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NetComm Wireless reaps $28 million windfall from NBN FTTC
NBN has placed its first order with NetComm Wireless for four-point distribution point units (DPUs). The DPUs will be used for NBN’s fibre to the curb offering (FTTC; also known as fibre to the distribution point or FTTdp).
Source: Computerworld
ISPs put on alert over broadband speed claims
The ACCC has laid out a new set of guidelines aimed at making sure local ISPs don’t make false or misleading claims over broadband speeds.
Source: ARN
Thu, 09th Feb 2017
Optus profit and revenue down amid 'heightened competition'
Optus' pay TV and mobile segments were the saving grace in its quarterly results report, with the telco's overall net profit falling by 17 percent to AU$39 million.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co needs to coax customers onto higher speeds
NBN Co will need to entice more consumers onto plans above 25Mbps if it is to meet its revenue goal of $5 billion a year by 2020.
Source: iTnews Australia
Demand 'still not there' for 1Gbps: NBN Co
Roughly “a million and a half” homes could support a 1Gbps fixed line service on the NBN, according to NBN Co, but RSPs are yet to launch commercial services.
Source: iTnews Australia
nbn signals need for speed to reach revenue goals
nbn chief, Bill Morrow, has flagged the need for a greater take up of higher-speed products if the company is to meet its 2020 revenue goals.
Source: ARN
Another tough quarter at Optus as net profit falls 17 percent
Optus has posted a third quarter of declining net profit for its fiscal 2017 year, continuing to pin the blame on regulated fee cuts and higher costs associated with device repayment credits.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Says It Is 'On Schedule, On Budget, And Approaching Half Way Point'
NBN's half yearly results are out, detailing the six months leading up to 31 December 2016. Here's what NBN says about how it is going. Feel free to comment below with your personal experiences.
Source: Gizmodo
Wed, 08th Feb 2017
Mobile satellite provider Pivotel installing 4G towers for farmers
Solar- and battery-powered 4G mobile base stations will utilise satellite services to provide connectivity to farmers in rural areas under Pivotel's solution.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Millions of Aussies still ‘dissatisfied’ with broadband speeds
Almost a quarter of Australians – equating to 3 million people - are dissatisfied with their home broadband speed, according to a newly published survey.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co's new lab will scope out future technology
NBN Co appears set to create a skunkworks technology lab to “uncover the intersection between emerging technologies and the future of NBN”.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN rollout milestone outstrips subscription uptake
nbn has made four million premises ready for service on the network, but uptake continues to lag behind new connections.
Source: ARN
NBN reaches a third of Australian homes
Australia's National Broadband Network is now available in four million homes, a third of the total to be reached, NBN Co, the company building the network, says.
Source: iTWire
Mon, 06th Feb 2017
Telcos: National security Bill 'unjustifiably intrusive', risks cyber threats
Carriers and cybersecurity groups have again made submissions against the telco national security Bill, saying it will impede innovation and consequently make networks more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Source: ZDNet Australia