Broadband News
Fri, 29th Apr 2016
Woolworths Mobile, Aldi Get 4G On Telstra's Network From Today
Telstra has finally opened up its higher-speed 4G mobile network for its MVNO partners Aldi Mobile, Woolworths, Telechoice and Better Life, and that means those telcos’ customers can now enjoy faster download speeds and even wider network coverage — but there’s a catch.
Source: Gizmodo
Kogan Mobile upgrades to 4G network
Kogan Mobile is improving its service for all of its new and existing customers, with the company confirming that it will switch on 4G services for all customers by June, with no increase in prices.
Source: ARN
Thu, 28th Apr 2016
Quickflix CEO confident of bounceback
The streaming provider will reposition as a digital consumer, ecommerce, and entertainment service while under administration, according to the chief executive.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone AU loses market share as Telstra, Optus rise: Kantar
Vodafone now has 15.2 percent total mobile market share, while Telstra holds 41.1 percent and Optus 22.7 percent, with the no-contract segment rising again.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra delivers 4G wholesale early for MVNOs and their customers
Anyone who uses a Telstra MVNO like Aldi Mobile, Woolworths Connect, Telechoice and Better Life can now start to enjoy Telstra 4G speeds at long last.
Source: iTWire
How Channel Nine Killed Quickflix, Australia's Streaming Pioneer
Quickflix became the first victim of the streaming wars in Australia yesterday, announcing it is in voluntary administration, a move many anticipated.
Source: Gizmodo
What’s on ‘Foxtel Anytime’ streaming in May 2016
It’s not just Presto and Netflix advising what’s new on their streaming services - now Foxtel (owner of Presto) is doing it, too!
Source: iTWire
Telstra, Optus, Amaysim grow mobile marketshare at expense of other telcos
Telstra, Optus and Amaysim have boosted their share of mobile phone subscribers in Australia largely at the expense of Vodafone, Virgin and TPG (excluding iiNet), according to a newly published report on the smartphone market.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 27th Apr 2016
NBN tech choice program already provides fibre for Tasmania: Fifield
Tasmanians don't need Labor's promise to deliver a fibre connection if elected, as they can already choose to spend thousands of their own money on NBN's fibre-on-demand product, according to the federal government.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra chair Catherine Livingstone steps down
Telstra's long-serving chair is being replaced by John Mullen ahead of taking up her role as UTS chancellor.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Labor pledges fibre NBN for Tasmanian west coast if elected
'Labor will make it happen,' Jason Clare has said in regards to the west coast of Tasmania receiving fibre NBN connections.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN confirms no one has purchased an area switch
While few individuals are choosing to upgrade their NBN connection to full fibre, even fewer councils and corporate bodies are going with an upgrade from NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra, Visionstream extend exchange maintenance deal for $350m
Telstra has agreed to a five-year deal with Visionstream that will see the infrastructure services company continue to maintain over 40,000 exchange and network assets across Australia.
Source: iTnews Australia
Labor promises fibre nbn network for N-W Tassie, but cops a blast from government
Labor’s announcement that it plans to construct a fibre-optic network in north-west Tasmania, if elected, to deliver National Broadband Network services to the area has been lambasted by the federal government as an ‘unfunded’ misuse of government business funds.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 26th Apr 2016
Basslink lays 1355m of new subsea cable
Basslink has completed the first stage of repairs to its damaged Bass Strait cable by laying 1355 metres of new cable on the seabed.
Source: iTnews Australia
Australia's Own Streaming Service, Quickflix, Is Going Under
Since late 2011, Quickflix has been a quiet performer in Australia’s increasingly crowded subscription video on demand market, with an all-you-can-stream video option as well as rentals of TV and movies alike. Long before that, it was a DVD mailing rental service, founded back in 2002. Today is another big bump in the road for Quickflix, though, and it may well be the last: the company has been placed into voluntary administration and might be dismantled.
Source: Gizmodo
Quickflix enters voluntary administration after Stan negotiations fail
Unsuccessful negotiations with rival streaming service Stan over its AU$11.7 million worth of redeemable preference shares have led to Quickflix entering voluntary administration.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiNet founder joins NBN board
Michael Malone, the founder of Internet service provider iiNet, has joined the board of NBN as a director, the federal government has announced.
Source: Computerworld
Mon, 25th Apr 2016
Quarterly telco complaints up, but yearly improvement continues
Telco complaints as a proportion of services in operation (SIO) increased 29% from January to March this year, but dropped by 13.8% compared to the same three month period in 2015.
Source: iTWire
Sun, 24th Apr 2016
NBN switching on FTTN in South Australia
The first National Broadband Network fibre to the node (FTTN) services have been switched-on in South Australia, with residents of the Adelaide southern suburb of St Marys the first in the state to benefit from the faster broadband.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 22nd Apr 2016
Michael Malone joins NBN board
iiNet founder and former CEO Michael Malone has replaced former colleague Simon Hackett on the board of NBN.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Rethink: Why We Need 'Fibre-To-The-Driveway' Right Now
Ever since the Coalition government came into power and declared it will use the fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) model for the National Broadband Network (NBN), experts and vocal technology-conscious citizens have been up in arms about it. But the argument against FTTN has been mounting for years. Faced with overwhelming evidence and new technology alternatives, the Government can no longer ignore that their NBN vision is short-sighted. They need to act now instead of dooming us to an archaic broadband network just to save face. Here are four reasons why fibre-to-the-distribution point (FTTdp) needs to be adopted for the NBN.
Source: Gizmodo
NBN receives 576 complaints monthly about FttX trenching
Almost 20 people each day complain about NBN digging up driveways and nature strips when installing its FttX network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN tech choice program delivers just three FttP connections in a year
Only three fibre-on-demand connections have been made since the option launched in March last year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 21st Apr 2016
Turnbull calls for more openness surrounding data breaches
As part of a new culture of 'cyber-openness', the government is calling on the private sector to be more open about data breaches.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Turnbull sets the scene for a 'Stop the Bytes' election
The PM released Australia's Cyber Security Strategy on Thursday morning. Media reports focused on the 'revelation' of our cyber attack capabilities, but that's just a well-crafted political distraction.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone, RAI, Barnaby Joyce combine on regional telco report
Vodafone and Regional Australia Institute have said telcos, government, business, and local communities must work together to bring reliable and fast internet access to regional areas.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC sets ‘significantly lower’ prices for transmission services
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released a final decision on regulated prices for the declared Domestic Transmission Capacity Service (DTCS) FAD which sees prices significantly lower than those set previously.
Source: iTWire
12 Netflix Originals That Will Be Streaming With HDR Video
Netflix is starting to roll out a new technology that vastly improves the colours you see in its shows and movies. It’s called “HDR,” which stands for “high dynamic range,” a term that is most common in photography. Here’s the shows you can watch with HDR enabled.
Source: Gizmodo
ACCC Sets New Prices For Behind-The-Scenes Telco Backhaul Data
The cost to ISPs for wholesale data is getting cheaper every year. That’s the gist of the ACCC’s just-released report into domestic transport capacity, which says that the cost of high-speed telco backhaul has fallen as much as 78 per cent for long distance routes. Australia’s favourite national outpost Tasmania remains the thorn in the side of ISPs everywhere, though, with a new charge levied for the skinny pipes (and Basslink) running from the mainland.
Source: Gizmodo