Broadband News
Fri, 21st Aug 2015
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
Foxtel price drop was right anti-churn Fixtel
When Foxtel dropped its prices last year, the Foxtel anti-Netflix fix was in, validated by ‘strong growth in customer numbers supported by record low churn.’
Source: iTWire
Telstra hits 211,000 NBN customers
Telstra now has 211,000 customers with connections to the National Broadband Network, the telco said today.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra adds 664,000 mobile customers
In the 2015 financial year Telstra added 664,000 retail mobile net new services and 189,000 retail fixed broadband net new services, the telco reported today.
Source: Computerworld
Hobart suburbs to make complete switch from landline to NBN
Four Hobart suburbs are due make the complete transition to the NBN from Saturday when landline services will progressively be limited to emergency calls only.
Source: ABC News
Ex-Telstra chief David Thodey gets a $14.5m pay cheque
Former Telstra CEO David Thodey, the man who said his salary package was too big to justify, will receive almost $14.5 million for his last year in the role.
Source: SMH
Optus posts 20 percent jump in net profit
Singtel-owned Optus reported a 20 percent jump in net profit to $196 million for the first quarter of its fiscal 2015 year, alongside an 13 percent increase in operating revenue to $1.9 billion.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus reaches 9.38 million mobile subscribers
Optus has seen its first quarter EBITDA and net profit grow, reflecting higher mobile customer acquisitions and retention as well as a higher take up of its device repayment plans.
Source: ARN
Telstra posts $4.23 billion profit, meeting expectations
Telstra made $4.23 billion in net profits during the 2015 financial year and will increase its full year dividend to 30.5¢ per share, according to its annual results.
Source: SMH
Wed, 12th Aug 2015
Attorney-general commissions cost-benefit analysis of digital copyright reform
An economic analysis into the ALRC's recommendation to adopt a flexible fair use provision in regards to digital copyright in Australian law has been commissioned, with the AG concerned about the costs to rights holders.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra last on Netflix July 2015 speed index: Netflix Buffering Network?
Australia’s biggest telco is still last on Netflix’s list of Australian ISPs delivering Netflix video to ISP’s customers.
Source: iTWire