Broadband News
Mon, 05th Dec 2016
Meet Telstra's new chief operations officer
Telstra has tempted a US-based executive from networking giant Juniper to cross the world and become its chief operations officer.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 02nd Dec 2016
FttN overtakes brownfields FttP serviceable premises on NBN: Fifield
The Australian government claims to have kept its promise to speed up the rollout of the National Broadband Network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus misses out on spot in new whole-of-gov telco panel
Optus has missed out on being one of the initial line-up of telcos appointed to the federal government's new four-year, whole-of-government telecommunications services panel.
Source: iTnews Australia
What's New On Netflix, Stan And Foxtel Anytime In December
From Batman. Assault On Arkham!, to Doctor Who. The Husbands of River Song and Westworld -- here's just a taste of what Netflix, Stan and Foxtel Anytime are streaming for the month of December.
Source: Gizmodo
Procurement panel to help keep its govt’s Internet bill down
The federal government hopes that a new telecommunications procurement panel will help departments minimise the costs of a range of telco services including Internet access.
Source: Computerworld
Thu, 01st Dec 2016
Netflix and chill set to become Netflix and fly
Streaming service Netflix announces a new download option to take your favourite shows on the road.
Source: ABC News
Australia follows New Zealand lead to carrier block remaining Note 7 handsets
Whether it be rugby, fibre networks, or preventing handsets prone to spontaneous combustion from connecting to mobile networks, New Zealand has beaten Australia to the punch once again.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra labels Vodafone a "freeloader"
Telstra has accused Vodafone of showing its “true colours” as an infrastructure “freeloader” as the war of words over a potential regulated opening of part of Telstra’s regional mobile network intensifies.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vodafone wins mobile blackspot funds for only four towers
Vodafone has secured funding for just four base stations in the second round of the federal mobile blackspots program, as Optus reversed its first round fortunes.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN leaks: AFP won’t have access to documents seized in raid
The House of Representatives has upheld a claim of parliamentary privilege made by Labor MP Jason Clare in relation to documents seized by the Australian Federal Police in an August raid on the Department of Parliamentary Services.
Source: Computerworld
Optus and Telstra share $60 million funding for base station boost
Optus and Telstra are expanding their mobile coverage following the $60 million second round of Federal Government funding they received as part of the Mobile Black Spot Programme.
Source: ARN
Wed, 30th Nov 2016
Vocus shares plunge by nearly a quarter
Vocus Communications lost nearly a quarter of its value on Tuesday with shares plunging to $4.35 down from a high of $9.19 in May.
Source: iTWire
ACCAN forms coalition to fight for USO reform, NBN and mobile coverage
A 'technology agnostic' USO, fairer access to NBN's satellite service, and a long-term mobile coverage program will improve rural connectivity, a coalition including ACCAN has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus Is Giving You Free Data (If You Put Ads On Your Lock Screen)
Ever been stuck without data? Everyone has. Cash running low? Happens to the best of us. Thought to yourself "if only I could use my phone's lock screen as an advertising platform, and get paid in data"? Er, maybe not. But now you can, if you want to.
Source: Gizmodo
Mon, 28th Nov 2016
AFP likely to be blocked from accessing seized NBN documents
The Australian Federal Police is unlikely to be able to access NBN Co documents it seized during a raid on Parliament House after a lower house committee said the documents were subject to parliamentary privilege.
Source: iTnews Australia
AFP NBN raid documents to be kept confidential
Documents confiscated during AFP's NBN raids on Jason Clare in August will remain confidential and under parliamentary privilege, and will be returned to the former shadow communications minister.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Reddit CEO admits trolling Trump supporters
Steve Huffman edited abusive posts from Trump fans on the social sharing site.
Source: PC Authority
Fri, 25th Nov 2016
Switkowski: 'I did not breach caretaker conventions' with NBN opinion piece
The opinion piece on the AFP raids was witnessed by NBN's board prior to publication, with NBN chair Switkowski holding firm that he did not breach caretaker conventions.
Source: ZDNet Australia
IBM paid 'very substantial' compensation for Census failure
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed IBM made a “very substantial financial settlement” with the Commonwealth as compensation for the failure of the 2016 online Census.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra: ADSL competition better than regulation
Telstra has argued that the ACCC should not regulate 289 of its wholesale ADSL exchanges, as competition is enough to ensure the market remains fair.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 24th Nov 2016
Australia given 15 December deadline for Norfolk link
Australia has a deadline of 15 December to decide whether it will supply a cable link to Norfolk Island, with the official ground-breaking ceremony for the Hawaiki underea telecommunications cable taking place on Wednesday.
Source: iTWire
UK government invests £1b in fibre and 5G
The UK government hopes its £1 billion investment in 5G and fibre broadband will 'catalyse' industry to invest more in the new network technologies.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Hawaiki cable construction starts
Construction of the 14,000 kilometre Hawaiki submarine cable that will link New Zealand to Australia, Hawaii and mainland United States has started with a ground breaking ceremony at Bream Trail Farm, Mangawhai Heads, Northland attended by NZ prime minister John Key and communications minister Amy Adams.
Source: Computerworld
Wed, 23rd Nov 2016
NBN Co moved an FTTN cabinet after users asked to connect
Horsham resident Andrew Pillekers thought he’d “won nodelotto” when he found a crew spraying markings on the nature strip out the front of his house to indicate the placement of a node for NBN Co's FTTN network.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN's Fibre To The Curb Is A Step Closer To Being Built
The NBN's Goldilocks technology of fibre to the distribution point (FttDP) -- sitting just right in between the convenience of fibre to the node (FttN) and the speed of fibre to the premises (FttP) -- is a step closer to becoming a reality in Australia. NBN calls the tech 'fibre to the curb' (FttC) for some unknown reason, rather than FttDP or fibre to the driveway, but it's earmarked Australia's own Netcomm Wireless as the supplier of tech for the future network build-out.
Source: Gizmodo
More than half the world's people still off the Internet
Less than half of the world's population still isn't using the Internet, although the numbers are improving, according to a United Nations report.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 22nd Nov 2016
NBN signs NetComm Wireless for FttDP equipment
NBN and NetComm Wireless have announced signing a master agreement for the latter to supply DPUs for NBN's fibre-to-the-distribution-point network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
‘Fibre to the curb’ rollout one step closer, NBN says
NBN has signed an agreement with NetComm Wireless for the supply of distribution point units (DPUs) that will be used in the roll out of ‘fibre to the curb’ (FTTC — also called fibre to the distribution point or FTTdp).
Source: Computerworld
Switkowski to front NBN committee over op-ed
NBN Co chair Ziggy Switkowski will appear before a parliamentary committee this week to answer questions about his decision to write a comment piece about police raids over leaked documents during the election period.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 21st Nov 2016
Telstra flags 3G network shutdown as early as 2020
3G network could be shut down as early as 2020 as part of an long-term effort to manage burgeoning mobile data demands.
Source: ARN