Broadband News

Mon, 24th Aug 2015

Cost blowout to push NBN past $41bn budget

NBN's construction costs will blow out past the $41 billion price tag previously forecast for the infrastructure project, the company revealed today.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN's next million

In FY16 NBN is aiming to have almost a million premises with active National Broadband Network services, NBN CEO Bill Morrow said this morning.

Source: Computerworld

NBN 2.0 costs more than expected

NBN has confirmed that the revised National Broadband Network rollout is likely to cost more than was previously expected.

Source: Computerworld

NBN doubles revenue and users in AU$1.1bn loss

Over the past twelve months, NBN has more than doubled its revenue to AU$161 million as costs also appear set to rise for the network rollout.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Foxtel fights back

In the face of competition from Netflix and other video on demand suppliers, Foxtel has announced new bundles and increases in broadband data allowances.

Source: iTWire

iiNet records bumper numbers in last-ever results

iiNet saw a substantial increase in revenue for the full year to June 2015, alongside an increase in subscriber numbers, in its last set of financials before its acquisition by TPG.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN set to announce construction cost blowout

NBN is expected to announce a blowout in the construction costs of the national broadband network along with an increase in broadband revenues on Monday.

Source: SMH

Fri, 21st Aug 2015

Australia sets date to end GST-free threshold for online goods

Australia's treasurers have formally agreed to start applying the GST to all sub-$1000 online purchases bought from overseas suppliers by mid 2017.

Source: iTnews Australia

GST to be applied to more goods sold by vendors into Australia

Treasurer Joe Hockey agrees with his state counterparts that more goods and services purchased online from overseas from July 1, 2017 will have the GST attached.

Source: ABC News

TPG's iiNet takeover is 'bittersweet' for Michael Malone

iiNet founder and former chief executive Michael Malone feels bittersweet about TPG’s takeover of his internet service provider, after the deal was approved by the ACCC yesterday.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra Air users complain of big drop in speeds

Telstra is investigating complaints from some of its customers that activating the Telstra Air service causes a sudden and dramatic decrease to the speeds they receive on their home broadband service.

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 20th Aug 2015

ACCC approves TPG's AU$1.5B iiNet acquisition

The Australian consumer watchdog has decided to approve TPG's takeover of iiNet, with the combined entity to eclipse Optus customer numbers to become Australia's second-largest fixed-line telco.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Meet Australia's new number two broadband provider

The competition regulator's approval of TPG's proposed acquisition of iiNet today will mean Telstra has a new fixed-line rival nipping at its heels.

Source: iTnews Australia

TPG gets the all clear from the ACCC for iiNet takeover

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has given the green light to TPG’s proposed acquisition of Perth-based Internet service provider, iiNet Limited.

Source: ARN

Wed, 19th Aug 2015

Vodafone CEO promises profitability in the 'near future'

Vodafone chief executive Iñaki Berroeta has said he expects the carrier to be profitable “in the near future”, as the company continues to struggle to turn around falling customer numbers and profits.

Source: iTnews Australia

Vodafone launches ‘bill shock busting’ initiatives with new plans

Vodafone says it has stepped up its campaign to reduce bill shock for mobile phone users with its biggest-ever plan shakeup including unlimited standard national calls and text in all its new plans.

Source: iTWire

Netflix no threat to Foxtel business model says CEO

The boss of Foxtel, has dismissed what he described as a myth surrounding competition to the cable service from SVOD providers like Netflix. At an address to the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce today, Foxtel CEO, Richard Freudenstein, claimed that Netflix will never be able to compete with Foxtel in the content stakes.

Source: iTWire

Vodafone CEO repeats telco's call for USO overhaul

Vodafone Australia CEO Iñaki Berroeta has reiterated the telco's call for a thoroughgoing overhaul of Australia's Universal Service Obligation scheme.

Source: Computerworld

A change in Australia's web rules would open up the .au space

If you want to register an Australian web address, your options may be about to change due to a review of domain name policy that is currently underway

Source: Computerworld

Tue, 18th Aug 2015

Rated R for 'real': Labor considering NBN name change

The federal opposition party has flagged it might change the name of its NBN policy to the 'real NBN' to differentiate it from the project now being rolled out.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN needs to be legally bound to prevent overbuilding: OPENetworks

Fibre network provider OPENetworks has accused NBN of overbuilding in areas that are already well serviced by high-speed FttN, FttP, and FttB broadband, and called for the government to pass laws preventing it from doing so.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Labor pondering NBN name change

The federal opposition says more needs to be done to differentiate its approach to the NBN compared to that of the coalition.

Source: The Australian

Mon, 17th Aug 2015

Optus launches tri-band carrier aggregation

Optus has switched on tri-band carrier aggregation in suburbs of Newcastle, NSW. The telco revealed is had achieved speeds of up to 317 megabits per second using a combination of 1xFDD + 2xTDD channels on the 2300MHz and 1800MHz spectrum bands.

Source: Computerworld

CHOICE warns about court side-stepping copyright scheme using ACMA

Australian consumer advocate CHOICE has warned that a new battle front is looming with the copyright and Internet industries intending to side-step the court process to get to consumers through the ACMA.

Source: iTWire

Fri, 14th Aug 2015

iiNet lauds judgement in Dallas Buyers Club court stoush

Internet service provider iiNet has lauded a Federal Court decision which has put on hold an attempt by the rights holders of Dallas Buyers Club to contact alleged illicit downloaders of the 2013 movie in order to attempt to reach a financial settlement with them.

Source: Computerworld

Telstra confirms 5G network on its way

Telstra has reaffirmed its commitment to bringing super-fast 5G data delivery technology by the end of the decade.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Court dismisses Dallas Buyers Club's letters to infringers

The Federal Court has ruled that Dallas Buyers Club cannot send the draft letters presented to court to the almost 5,000 Australian IP addresses that have allegedly breached its copyright by downloading infringing copies of the film.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra: ‘450Mbps’ 4GX Cat 9 Samsung S6 Edge+, Note 5, Netgear Wi-Fi coming soon

Telstra’s superfast 4GX network is getting even faster with three new Cat 9 devices announced and more on the way!

Source: iTWire

Stunning blow for Dallas Buyers Club in copyright case

In a dramatic twist, a judge has denied an attempt by the rights holders of Dallas Buyers Club to compel ISPs to hand over the details of alleged illicit downloaders of the film.

Source: Computerworld

Thu, 13th Aug 2015

NBN satellite set for October 1 launch

The first of the satellites to service the 3 percent of Australians not covered by the NBN fixed or wireless networks is due to be launched in seven weeks.

Source: ZDNet Australia