Broadband News

Mon, 06th Jul 2015

Were OZ ISPs naive to not expect massive Netflix traffic?

A report quotes iiNet CEO saying no-one anticipated the massive data growth caused by Netflix, but is this credible?

Source: iTWire

Warrnambool fire plan sees Telstra cut carbon emissions

Telstra has implemented all recommendations from a report into a fire that took out the company's Warrnambool exchange in 2012.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Optus rejigs unlimited home broadband bundles - raises prices?

Back in February, Optus dropped its unlimited broadband bundles to $90 per month, but its new July unlimited broadband bundles cost $95 or $115.

Source: iTWire

Telstra takes Warrnambool fire lessons to more sites

Telstra has applied its $10 million effort to restore its Warrnambool exchange after a 2012 fire to address power, back-up and safety issues more widely across its Australian network.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet is 'over the hump' of Netflix slowdowns

iiNet is now “over the hump” of the capacity issues it faced with the introduction of Netflix, with further network improvements to fix remaining issues to be rolled out over the next two months, according to chief technical officer Mark Dioguardi.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus discounts unlimited Internet bundles, available from $95 a month

Competition from broadband newcomer Foxtel has prompted Optus to discount its unlimited Internet bundles.

Source: ARN

Fri, 03rd Jul 2015

Optus rolls over, offers data rollover on pre-paid

Earlier this year Optus subsidiary Virgin Mobile rolled over and offered data rollover, which it advertises heavily, and now Optus has finally done the same too.

Source: iTWire

'Rare' Telstra lattice tower beats heritage listing

Telstra must wait until the end of July to learn if it can demolish a 1960s lattice telecommunications tower in Melbourne’s suburbs after a council bid to heritage-list the “rare” structure was rejected.

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 02nd Jul 2015

​Telstra Health brings 24-hour medical care with ReadyCare

Australian doctors are now a phone or video call away with the launch of Telstra Health's ReadyCare telemedicine service.

Source: ZDNet Australia

North America runs out of IPv4 addresses

ARIN, the regional internet registry for North America, is no longer able to meet requests for IPv4 addresses.

Source: iTWire

Abbott and Hockey electorates named in FttN phase of NBN rollout

The suburb of North Manly in the prime minister's electorate of Warringah is among the next included in the rollout of the National Broadband Network.

Source: ZDNet Australia

VPN users, beware: You may not be as safe as you think you are

It's become common practice to use virtual private networks for extra privacy and security in this era of mass surveillance, but a study published this week suggests such networks may not be as safe as they're commonly made out to be.

Source: Computerworld

NBN issues quarterly construction update

NBN has issued its quarterly construction update, adding 200,000 more premises to the rollout.

Source: Computerworld

Wed, 01st Jul 2015

Telcos under pressure from new digital media players

The Australian telecommunications market is going through a real shake-up, with the market dominance of the established telcos under challenge from digital media, including OTT providers, offering new communications services at lower costs, or free of charge.

Source: iTWire

NBN to offer TV connections through fibre for greenfields

NBN will give developers the opportunity to ditch aerial cables for free-to-air television in their greenfields developments by offering the infrastructure through fibre.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tasmanian NBN contractor Visionstream sheds 60 jobs

About 60 workers are being laid off by Visionstream, the company charged with overseeing the rollout of the National Broadband Network in Tasmania.

Source: ABC News

1800 number calls free of charge, for most, from today

Calls to 1800 numbers are free of charge from today with most of the major mobile phone operators including Vodafone, Optus and Telstra to stop charging for the calls. Some operators, however, have not yet said they will offer the free calls.

Source: iTWire

ACCC recommends more information sharing by NBN

NBN would be compelled to share more information about the rollout of the National Broadband Network with retail service providers (RSPs) under a recommendation from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Source: Computerworld

Quickflix rejigs business model

Under pressure from Netflix and other new entrants, struggling streaming pioneer Quickflix has revamped its distribution arrangements.

Source: iTWire

Tue, 30th Jun 2015

NBN needs to be more transparent to retailers: ACCC

In order to ensure that Telstra doesn't have a competitive advantage during the NBN rollout, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has said NBN needs to offer more information to its retail rivals.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Inabox signs $3.6m deal with Total Telecom

Wholesale telecommunications and cloud services provider Inabox Group, has signed a $3.6 million deal with Total Telecom Group to migrate 3000 end user customers’ PSTN services to Inabox’s wholesale aggregation solution.

Source: iTWire

Optus set to be first with voice over wi-fi

Optus is set to take the lead as the first Australian carrier to deliver a commercial voice over wi-fi service to its consumers.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN lumped with new data sharing rules despite opposition

The national network builder will soon be controlled by a new license condition dictating how it shares information on the rollout with retail service providers, despite protestations against the move.

Source: iTnews Australia

Fibre broadband adds 3 per cent a US home's value

The availability of really fast broadband in your neighborhood could increase your home's value by more than 3 percent.

Source: Computerworld

Telecoms booming, traditional publishing declining, show ABS numbers

The latest data from the ABS gives us an industry snapshot that is already 12 months old, but it confirms what we all suspect – print is in decline and telcos are booming.

Source: iTWire

TIO chief Cohen calls it quits

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has lost its dispute resolution chief Simon Cohen, who has returned to a role in the Victorian government.

Source: iTnews Australia

Mon, 29th Jun 2015

Competition watchdog slashes Telstra wholesale broadband prices

Customers stuck on the Telstra network during the migration to the NBN should not be forced to pay higher prices, the ACCC has said, slashing Telstra's fixed wholesale internet prices by 9.6 percent.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra to take wholesale price hit

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is eyeing a 9.6 per cent drop in prices that operators pay to use Telstra’s copper network to provide telecommunication services.

Source: CIO Australia

Amcom CEO Clive Stein steps down

On the back of its successful arrangement to merge with Vocus Communications, Amcom Telecommunications’ CEO, Clive Stein, will be stepping down.

Source: ARN

Logical: CCC members super trumpet ACCC price cuts

With CCC member carriers always complaining about Telstra, the latest price reductions logically mean ACCC’s draft price reductions are sensible and reasonable.

Source: iTWire