Broadband News

Thu, 31st Mar 2016

Singtel joins Telstra and SubPartners on 20Tbps Perth to Singapore subsea cable

The APX-West subsea cable connecting Perth to Singapore has been newly designed as a 20Tbps cable to be owned and operated by Telstra, Singtel, and SubPartners.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Singtel, SubPartners, Telstra to jointly build new submarine cable

Singtel, SubPartners, and Telstra have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build a new international submarine cable, APX-West, connecting Perth and Singapore.

Source: iTWire

Wed, 30th Mar 2016

Bigpond boosts 1000GB bundle in fight to lock-in customers before NBN arrives

Aussie telcos are sweetening their broadband deals as they jostle for position before the National Broadband Network rolls down your street.

Source: SMH

How to: find faster-than-ADSL internet in Australia

If you’re stuck on ADSL, there are other options out there for a faster connection.

Source: PC Authority

Internet Australia renews call for fibre over copper for NBN build

Internet Australia is keeping up the pressure on the Federal Government to abandon copper in favour of a fibre-based network for the National Broadband Network (nbn).

Source: iTWire

What's New On Netflix, Stan And Foxtel Anytime For April

If you’re seeking new content, look no further. Here’s some of the latest Netflix, Stan and Foxtel Anytime have to offer for the month of April.

Source: Gizmodo

Optus partners with Uber for in-car 4G Plus Wi-Fi

Optus and Uber have partnered up to offer drivers and customers 4G Wi-Fi inside of Uber vehicles.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Lightning Broadband promises faster, cheaper broadband without the NBN

Former solar panel mogul Jeremy Rich wants to take on the NBN, already rolling out in Melbourne with ‘plans to go national soon.’

Source: iTWire

Tue, 29th Mar 2016

Survey Results Surprise No One: People Find Netflix Better Value Than Foxtel

Consumer satisfaction research firm Canstar has released the results from its latest survey focusing on paid TV subscriptions, with the trends confirming all of our suspicions. Netflix is the viewer’s darling — no surpises there. And while Foxtel does get a solid thumbs up for new content, it lags behind in the other categories.

Source: Gizmodo

What happens to your social media accounts when you die?

What happens to a person's social media accounts after their death is one of the vexed issues of the internet era, with as many as 30 million Facebook accounts thought to belong to dead people.

Source: ABC News

Spirit Telecom to float on ASX, helped by glamour TV client

Spirit Telecom is approaching one of its final hurdles before listing on the ASX, making it the third small Australian telecommunications-related company to go public in less than a year.

Source: CRN

Basslink fault found but repairs pushed back until mid-June

Basslink locates the fault in the undersea cable which connects Tasmania to Australia's power grid but warn it will not be repaired until mid-June, a month later than it had earlier hoped.

Source: ABC News

Sat, 26th Mar 2016

The Best Smart TVs For Watching Netflix, According To Netflix

Netflix has partnered with TV manufacturers to recommend smart TVs based on their movie streaming performance and other features. If you’re in the market this year for a Netflix-friendly television, check out Netflix’s recommended TVs.

Source: Gizmodo

Fri, 25th Mar 2016

Admitting to throttling video, Netflix now promises more control for users

Netflix admitted Thursday to throttling video streams worldwide for its mobile users, but said it hasn't been an issue for customers.

Source: ARN

Thu, 24th Mar 2016

Investigator: Dealing with limited ISP choice and the NBN

Anthony Caruana addresses a reader’s trouble with finding a suitable ISP and service when moving house.

Source: PC Authority

NBN still grappling with inaccurate housing data

NBN says it remains confident it can stay within in its construction budgets despite admitting it is working from flawed and unpredictable data for housing and core telecommunications networks.

Source: iTnews Australia

Dubber and MyNetFone: ‘world-class’ cloud call recording for landline customers coming

Dubber is partnering with MyNetFone to provide a ’world-first cloud based call recording solution to Australian businesses that use traditional fixed phone lines such as PSTN and ISDN services.’

Source: iTWire

Clare launches broadband broadside against Turnbull

Shadow communications minister Jason Clare has seized on Akamai’s latest State of the Internet report as evidence that the government’s broadband plan has come unstuck.

Source: Computerworld

Wed, 23rd Mar 2016

Here's How Netflix Delivers TV Shows And Movies Around Australia

You might think that for a company like Netflix to release TV shows and movies digitally, it should be as simple as chucking the library on some servers, then sending it to you from across the other side of the world — but there’s much more to it than that.

Source: Gizmodo

Optus Is Offering Free Calls To Belgium

Optus customers wanting to contact family and friends following the tragic events in Brussels will be able to make free calls to Belgium throughout March.

Source: Gizmodo

TPG targets SMBs with NBN bundles

TPG today launched a range of National Broadband Network bundles combining Internet access and voice that are targeted at small businesses.

Source: Computerworld

Tue, 22nd Mar 2016

TPG net profit jumps to AU$162m after iiNet acquisition

With subscriber numbers bolstered by its recent acquisition of iiNet, TPG has reported a six-month net profit of AU$162.3 million on revenue of AU$1.15 billion.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra restores voice services after third outage this year

Telstra has confirmed that its fixed-line and mobile voice services have been restored after an hour-long outage.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra Hellstra? Telstra #outage strikes again

Yet another outage appears to be happening right now on Telstra’s network, allegedly Australia’s best, but what happens if Telstra goes down during a free data day?

Source: iTWire

Telstra Mobile's Network Is In Trouble Again

They say bad things come in threes. There are reports that Testra’s mobile network is down once again with a steady stream of customers taking their complaints to Twitter. Currently, the network outage appears to be limited to Perth, Melbourne and parts of Sydney. Here’s the news so far.

Source: Gizmodo

TPG sees net profit soar 90 per cent in first half FY16

​ASX-listed ​TPG Telecom​ has seen its net profit soar 90 per cent to $202.5 million for the first half of FY16, ending January 31. This is in comparison to the same time last year.

Source: ARN

Mon, 21st Mar 2016

Australian data protection laws to be benchmarked in Data Availability inquiry

In conducting its Data Availability and Use inquiry, the Productivity Commission will examine how Australia's data and privacy protection compares to other jurisdictions.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra, Optus, Vodafone compete on stadium mobile coverage

The three primary mobile telcos are aiming to improve speed and connectivity for customers in ANZ Stadium and the MCG using cloud RAN, 3G and 4G upgrades, and LTE-B.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN launches Digital Diagnosis, releases telehealth report

Respondents to an NBN survey have said that access to telehealth would be convenient, save money and time, and provide more options for those living in regional areas.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Fri, 18th Mar 2016

Photos: A look inside an NBN exchange

The tech NBN deployed in Redlands, Queensland.

Source: iTnews Australia