Broadband News

Fri, 20th Feb 2015

NBN deal was my biggest challenge: Thodey

Outgoing Telstra CEO David Thodey has said the biggest challenge in his six years at the helm of Australia's largest telecommunications company was improving the relationship between Telstra and the government before signing the NBN deal.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Three-strike piracy code draft targets residential internet users

Film studios and ISPs have released a new draft code that is aimed at curbing the number of Australians who illicitly download TV shows, films, and music online.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Australia ranked 20 on OECD fixed broadband rankings

Australia continues to lag behind many other developed nations on fixed broadband subscriptions while excelling in wireless broadband, according to world rankings released by the OECD.

Source: Computerworld

Massive news: Penn is big new Telstra CEO

Telstra has clearly been pencilling in a new CEO for some time, but today it has made the announcement official - Andrew Penn will start on May 1.

Source: iTWire

Turnbull pays tribute to Thodey

Communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has lauded Telstra CEO David Thodey as a "thought leader and skilled executive".

Source: Computerworld

ISPs unveil draft anti-piracy scheme

Under a draft industry code of practice unveiled today by telco group Communications Alliance, ISP customers will be issued with a series of warning notices in response to alleged online copyright infringement.

Source: Computerworld

Many still paying for 1800 calls from mobiles

Consumer group ACCAN says many Australian telcos have yet to make all 1800 number calls free from mobile phones.

Source: iTWire

iiNet breaks the billion dollar barrier

iiNet’s numbers are all headed in the right direction. It’s not the underdog any more.

Source: iTWire

David Thodey leaves Telstra, replaced as CEO by Andrew Penn

Telstra's chief executive David Thodey announces he is leaving Telstra after six years in charge, and will be replaced by the company's chief financial officer.

Source: ABC News

Thu, 19th Feb 2015

Vocus signs $58.5m deal for Southern Cross Cable capacity

​Vocus is set to increase its capacity on the undersea cable connecting Australia and New Zealand with the United States by 10 percent, after entering a $58.5 million purchase program deal for the extra capacity.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN rollout helps iiNet add 25,000 broadband customers

iiNet's strong NBN strategy has seen the company creep up on Optus, growing its fixed-line customer base to 975,000 in the first half of this financial year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Amaysim rings up big win for second year running as 4G coming

Amaysim has been recognised as ‘mobile service provider of the year’ by Roy Morgan for two years in a row, with 4G now just weeks away.

Source: iTWire

TPG puts FTTB plan back on sale

TPG has put an NBN rival fibre-to-the-basement plan back on sale after being forced to stop taking new orders following the introduction of new carrier license conditions.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet edges closer to overtaking Optus

Internet service provider iiNet is closing the gap between itself and Australia's second largest broadband provider Optus after posting significant growth in both revenue and fixed-line subscribers in its first half.

Source: iTnews Australia

Streaming service Stan on-track for 100k sign-ups

Early adoption of the Stan video streaming service has "exceeded expectations," Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood said today.

Source: Computerworld

iiNet warns on NBN cut-off

We knew it was going to happen, but the end is nigh for up to 40,000 premises hit by the NBN copper cut-off. iiNet warns it will start to happen tomorrow.

Source: iTWire

Telcos fear being stung by $400m metadata laws

Tony Abbott has revealed the cost of the government’s proposed new metadata laws will be less than $400 million, but has sparked industry fears that telcos will bear the funding burden for the new regime.

Source: The Australian

Wed, 18th Feb 2015

NBN rollout continues in Canberra’s north as union slams Telstra for delays

Copper telephone lines to up to 2800 Ngunnawal properties will be disconnected on Friday as part of the NBN roll out in Canberra's north, despite union concerns about service delays.

Source: Canberra Times

Aussie pirates could receive 'threatening' letters: DBC lawyers

Australian copyright infringers could receive ‘threatening’ letters similar to those sent out in the United States, lawyers for Dallas Buyers Club admitted today.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet success? Australian court might not buy Dallas Buyers Club LLC evidence

The case between the owners of the Dallas Buyers Club movie and ISPs including iiNet has succeeded in taking a legal twist worthy of a great Hollywood movie.

Source: iTWire

Vodafone loses 46k customers

Vodafone continued to lose customers in 2014, dropping 46,000 subscribers for the full year despite user growth in the second half.

Source: iTnews Australia

Keeping data vital to fighting child pornography: Tony Abbott

Tony Abbott is stepping up the government's push for laws compelling phone and internet firms to keep customer metadata, calling such data "absolutely critical" to fighting child pornography online.

Source: SMH

Netgear routers leak admin passwords

A flaw in Netgear wireless routers allows attackers to bypass administrator authentication and potentially gain full access to the devices, a researcher has discovered.

Source: iTnews Australia

Data retention plan could cost $400m a year: Abbott

Prime Minister Tony Abbott reveals the cost of the Government's data retention plan could be almost $400 million a year, and warns if it is not passed it would be a form of "unilateral disarmament" in the fight against crime.

Source: ABC News

Tue, 17th Feb 2015

iiNet attacks software used in Dallas Buyers Club piracy hunt

iiNet lawyers today sought to discredit the method by which Dallas Buyers Club LLC collected internet protocol (IP) addresses of those it claimed had downloaded and shared versions of its film of the same name.

Source: iTnews Australia

Dallas Buyers Club copyright stoush returns to court

Dallas Buyers Club LLC, Internet service provider iiNet and a number of other ISPs today returned to court in a battle over the attempt to obtain the contact details of people alleged to have engaged in online copyright violations.

Source: Computerworld

Film studios want Australians punished for piracy

Content owners are pushing for Australian internet service providers to punish their users via speed caps or pop-ups for downloading infringing TV shows, films, or music.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Blood tests sent to NBN Co to thwart tower plans

Two northern NSW resident action groups campaigning against NBN towers have sent blood samples to NBN Co and its contractors in a bid to scare them off their rollout plans.

Source: iTnews Australia

Mon, 16th Feb 2015

Fetch fetches Netflix in fetching TV alliance

Netflix and Fetch TV have announced that Fetch is the first Australian Pay-TV service to integrate Netflix on Fetch’s 2nd-gen TV box.

Source: iTWire

Data retention: Labor concerned over costs, safeguards for journos

Labor leader Bill Shorten has raised concerns over elements of the government's proposed data retention bill.

Source: Computerworld