Broadband News
Wed, 17th Dec 2014
Vocus confirms Amcom acquisition
Vocus Communication has struck a deal to acquire Perth-based rival Amcom Telecommunications in a deal which values the company at around $636 million.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra confirms talks to buy Pacnet
Telco giant, Telstra, has confirmed that it has been in discussions to buy undersea cable provider, Pacnet.
Source: ARN
Australian police fail to quantify metadata use in investigations
Australia's police forces say they are unable to actually quantify how helpful metadata is to criminal investigations and convictions, despite today repeating their argument for a two-year period of mandatory data retention by telco providers.
Source: iTnews Australia
Data retention may have helped police in Sydney siege: Abbott
Although the man involved in a fatal siege in Sydney on Monday was well known to police and out on bail, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said that retaining every Australian's telecommunications data for two years may have helped police in the incident.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 16th Dec 2014
Investigator: NBN Shambles
Remember when the NBN was a thing? It was a good thing that people felt passionate about. Many were excited about the prospect of super fast, reliable internet piped right to their premises. The rallying cry of ‘build it once, build it with fibre’ could be heard from Tony Windsor’s parliamentary office to the regional areas with woeful internet.
Source: PC Authority
Triple Zero to include location data
Emergency service organisations will soon have access to upgraded location information for mobile callers to Triple Zero (000).
Source: iTWire
Benefits down the line: what broadband is really worth
Rolling out a national fixed broadband network by 2030 can boost a nation's economy by $5 for every $1 invested, a new reports shows.
Source: SMH
Telstra slugged with AU$102K fine for iPhone 6 ad
Australia's largest mobile provider Telstra has been fined AU$102,000 by the competition watchdog for not prominently detailing the full cost of a new iPhone 6 plan.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra the big winner from NBN deal
After steep rises in recent months, Telstra’s share price rose again yesterday. The market knows it’s on a winner with the NBN deal.
Source: iTWire
Mon, 15th Dec 2014
Optus, Telstra, NBN: What the HFC deals mean for customers
NBN Co struck a deal at the weekend to acquire the Optus and Telstra HFC networks and make them part of the NBN rollout. There will be implications for existing customers if the agreement is approved by the ACCC.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co may pay Telstra to maintain Telstra copper network
NBN Co could potentially pay Telstra to maintain the copper network that Telstra has now sold to NBN Co.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Government lays down new NBN rules
The Australian government has issued a new carrier licence condition declaration for owners of superfast fixed line broadband networks targeting residential customers.
Source: ARN
NBN Co to buy Telstra and Optus cables
The NBN Co is set to acquire portions of the of the Telstra and Optus hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) cable network in an attempt to speed up rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: ARN
Telstra win key role in new NBN deal
Telstra looks set to have a bigger construction role on the National Broadband Network after yesterday signing a revised $11 billion deal for its involvement in the high-speed network.
Source: The Australian
Sun, 14th Dec 2014
NBN Co to take over Telstra, Optus networks in new deals
Telstra will hand over ownership of its copper and hybrid fibre-coaxial networks to NBN Co for the multi-technology mix network under a new deal signed on Sunday.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Me too! Optus signs HFC deal with NBN Co
Optus has reached agreement with NBN Co on the transfer of its HFC network to the NBN.
Source: iTWire
Telstra hands over copper, HFC in new $11bn NBN deal
Telstra will hand over ownership of its copper and hybrid fibre-coaxial networks while remaining committed to its structural separation under renegotiated definitive agreements with NBN Co that retain the $11 billion value of the 2011 deal.
Source: iTnews Australia
Major milestone for NBN 2.0 as NBN Co and Telstra sign new deal
NBN Co and Telstra today announced the signing of revised definitive agreements, clearing the major hurdle for the company rolling out the National Broadband Network as it shifts to the ‘Multi-Technology Mix’ favoured by the Coalition government.
Source: Computerworld
Fri, 12th Dec 2014
'I can't believe it's not a filter' website-blocking legislation to hit parliament in 2015
Legislation that will allow rights holders to get piracy websites blocked by Australian internet service providers will hit the parliament in the first half of 2015.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Fusion boosts business broadband by bonding
Fusion Broadband's bonded hybrid service combining ADSL and 3G or 4G broadband is proving a boon to businesses in fringe areas that are poorly served by current fixed-line technologies and are still waiting for the NBN to arrive.
Source: iTWire
Bush faces higher NBN bills
Australians in the bush could pay more for broadband services than city-dwellers after the government yesterday abandoned uniform wholesale prices on the $41 billion national broadband network.
Source: The Australian
Thu, 11th Dec 2014
New houses to be charged for NBN fibre
Under the Australian government's reform of telecommunications regulations, developers and owners of new housing developments will be charged a capped price to connect to the NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Govt ditches uniform wholesale network pricing
The federal government will remove uniform national prices for wholesale telecommunications and will force carriers competing with the NBN to structurally separate their wholesale businesses, under a new policy aimed at boosting competition in the telco sector.
Source: iTnews Australia
Price capping planned for NBN
The federal government has unveiled radical changes to the business case underpinning the National Broadband Network.
Source: The Australian
Almost 90 per cent of Aussies not happy with internet connections
Almost ninety per cent of Australians are not "completely happy" with their internet connection, according to the first Juniper Global Bandwidth report.
Source: ARN
Australia's security agencies quiet on metadata definition
Australia's leading national security and intelligence agencies will not reveal the communications data they want retained by telecommunications companies until discussions with those companies have concluded.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co to charge developers for fibre
NBN Co will hit developers and owners of new residential apartment blocks and estates with fees ranging into the thousands of dollars to connect fibre to their developments, under a new policy released by the Government today.
Source: iTnews Australia
Government wants NBN Co ready for potential break-up
The government has no plans to disaggregate NBN Co but will direct the company rolling out the National Broadband Network to implement a number of measures that will give future governments the ability to more easily split the organisation into independent businesses.
Source: Computerworld
Develop anti-piracy scheme or we’ll do it for you
The Government has issued an ultimatum to ISPs to work with content owners and distributors to develop a code that will enable digital pirates to be prosecuted.
Source: iTWire
Schools to police digital piracy
Schools, libraries, and providers of wi-fi internet services will be expected to crack down on copyright pirates.
Source: The Australian