Broadband News
Mon, 20th Apr 2015
Optus to charge Netflix for faster access in Australia?
Australia’s No.2 telco, Optus, is looking at charging ‘OTT’ or over-the-top video streaming companies so their services are delivered at faster speeds to consumers.
Source: iTWire
Is it legal to use a VPN to evade geo-blocking?
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has raised concerns that a government bill to block pirate websites may cover VPN services used to evade geo-blocking.
Source: Computerworld
Optus considers breaking net neutrality in Australia
Australia's second largest telco Optus has opened up the issue of net neutrality in Australia by suggesting over-the-top content players like Netflix pay a fee to ensure quality of service.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN: FTTP not essential for Netflix era, Turnbull argues
Despite the significant increase in traffic growth driven by Netflix and its ilk and the widespread take-up of video on demand services in Australia, that doesn't mean that fibre is essential for 'last mile' connections to homes, according to Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Source: Computerworld
Optus offers Netflix premium
Optus is developing internet services to allow video streaming providers to pay more so shows are delivered uninterrupted.
Source: Australian IT
Piracy website blocking bill could be expensive game of "whack-a-mole": ACCAN
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network is concerned the federal government's anit-piracy website blocking bill could result in an expensive game of ‘whack-a-mole’.
Source: ARN
NBN Co to trial faster fixed wireless
NBN Co will next month begin a trial of faster speeds on its fixed wireless network in regional areas, offering retail service providers a new speed tier of up to 50Mbps down and 20Mbps up.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co pilot bolsters bush broadband speeds
NBN Co has launched a pilot which aims to boost broadband download speeds by between 25-50Mbps in rural areas.
Source: ARN
Fri, 17th Apr 2015
Sony execs lobbied Netflix to stop VPN users
In emails leaked from Sony Pictures, executives have expressed their frustration at Netflix for not stopping users in Australia and elsewhere from bypassing geoblocks to access the streaming video service.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vocus buys stake in MacTel
Vocus Communications has purchased a 14.5 percent stake in managed hosting and telco provider Macquarie Telecom under an equity swap deal valued at $15.6 million.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra's cost-cutting chief resigns
The man who led Telstra's cost and job cutting initiatives over the last five years has resigned from the telco to search for other non-executive opportunities.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 16th Apr 2015
Netflix: We 'should have avoided' unlimited iiNet and Optus deals
Netflix has said that in signing deals with Optus and iiNet to allow customers to access Netflix without it counting towards their download quota, the company acted against its strong stance for net neutrality.
Source: ZDNet Australia
DDoS attacks in Australia shorter but still dangerous: Arbor
Network protection vendor Arbor Networks says DDoS attacks in Australia don't last as long as those elsewhere in the region, but they are bigger.
Source: iTWire
Aussie ISP takes a year to refund $5000 to customer
Melbourne-based Planet ISP has refunded a customer over $5000 a year after being ordered to hand back the money by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra completes $857 million Pacnet acquisition
Telstra has completed its $857 million buyout of telecommunications and datacentre provider, Pacnet.
Source: ARN
Netflix regrets signing unmetered deals with iiNet, Optus
Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings has hit out against data caps used by Australian internet service providers and said the US-based company regrets the unmetered usage deals, which it signed with Optus and iiNet's, and will avoid them in the future.
Source: SMH
Wed, 15th Apr 2015
ISPs to forgo appealing Dallas Buyers Club decision
M2 Group has confirmed that it will not appeal a decision by the Australian Federal Court to grant Voltage Pictures access to the details of over 4,000 customer accounts alleged to have illicitly downloaded Dallas Buyers Club.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra doubles Wi-Fi trial hotspots, extends free trial to June
Telstra is doubling its free Wi-Fi trial hotspots with more than 1500 new hotspots across Australia including regional areas, adding to 1000 hotspots already online.
Source: iTWire
Class actions against Aussie telcos in doubt
The law firm behind a series of class actions against Australia's top three telcos over late payment fees has put the legal action on hold pending the outcome of a similar court battle against ANZ Bank.
Source: iTnews Australia
Australia's telco ombudsman cuts workforce by 10 percent
Australia's telecommunications industry ombudsman will let 19 of its workers go as a result of a continuining decline in customer complaints about telecommunications companies.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra expands national Wi-Fi network
Telstra plans to add more than 1500 hotspots to the rollout of its national Wi-Fi network, the telco said today.
Source: Computerworld
Australians too trusting, fall for social media scams: Symantec
Symantec's latest internet security report showed that Australia ranked as the seventh most targeted country globally when it came to social media scams in 2014.
Source: ZDNet Australia
The future is now: You may already be using IPv6
You've probably heard about the looming shortage of Internet addresses, even if you've never gone looking for one. But depending on what websites you visit and how you get to them, you may be helping to solve it.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 14th Apr 2015
Piracy has not hurt Game of Thrones in Australia
Nope - not one little bit, as the show breaks Australian ratings records.
Source: PC Authority
Hands-on: One week with Netflix Australia
So, how does the Australian version of the streaming service stack up? Pretty well.
Source: PC Authority
Telstra wholesale its 4G service now? Why?
It is not often that this writer goes in to bat for Telstra but news that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is investigating claims that the dominant telco is being too tardy in wholesaling its 4G network is beyond the pale.
Source: iTWire
Optus CEO goes over the top in network content battle
Optus CEO Allen Lew sees the telco's future in offering entertainment services like Netflix on the back of a strong network core, and competitive fixed and mobile bundles.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 13th Apr 2015
Telstra and NBN Co settle CPI dispute
Telstra and NBN Co have reached a confidential settlement in their dispute over the value of their AU$11 billion deal.
Source: ZDNet Australia
21,000 premises to cut copper umbilical cord for NBN this week
This month, a total of 21,000 premises in Sydney, Melbourne, Toowoomba, Adelaide's Southern Vales area, Perth and Townsville will reach the NBN deadline for transitioning from copper to fibre, including 11,300 in NSW.
Source: iTWire
M2 splashes $245m on NZ's third largest ISP
ASX-listed telecommunications company M2 Group will spend $245 million to acquire CallPlus, New Zealand's third-largest internet service provider.
Source: iTnews Australia