Broadband News
Tue, 12th Jan 2016
Distributor PCRange goes under
Adelaide-based networking distributor PCRange has entered into voluntary liquidation after being in business for the past 16 years.
Source: CRN
Open letter rejects government crackdown on encryption
More than 130 NGOs and advocacy organisations from around the world have signed an open letter calling on governments to reject policies that undermine the use and effectiveness of encryption.
Source: Computerworld
Mon, 11th Jan 2016
Government mulls expanded copyright safe harbour
Draft amendments to Australian copyright law unveiled late last year by the government would expand the ‘safe harbour’ scheme that limits the liability of Internet service providers for copyright infringement.
Source: Computerworld
Inabox lands major Telstra scalp as new CTO
Telco and IT provider Inabox has hired former Telstra executive Chris Ford as its chief technology officer.
Source: CRN
Concerns remain over data retention funding shortfall
Internet Australia has reiterated concerns over the gap between the expected cost to the telecommunications sector of implementing data retention and the government funding being made available to telcos and ISPs.
Source: Computerworld
Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 out of support this week
January 13 is the last day for business and individual users to move off older versions of the Internet Explorer web browser, before Microsoft pulls the plug on support including security patches.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 07th Jan 2016
ISPs under cost pressure from ‘Internet tax’ due to Data Retention Act
Internet Australia has started 2016 much the same way it ended 2015, calling again for more money to be allocated by the federal government to properly compensate ISPs for complying with the new Data Retention Act – and again warning that providers will pass on extra costs to Internet users.
Source: iTWire
Govt reveals how it will divvy up data rentention implementation grants
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield and Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss have formally opened applications for a slice of $128.4 million the government has set aside to help telco providers comply with new data retention laws.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACMA to test if Australians really are more satisfied with telcos
Three years after reforming consumer protections for telco customers in Australia, the Australian Communications and Media Authority wants to find out what - if any - difference the reforms have made.
Source: iTnews Australia
You Can Now Watch Netflix Wherever You Travel (Except China)
Netflix have announced global expansion, as of right now. So if you’re planning a trip overseas, you can take your Netflix viewing with you.
Source: Gizmodo
Howzat! Optus picks up cricket sponsorship after Dick Smith clean bowled
Optus has stepped in to replace troubled electronics retailer Dick Smith as the Melbourne Stars’ Principal Partner and the Club’s Official Mobile Media Partner for the remainder of the Big Bash League (BBL) Twenty20 cricket season.
Source: iTWire
Telstra fires up mobile capacity for Victorian fire fighters
Telstra has temporarily boosted mobile telecommunications capacity in the Birregurra area of the Otway Ranges in Victoria to assist fire fighters working to contain fires.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 05th Jan 2016
NBN Responds To Claims FTTP is better value than FTTN
Research has revealed the longer term costs and savings of Fibre To The Premises when compared to Fibre To The Node, but NBN says a fast rollout is priority.
Source: Gizmodo
Mon, 04th Jan 2016
Netflix Australia January 2016 content selection
Netflix has advised which TV shows and movies have been added to its roster of content in January 2016: here it is!
Source: iTWire
802.11ah Wi-Fi standard approved, will underpin Internet of Things
A new wireless standard that extends Wi-Fi’s reach down into the 900MHz band will keep the 802.11 family at the center of the developing Internet of Things, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced today.
Source: ARN
Amaysim acquires Vaya for AU$20m, inherits AU$50m Optus debt
Amaysim has acquired MVNO Vaya for AU$70 million in total, including a AU$50 million debt to Optus, due to be paid over the next two years.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 31st Dec 2015
Telstra, Vodafone prepare for New Year's Eve network traffic jump
Vodafone will make use of cells on wheels while Telstra taps into its mobile app and Wi-Fi network to handle the increase in network traffic during NYE.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Wed, 30th Dec 2015
Majority of WA iiNet internet users 'back online' after major fault
The internet service provider iiNet says it is confident it has fixed a fault that has affected customers around Western Australia for four days.
Source: ABC News
Tue, 29th Dec 2015
Quickflix recovers AU$7m debt through deals with 'major studios'
The streaming company has reduced millions of dollars in debt by signing licensing deals with studios, and will restructure its remaining payment obligations by issuing options for 50 million non-exercisable shares.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Chasing Aussie Downloaders Backfired In 2015: Netflix, VPNs Were The Winners
For Voltage Pictures, producers of the movie Dallas Buyers Club, extracting substantial fines from a large number of Australians who downloaded their movie illegally should have been relatively straightforward. They had used the model in other countries successfully and Australia had politicians and a legal framework that supported the protection of intellectual property.
Source: Gizmodo
Thu, 24th Dec 2015
Telstra predicts MASSIVE record traffic on its network for Christmas 2015
’Tis the season to be jolly but ’tis also the season to be online and break some records, Telstra-style!
Source: iTWire
Wed, 23rd Dec 2015
Comcast now offering 1Gbps speeds across DOCSIS 3.1
Comcast has connected the first commercial DOCSIS 3.1 service to a customer in Philadelphia, providing speeds of up to 1Gbps.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Project Thunder: The Aussie rival to Netflix that never was
Netflix has impacted viewing habits, piracy rates and even internet speeds in Australia, but it could have been a different story if Project Thunder had come together as planned.
Source: ABC News
IA wants a lift in our efforts to enable a 'digital' Australia
Australia’s peak body representing Internet users has called for a stepped-up national effort by government and industry to ensure Australia achieves its full potential as a digitially-enabled society.
Source: iTWire
Telstra Expects A Record Breaking Day Of Traffic This Christmas
To be more precise: Telstra is expecting us to download twice the amount of data we downloaded last year.
Source: Gizmodo
What we learned about 5G in 2015
The much-anticipated 5G mobile standard won't be finished until 2020, but the people who'll make it happen were busy throughout 2015 trying to define it.
Source: ARN
Kim Dotcom faces extradition to United States after hearing
A New Zealand court rules Internet mogul Kim Dotcom can be extradited to the United States to face online piracy charges.
Source: ABC News
Understanding the NBN: What is the multi-technology mix?
If this is the NBN we’re stuck with; we might as well understand it. I cut through the myths and the spin to spell out what each technology offers and how likely it is to last for the long haul.
Source: PC Authority
Tue, 22nd Dec 2015
HTTP 451 Error Code For Internet Censorship Approved
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has approved the use of the 451 HTTP status code for websites that are inaccessible for legal reasons such as government censored content or blocked copyrighted material. There are limitations as to whether internet users in different geographical regions will see this error code but the approval of 451 is an acknowledgement of the prevailing issues of internet censorship and online piracy.
Source: Gizmodo
Telstra working on 1Gbps commercial network speeds with Ericsson, Qualcomm
A test by Ericsson, Telstra, and Qualcomm has seen the companies use 4x4 MIMO combined with 256 QAM in an effort to attain speeds of 1Gbps across the commercial network.
Source: ZDNet Australia