Broadband News
Tue, 15th Mar 2016
NBN considered ditching FTTN for FTTdp
NBN chief executive Bill Morrow has revealed the network builder’s board examined a fibre-to-the-distribution point rollout as a replacement to FTTN 12 months ago, with cost and rollout time considerations ultimately scotching the proposal.
Source: iTnews Australia
Foxtel and Roadshow home in on piracy website blocking
ISPs are suggesting domain name blocking rather than IP address blocking in Foxtel and Roadshow's case to get piracy websites blocked.
Source: ZDNet Australia
FttDP becoming better option than FttN, but premature for entire NBN: Morrow
For a couple of hundred thousand homes in the NBN rollout, FttDP is the faster and cheaper option, but more work has to be done before it completely overtakes fibre to the node as NBN's preferred technology.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Some consumers doubt the value of NBN services: survey
A new research report has found that many Australians believe the National Broadband Network (NBN) plans being offered by retail service providers are not worth paying extra money for.
Source: iTWire
ACCC Says NBN Prices Are Fine, Puts A Cap On Them
“The ACCC is satisfied that NBN Co’s prices did not exceed the applicable maximum regulated prices in 2014-15,” said ACCC Commissioner Cristina Cifuentes in a statement today.
Source: Gizmodo
Rights holders, ISPs still discussing technical minutiae of site blocking
Internet service providers are not expected to put up a fight against prospective court orders that will compel them to block access to a number of piracy-linked websites, but the finer details of how such a block will be implemented and maintained is yet to be determined.
Source: Computerworld
NBN – is ‘CopperArt’ a faster, cheaper roll-out with a legacy?
At the recent TechLeaders conference - a meeting of some of Australia’s top IT journalists - Jason Clare, Shadow Minister for Communications described the NBN as MTTM (Malcolm Turnbull’s Terrible Mess) and called it ‘CopperArt’ in reference to using copper (or cable) to deliver the last mile.
Source: iTWire
MyNetFone wants NBN to level playing field
At the 2016 Tech Leaders Forum, MyNetFone co-founder and chief executive, Rene Sugo called for the National Broadband Network (NBN) to level the market for mid-size telcos in Australia.
Source: ARN
NBN Says Targets Are Being Met, Internet Australia Says Its Not Good Enough
Last night NBN chairman Dr Ziggy Switkowski assured audiences of ABCs The Business that the company is meeting all of its milestones, adding that “the progress in terms of copper has been fabulously fast”.
Source: Gizmodo
Mon, 14th Mar 2016
NBN should abandon CVC charges, reduce POIs: MNF CEO
NBN should step away from CVC charges and lessen the number of POIs if it wants to remain competitive, MNF CEO Rene Sugo has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Basslink-affected TPG must leverage Telstra cable: Tas government
The government has urged TPG to use Telstra's cable assets to continue servicing its Tasmanian customers following the Basslink outage.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Turnbull urged to change tack on NBN
The Government is urged to consider an about-face and embrace Labor's fibre to the home plan for the National Broadband Network, as the chairman denies claims the project is not hitting its targets.
Source: ABC News
Telstra cancels US$1 billion wireless joint venture
Telstra announced it was unable to reach commercial arrangements with San Miguel Corporation for an equity investment in a wireless joint venture in the Philippines.
Source: CRN
Cellular competition could kill NBN by 2020, says MyNetFone founder
MyNetFone cofounder and CEO, Rene Sugo, has delivered a stinging attack on the NBN warning that its business model will be unsustainable in the face of competition from cellular and from TPG’s fibre to the basement offering, and that smaller telcos — dependent on the NBN to connect customers – will be driven out of the market.
Source: Computerworld
ACCC to look into concerns about Telstra price gouging
The ACCC says it is conducting enquiries into concerns about access to Telstra's fibre optic cable, as internet disruptions in Tasmania continue.
Source: ABC News
Sun, 13th Mar 2016
TPG Relents To Tasmanian Government, Secures Extra Bandwidth From Telstra For Damaged Basslink
It’s been on the cards since Basslink, the power / data carrying cable that connects Tasmania to mainland Australia, was damaged in late December last year. Yet, TPG was happy to leave customers with degraded internet, potentially for months, until intervention from the Tasmanian government forced the ISP’s hand.
Source: Gizmodo
Sat, 12th Mar 2016
iiNet, Internode strike Telstra capacity deal for Tasmania
Tasmanian customers of iiNet and Internode are likely to see some relief from degraded internet services by Thursday 17th March after a breakthrough deal for Bass Strait capacity was signed late Saturday.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tas govt wrings TPG 'review' from internet slowdown
The Tasmanian government has secured a commitment from TPG to “review” its Bass Strait cable capacity for brands including iiNet and Internode as major internet access issues dragged into a second day.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiNet group customer anger boiling over Basslink
Customers of the iiNet group of ISPs in Tasmania have reacted angrily to a warning that they should expect degraded internet services for the next three months.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tasmanian internet users angry as Basslink repairs slow downloads
Tasmanian internet users report slow internet speeds after repairs began on the faulty Basslink power cable, which also carries fibre-optic cables.
Source: ABC News
Fri, 11th Mar 2016
This Week's Biggest NBN And Telco News: You Must Construct Additional Fibre
Here’s where we round up all the Aussie news around the ‘net about the ‘net, every week. Check in here for a quick primer on everything from piracy to privacy to data retention and the NBN.
Source: Gizmodo
ICANN submits plan to grab Internet functions off US Government
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has submitted a plan to the US Government designed to lead to global ownership of key technical Internet functions associated with domain names.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 10th Mar 2016
Fifield releases spectrum legislation overhaul consultation paper
The Australian government has published its consultation paper on the proposed new spectrum licensing, regulation, and pricing legislation.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone Australia paid no tax in 2014 – Why?
Could it have been ‘Vodafail’ as customers deserted the less than stellar performing mobile carrier back in 2014. Whatever the reason a huge number of Australians want to know why the multinational mobile operator paid no tax in Australia – and they want to know now.
Source: iTWire
Optus Wi-Fi up and running at Mirvac shopping centres
Optus Wi-Fi services have been deployed at two flagship shopping centres of the Mirvac property group in New South Wales and Queensland.
Source: iTWire
Tony Windsor drawn out of retirement to fight for FttP NBN
With the NBN being one of the issues that made him choose to support Labor over the Coalition in 2013, Tony Windsor is returning to politics due to stalling with NBN, defence, and education funding.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Wed, 09th Mar 2016
Repair work begins on TPG’s PPC-1 cable
Repair work is on TPG’s PPC-1 underwater cable system is under way, the telco revealed yesterday.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 08th Mar 2016
ACCC investigation: Vaya telco responds
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reports that telco Vaya ‘has taken measures’ to address ACCC concerns following a spike in consumer complaints.
Source: iTWire
Basslink locates interconnector cable fault
The fault that took out power delivery over the Basslink electricity and data cable between Tasmania and mainland Australia appears to have been located, the company said today.
Source: iTnews Australia