Broadband News
Mon, 23rd Mar 2015
Watch out Netflix - Foxtel’s IQ3 now available
Foxtel’s IQ3 set-top box redefines the Foxtel experience, with a complete UI overhaul, new features, more tuners, a Bluetooth remote and yet more to come.
Source: iTWire
Telstra runs out of IPv4 addresses
Telstra has revealed it has run out of IPv4 internet addresses, prompting warnings that its use of network addressing translation could impact the carrier’s ability to accurately collect customer metadata for the Government's proposed data retention scheme.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra offers subscription bonus as SVOD war heats up
Telstra has confirmed a six-month bonus subscription and unmetered access to the Foxtel SVOD service Presto for Telstra T-Box customers.
Source: The Australian
Netflix confirms Aussie pricing, will start from $8.99
While rumours and leaks of Netflix pricing broke on Whirlpool and made their way to Reddit and Twitter on Sunday night, Netflix this morning confirmed the rumours to be true. The streaming service, which will be going live tomorrow (24 March) will offer its catalogue of TV shows and movies from $8.99 a month for a single-stream, standard definition account.
Source: ARN
Fri, 20th Mar 2015
Team Australia, your surveillance is ready
It's a scared new world, where all Australians are tracked for two years on the off chance that they turn bad.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra copper network: NBN knocks 3000 off line
More than 3000 Brisbane homes and businesses will be disconnected from the Telstra copper network on Friday as select suburbs migrate to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: Brisbane Times
'This level of secrecy is unacceptable': Senate committee slams NBN roll out
A parliamentary committee has accused NBN Co of secrecy over future costs of rolling out the broadband network.
Source: SMH
Senate committee 'bullies' NBN Co execs: Government senators
Liberal senators on the NBN committee have claimed that the committee is an abuse of power used to bully NBN Co executives, and have called for the committee to be dissolved.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 19th Mar 2015
Coalition calls for NBN committee to be replaced
Coalition senators who are members of the Select Committee on the National Broadband Network have called for the committee to be scrapped.
Source: Computerworld
Data-retention Bill passes Australian House of Reps
The Australian government's controversial mandatory data-retention legislation has passed the House of Representatives with the support of the Labor party.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Offshore storage to be allowed for Australian data retention
Telcos and internet service providers will be able to store the metadata of Australian citizens required under the Government's proposed two-year retention scheme outside of Australia.
Source: iTnews Australia
Police struggling to make good use of metadata: SA police exec
Police are struggling to cope with and make good use of the vast reservoirs of metadata collected during investigations, according to South Australia's assistant police commissioner.
Source: iTnews Australia
Location data to be stored under Australian data-retention regime
Under amendments to Australia's upcoming data-retention laws, the location of a communication will be kept for a period of two years.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Public interest advocate on data retention
The Abbott government has struck a deal with Labor to create a public interest advocate to assess warrants for the communications data of journalists.
Source: Computerworld
MPs raise concerns over metadata storage location and cost
Parliament's Human Rights Committee expresses concerns over the Federal Government's data retention bill and recommends it be changed so authorities have to obtain a warrant.
Source: ABC News
Australian govt to introduce piracy filter legislation next week
The Australian government will introduce legislation forcing ISPs to block websites sharing illicit TV shows, films, and music next week.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Data retention: Noose tightens as Labor bends over
It is an indication of the level of craven cowardice within Labor Party ranks that members of what is supposed to be the Opposition are congratulating themselves on backing the Coalition government's data retention bill that Prime Minister Toby Abbott is seeking to rush through Parliament this week.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 18th Mar 2015
Australia's data-retention debate hits Derpcon Zero
Forget the distraction about journalists and warrants. Government spin and opposition incompetence have just gone off the scale.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiNet CFO leaves after a week in the job
iiNet's new chief financial officer Michael Howard has left after a week in the job, returning to work back at Officeworks.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra contradicts Brandis on data retention
Contrary to the claims of Australia's Attorney-General George Brandis, telcos will be required to store information that they don't currently store as part of mandatory data-retention legislation, Telstra's chief information security officer Mike Burgess has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Data retention – what will the Government pay?
Telco CEOs have asked Malcolm Turnbull and George Brandis to disclose the cost of data retention, and how much the Government is prepared to pay.
Source: iTWire
'Dark web' keeps criminals out of reach of metadata retention laws
Criminals and terrorists are taking cover in a part of the web that can't be Googled. It's called the 'dark web', it's growing and Australia's data retention law will do nothing to help police track its most dangerous users, experts say.
Source: SMH
Telco complaints drop to eight year low
Telecommunications complaints are the lowest since 2007, according to figures released by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).
Source: iTWire
Telstra expounds on 4G wholesale product
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) will have access to Telstra's 4G service by June next year, although they may not be able to provide full-speed downloads initially for their offerings.
Source: iTnews Australia
Labor gives itself a good back-patting over data retention bill
Labor MPs used the first substantive parliamentary ‘debate’ on data retention to congratulate themselves on their hard work in ensuring that the government’s legislation will be passed.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 17th Mar 2015
Telstra set to provide 4G wholesale products by June 2016
Telstra has started putting in place the infrastructure and logistics work needed to provide its 4G service as a wholesale product to resellers by June next year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Brandis to introduce site blocking legislation this week
The federal government plans to introduce legislation this week allowing content owners to apply for court orders to force internet service providers to block overseas file-sharing websites.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus wants NBN Co to take universal service from Telstra
Optus has argued that Telstra should relinquish its universal service obligations and the associated funding it receives to NBN Co.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Data retention change 'not necessary', says Brandis
Attorney-General George Brandis has said the government agreed to an unnecessary tweak to its data retention laws to ensure they pass parliament.
Source: ARN
Abbott agrees to data retention amendment
An uneasy compromise between the Government and the Opposition on protecting journalist’s sources may see the data retention Bill pass quickly.
Source: iTWire