Broadband News
Wed, 02nd Nov 2016
Mobile and tablet internet usage surpasses desktop for first time: StatCounter
Global internet usage on smartphones and tablets exceeded desktop usage for the first time, according to October statistics from web analytics firm StatCounter.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus Business launches cyber security operations centre in Sydney
Optus Business has extended its cyber security capabilities with the opening of its first security operations centre in Australia following a $10 million investment.
Source: ARN
Number of NBN gigabit premises halves as network stuck on 25Mbps or less
Only 13 premises in Australia now have access to a 1Gbps FttP connection, while users continue to go for 25/5Mbps and 12/1Mbps plans.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra taps half of Australia’s NBN wholesale access services
Telstra claims almost half of Australia’s NBN wholesale access services in Australia, according to the latest quarterly report on the network by the country’s competition watchdog.
Source: ARN
Tue, 01st Nov 2016
Vodafone Australia and Nokia announce mobile edge computing prototype
Vodafone and Nokia are looking to 4G-powered mobile edge computing to improve public safety through network function virtualisation applications.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 31st Oct 2016
Telstra eyes entry into drone market
Telstra is planning to expand its use of drones both internally and as part of “viable products and services” for external sale.
Source: iTnews Australia
What's New On Netflix, Stan And Foxtel Anytime For November
From Ash Vs Evil Dead, to The Wire and Gilmore Girls -- here's just a taste of what Netflix, Stan and Foxtel Anytime are streaming for the month of November.
Source: Gizmodo
Fri, 28th Oct 2016
Vodafone complaints climb higher than Telstra's
Vodafone has attributed its sudden jump in consumer complaints to the Ombudsman on 'administrative matters', although it experienced an outage this quarter.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Turnbull pins Census outage on IBM, again
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has once again taken IBM to task over its role in the 2016 Census website outage.
Source: ARN
Complaints increase for Vodafone, amaysim and Pivotel
Vodafone, amaysim, and Pivotel look like chumps in the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s (TIO) latest assessment of complaints per services in operation (SIO).
Source: ARN
Thu, 27th Oct 2016
Dyn DDoS attack came from 100,000 infected devices
DNS Service provider Dyn said that Friday's massive internet disruption came from hackers using an estimated 100,000 devices, many of which have been infected with a notorious malware that can take over cameras and DVRs.
Source: ARN
Hanson backs call for Hawaiki Cable extension to Norfolk Island
One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson has called on the Australian government to back the extension of the Hawaiki Cable to Norfolk Island.
Source: Computerworld
Wed, 26th Oct 2016
ISPs facilitate piracy and should have to pay: Rights holders
The final day of the piracy site-blocking hearing saw the music studios argue that ISPs are sufficiently proximate to the infringement of copyright to have to bear legal and compliance costs.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC seeks feedback on mobile roaming row
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has given telecommunications providers, consumers and lobby groups, one month to state their case for or against domestic mobile roaming.
Source: ARN
Vocus completes AU$861m acquisition of Nextgen Networks
Vocus is now the owner of Nextgen Networks, as well as two subsea cable systems, expanding its fibre network by tens of thousands of kilometres across Australia.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 25th Oct 2016
Department of Communications reviews ACCAN funding
The NBN rollout among other changes in the telco industry has sparked the government to review its funding of ACCAN for consumer representation and research.
Source: ZDNet Australia
IBM apologises over census 2016 outage
IBM's managing director fronts a Senate committee to apologise "unreservedly" for this year's 40-hour census outage, but admits nobody has been sacked or disciplined.
Source: ABC News
Mon, 24th Oct 2016
NBN to launch FttDP without G.fast
Despite being described as a 'central component' of FttDP in NBN's recently commissioned Ovum report, ZDNet understands G.fast will not be immediately enabled for the 2018 FttDP launch.
Source: ZDNet Australia
$10,000 Is All It Costs To Bring Down The Internet
For just US$7500, you can buy access to a botnet of shitty, compromised Internet of Things gadgets that can break the ‘net. You’ve got to know where to look, who to pay, and what digital target to aim at, but still. $10,000 is cheap.
Source: Gizmodo
Chinese firm admits its hacked products were behind massive DDoS attack
A Chinese electronics component manufacturer says its products inadvertently played a role in a massive cyberattack that disrupted major internet sites in the U.S. on Friday.
Source: ARN
Fri, 21st Oct 2016
NBN Co reveals ambition to become IoT player
NBN Co has revealed it is looking beyond its government mandate to create an internet of things (IoT) business, connecting “non-premises infrastructure” like traffic lights and potentially offering wholesale compute and storage services.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co tells world broadband forum of need for faster rollout to meet deadlines
NBN Co chief network and operations officer JB Rousselot has told the Broadband World Forum in London that the company needs to move faster in rolling out the broadband network and activating premises.
Source: iTWire
Optus providing satellites for Early Warning Network
The developer of the Early Warning Network has signed a deal to provide remote communications across Australia using Optus' satellites and the SatSleeve+.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 20th Oct 2016
ACMA opens investigation into 5G mobile broadband spectrum
The ACMA is undertaking an initial investigation of the 1.5GHz and 3.6GHz spectrum bands for refarming to enable mobile broadband over future 5G networks.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACMA starts discussion of spectrum re-farming for 5G
International plans for the early adoption of 3.6GHz for 5G services have led the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to bring forward public discussion of the use of this part of spectrum.
Source: iTWire
ABS apologises for AU$30m Census bungle, ISPs say IBM had standard DDoS protections disabled
Australian Statistician David Kalisch has told Senate Estimates the ABS incurred AU$30 million in remediation costs due to the Census night stuff-up.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Netflix Has More Customers Than Ever In Australia
Talk of a customer revolt has fizzled as Netflix’s growing stable of original content continues to win over new subscribers at home and abroad. It’s only 18 months since Netflix officially opened its doors in Australia but it’s already seen the demise of one local competitor in Presto, plus the foreign raider has forced Australia’s volatile Freeview consortium to finally build its long-promised cross-network streaming service which is set to launch in November.
Source: Gizmodo
Optus enhances 4G services across Canberra
Optus will boost its 4G services at more than 10 sites across Canberra to improve data coverage, download speeds and voice quality for its mobile customers.
Source: ARN
Basslink could unplug cable, warns Bryan Green
Tasmania's vital Basslink cable could be switched off if the company's finances do not improve, Opposition Leader Bryan Green says.
Source: ABC News
Wed, 19th Oct 2016
NBN satellite users waiting five weeks to connect, experiencing outages: Morrow
Due to greater than expected demand, satellite customers are having to wait an average of five weeks to be connected and are experiencing 'multiple' network failures, NBN CEO Bill Morrow has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia