Broadband News
Wed, 08th Mar 2017
Government agencies skirting metadata laws to access telco data: Comms Alliance
Agencies that lost their telecommunications data access privileges under the data retention legislation are still able to retrieve telco data, the Communications Alliance has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus launches first blackspot site with small cell
Optus has switched on the first blackspot under round two of the government's program, with a South Australian town receiving mobile reception for the first time thanks to a small cell installation.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN hints at skinny fibre for FttN upgrades to FttDP
NBN has said that it could eventually upgrade FttN users to FttDP technology by using skinny fibre to lengthen the fibre run, with FttN cabinets to be 'repurposed' for other uses at that time.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co puts initial FTTC cost at $2800 per premises
NBN Co has revealed an initial trial cost of “about $2800 per premises” to deploy its fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) technology, $628 above what it currently costs to roll out FTTN.
Source: iTnews Australia
nbn defends rollout plans amid FTTC furore
nbn has moved to quell calls for it to abandon its FTTN rollout amid plans to step up the footprint of its alternative FTTC technology.
Source: ARN
Tue, 07th Mar 2017
Most NBN users happy with service: Morrow
NBN Co chief executive Bill Morrow has hit back at reports of rising numbers of dissatisfied NBN end users, claiming that most end users of the National Broadband Network are happy with the service and that complaints are actually dropping.
Source: iTWire
Privacy Commissioner closes Westnet breach investigation
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has finalised its investigation into an allegations of a data breach in 2015 that involved iiNet subsidiary Westnet.
Source: Computerworld
Mon, 06th Mar 2017
NBN Co starts replacing FTTN in network rollout
NBN Co is starting to abandon future FTTN deployments in favour of newer fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) technology.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co masters the fixed-to-wireless flip
NBN Co has flipped 62 towns that were destined to receive FTTN connections under its original three-year construction plan onto fixed wireless or satellite connections.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co adds 2.6m premises into construction schedule
NBN Co has added over 2.6 million premises to its rollout schedule between now and mid-2019 - its first major project update since the original three-year construction plan was launched in late 2015.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 03rd Mar 2017
SoleNet owner banned over dodgy telco dealings
Australian regulators have finally caught up with small-time telco vendor James Harrison, who was today banned from running a corporation for three years and fined $250,000 over the “unconscionable” operation of his group of telco companies
Source: iTnews Australia
Movie studios seek internet providers to block a further 74 piracy sites
A further 74 pirating sites such as Limetorrents, Putlocker, Kinogo, and Megashare could be added to the list of sites blocked by nearly 50 internet providers if movie studios succeed in their latest legal move to stop Australians streaming or downloading movies and television for free.
Source: SMH
Voice outage hits Vocus
A problem with Vocus’ voice wholesale platform downed services for the telcos’ customers, the company has confirmed.
Source: Computerworld
Thu, 02nd Mar 2017
Optus and Huawei attain 665Mbps speeds across 16 devices with Massive MIMO
Huawei and Optus have announced attaining throughput aggregate speeds of 665Mbps across 16 devices during a trial of Massive MIMO antenna technology.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra Brings Wi-Fi Calling To Samsung's Galaxy S7
If you've got a Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge on the network without equal, you're in for a treat. Telstra has finally switched on Wi-Fi calling to offload your network activity onto a fast wireless connection. It's being rolled out as part of the Android 7.0 Nougat update being pushed to Aussie Telstra customers from today.
Source: Gizmodo
Wed, 01st Mar 2017
NBN Co chief hints that public must pay for future FttN upgrades
NBN Co chief executive Bill Morrow has effectively told a Senates Estimates committee that the four million Australians who receive a fibre to the node connection to the NBN will have to pay if they want to upgrade it in the future.
Source: iTWire
Optus, Huawei partner on the way to 5G introduction
Optus and Huawei have teamed up to complete a successful in-field test of Massive MIMO (128T128R) technology, which they say helps pave the way for the introduction of 5G services in Australia.
Source: iTWire
NBN sees potential for more pricing changes
NBN is continuing to explore opportunities for changes to its pricing model, the company’s chief customer officer, John Simon, told a Senate Estimates hearing yesterday.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 28th Feb 2017
NBN Co admits to 'exorbitant' number of satellite failures
NBN Co has admitted to an "exorbitant" rate of failures for its Sky Muster satellite service, forecasting that it may take as long as a year to iron out software bugs.
Source: iTnews Australia
Olympic Committee appeals Telstra Federal Court decision
The Australian Olympic Committee has appealed the Federal Court's dismissal that Telstra contravened the Olympic Insignia Protection Act through its Rio advertising campaign, saying the decision 'diminishes the value of the licence'.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra bets big on LTE-Broadcast
Telstra will this year launch a range of services based on LTE-Broadcast (LTE-B) ahead of a national rollout of the technology in 2018.
Source: Computerworld
NBN announces first FttDP rollout areas
Following a trial of FttDP in Coburg North later this year, NBN will launch the network technology during the first half of 2018 in several metro areas of Sydney and Melbourne.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 27th Feb 2017
Amaysim readies NBN offering for May launch
The Australian telecommunications provider has confirmed it will begin rolling out Amaysim broadband in May.
Source: ZDNet Australia
What's New On Netflix, Stan, Foxtel And Amazon Prime For March
From Adventure Time to Con Air, Hand of God to every Die Hard movie ever (even the ones we'd rather forget)- here's just a taste of what Netflix, Amazon Prime, Foxtel and Stan are streaming for the month of March.
Source: Gizmodo
Telstra outlines plans for its ‘network of the future’
Telstra has used Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as the venue for unveiling major infrastructure initiatives as part of its “network of the future” program.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra to upgrade optical network, trial 5G and IoT
Telstra and technology partner Ericsson will embark on an upgrade for the telco's long-haul, regional, metro and national optical networks to achieve more capacity ahead of an expected increase in demand.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co reinstates fixed-line tech type in rollout maps
NBN Co has reversed a two month-old decision not to tell users what type of fixed-line technology they’re likely to receive.
Source: iTnews Australia
When will you get the NBN?
For the first time, Australians will be able to check when the NBN network will be available in their area, after an update to the company's website.
Source: ABC News
Thu, 23rd Feb 2017
Vodafone bogged down by mobile termination fee cuts
Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) has rounded out a trifecta of mobile telcos blaming fresh revenue slumps on regulated cuts to mobile and SMS termination rates.
Source: iTnews Australia
Customers up, losses down for Vodafone
Vodafone Hutchison Australia has reported a loss of $241.8 million for the 12-months ending 31 December — a 40 per cent improvement on last year’s results for the joint venture between Vodafone and Hutchison Telecommunications Australia, when it reported a loss of $430 million.
Source: Computerworld