Broadband News
Thu, 14th Jul 2016
Fetch TV Mini and Mighty: Australian Review
Blending the best of the internet and free-to-air television, Fetch TV’s new Mini and Mighty set-top boxes are Australia’s killer tag team of home entertainment. These days Fetch TV is basically the closest we have to a Foxtel rival – letting you watch and record both free-to-air and streaming pay TV, as well as tap into a wide range of online content. If you’re not keen on signing up for Foxtel’s oft-maligned iQ3 recorder then a Fetch TV Mighty or Mini could earn pride of place in your lounge room.
Source: Gizmodo
NBN prepares for full-scale HFC rollout
NBN believes it is on track for having some 900,000 premises able to order hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) National Broadband Network services by late June next year.
Source: ARN
Wed, 13th Jul 2016
Aussie Snow Visitors Are Using More Mobile Data Than Ever
If you’ve been to the snow in the last couple of years, you’ll have had some trouble getting online on your smartphone. Australia’s ski towns have been notoriously poorly served for high-speed mobile data, but that’s been changing: Telstra now says its customers use nearly two terabytes of 4G data per week at Victoria’s Mount Buller resort alone.
Source: Gizmodo
Tue, 12th Jul 2016
Kim Dotcom to return with Megaupload relaunch
Kim Dotcom has claimed that when Megaupload launches next year it will be 'better than the original'.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus to refund overcharged customers $2.4m after ASIC slap
Optus will refund 175,000 mobile phone insurance customers a combined $2.4 million after the corporate regulator found it had overcharged them, handed out the wrong products, and failed to provide certain disclosure information.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus Is Refunding $2.4 Million To Mobile Insurance Customers
ASIC raised concerns about Optus’ compliance with Australian financial services laws, and now the telco is refunding approximately $2.4 million (including interest) to around 175,000 Optus mobile customers.
Source: Gizmodo
Mon, 11th Jul 2016
Australia voted for the FttN NBN, again, and that's what we'll get
With the Coalition returned to power, the opportunity to change the mix of the National Broadband Network has passed.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra slams Choice's mobile plans comparison as 'flawed'
Choice's analysis into how much more Telstra customers are being charged when compared to equivalent or better offerings by other companies has the telco giant fuming.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone Is Showing Off Its Network By Broadcasting A Live Radio Show
Vodafone doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to service — “Vodafail” has been a tough label for the telco to shake. With Telstra’s network woes at the forefront of customer’s minds, what better time for Vodafone to show what its network can do, and prove it is a genuine alternative, than by providing the infrastructure for a live national radio broadcast? Vodafone’s 4G availability is currently (slightly) better than both Telstra and Optus, after all.
Source: Gizmodo
Fri, 08th Jul 2016
Telstra confirms over 300 job cuts
After reports emerged that 450 roles would be going to help the telco offshore its business, Telstra confirmed that it will be cutting 326 jobs across its sales, service, and national office teams.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra to cut 326 call centre jobs in Perth and Melbourne
Telstra has confirmed it will cut more than 300 roles from its customer support ranks, with a number of positions to be transferred to existing Philippines-based call centres.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 07th Jul 2016
Optus provides wholesale access to all 121 NBN POIs, signs SpinTel
Wholesalers using Optus' network will be able to provide residential customers with broadband from all 121 NBN POIs.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Wed, 06th Jul 2016
Telstra ticks but Optus picks ‘PICK’ of regional approval
Telstra has its blue tick for superior regional coverage, so Optus picks up its own slogan, a ‘Top Pick for Our Regional Coverage’ badge.
Source: iTWire
NBN raids: Conroy calls for end to ‘ludicrous’ AFP investigation
Senator Stephen Conroy has formally requested that the Australian Federal Police drop an investigation into leaked NBN documents which resulted in a high-profile raid on the senator’s office.
Source: Computerworld
Thieving former Telstra staffer jailed following $250,000 hardware theft
Former Telstra staffer, Jaime Neoh, has been jailed after stealing more than $250,000 worth of hardware.
Source: ARN
Tue, 05th Jul 2016
Ericsson and Vodafone claim new world-first in ‘5G Proof of Concept’ demo
With 5G still in the development stages, along with plenty of tests and trials, there’s an ongoing stream of 5G news, with the latest coming from Ericsson and Vodafone.
Source: iTWire
The joys of being a top brand – new email scam targets Telstra users
Social engineering — the art of manipulating someone to do something like open and install malware — is the basis of the majority of ransomware and cyber attacks. After all, you trust emails from your family, local doctor, gym, bank or Facebook friends don’t you?
Source: iTWire
Mon, 04th Jul 2016
ACCC investigates deregulating ADSL
With the rollout of the NBN and continuing high usage of mobile internet services, the telecommunications regulator is looking into whether to regulate ADSL from 2019.
Source: ZDNet Australia
The ACCC Is Deciding The Future Of ADSL Regulation
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has today commenced a public inquiry into whether the wholesale asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) service should continue to be regulated.
Source: Gizmodo
Thu, 30th Jun 2016
Telstra experiencing business, enterprise network outage in Victoria
An outage affecting some enterprise and business customers in Victoria has been confirmed by Telstra a day after it committed to spending an additional AU$250 million on improving network resilience.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN opens Redcliffe HFC network to ISPs
NBN has opened its first hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) area to commercial services, inviting retail service providers (RSPs) to target some 18,800 premises in the Queensland suburb of Redcliffe.
Source: iTnews Australia
HFC services officially join NBN mix
The third major fixed-line technology slated to be part of the ‘multi-technology mix’ being employed for the National Broadband Network is now available commercially. NBN announced today that the first commercial Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC) services had been made available for order in Queensland.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra's Network Is Down Again, This Time In Victoria
Telstra is down for some enterprise and business customers in Victoria the day after announcing a $250 million investment in network improvements, making it the fourth time in as many months the telco has suffered problems.
Source: Gizmodo
Slow NBN will put the brakes on business
Back in the early 1990s, Linux kernel developer Vojtěch Pavlík and his long-time friend Martin Mareš, both resident in the old Czechoslovakia, developed a web search engine for Central and Eastern Europe.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 29th Jun 2016
Telstra to pour $250m into fixing network
Telstra will spend $250 million to address problems with its struggling network following an ongoing series of outages that have plagued Australia's biggest telco since the start of the year.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra invests $250 million to ease network concerns
Telstra has moved to ease concerns raised by ongoing outages on its mobile and broadband networks by investing $250 million over the next year.
Source: SMH
NBN Co's chief architect quits
NBN Co's chief architect Tony Cross will leave the network builder on Friday after more than six years leading the organisation's network architecture operations.
Source: iTnews Australia
MyNetFone exec blasts politicians for ignoring ‘inadequacies’ of NBN
Telecommunications and network provider MNF Group — owner of telco MyNetFone – has criticised both major political parties for not addressing the “inadequacies” of the NBN’s commercial model during the election.
Source: iTWire
Vocus to buy Nextgen for $807 million
Vocus Communications is set to buy fibre network owner Nextgen in a deal worth $807 million.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 28th Jun 2016
Australia set for three more years of buffering
And so, it all seems to be over, at least as far as the NBN is concerned. A tsunami called Brexit has more or less ensured that Malcolm Turnbull will continue as Australia's prime minister after 2 July. And with him, of course, comes that mongrel multi-technology mix NBN.
Source: iTWire