Broadband News
Tue, 14th Oct 2014
Vodafone launches new business plans
Vodafone Australia is trying hard. It has announced a new business product, Vodafone Red Business Grow, based on its successful Red consumer plans.
Source: iTWire
Google's public DNS goes offline
Google's public domain name system (DNS) service went offline yesterday in South East Asia and Australia/New Zealand regions, affecting a large number of users in the area.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 13th Oct 2014
NBN causing inevitable copper cost increase for users: Telstra
Australia's dominant telco has argued that as users leave its fixed copper network, the price to access the network will have to rise.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra pushes for seven percent wholesale price hike
Australia's largest telco Telstra has made its case for a 7.2 percent hike in wholesale charges across its fixed-line services, arguing that its costs will rise as a result of the churn of users off its network and onto the NBN.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra makes case for wholesale price hike
Telstra has told the Australian and Competition and Consumer Commission that it should be allowed to raise its wholesale charges for fixed line services by 7.2 per cent.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra cries poor - NBN is hurting us!
It is almost impossible to believe. Telstra, the former government monopoly that has squeezed billions out of the NBN, with many more billions to come, is now complaining that it will have to raise prices – because of competition from the NBN.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 10th Oct 2014
Foreign fighters Bill gives ASIO more metadata, computer access
Australian Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Vivienne Thom has warned that the definition of 'security' in new legislation is so broad that allowing ASIO powers to access metadata and computers for security reasons can cover more than ever.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Australian competition regulator warns of split issues
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has said that splitting its regulatory functions into two entities could impact the regulation of telecommunications and the NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 09th Oct 2014
iiNet seeks answers on mandatory data-retention regime
In a public response to the private industry consultation on data retention, iiNet has asked the Attorney-General's Department to explain how a scheme would protect privacy and limit agency access to customer data.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra tests prioritised 4G 'lanes' for G20
In addition to rolling out a private network in Queensland for emergency services during G20, Telstra will also test out prioritised traffic on its commercial 4G network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCAN pushes for mobile app crackdown
Mobile app stores and developers could soon come under more scrutiny from consumer protection authorities.
Source: iTnews Australia
Data retention: iiNet slams 'mass surveillance'
Internet service provider iiNet has again condemned the government's proposed data retention scheme as "mass surveillance". In a response to a government consultation paper on the scheme, the ISP also takes issue with what it describes as ambiguity regarding the data that telcos would have to retain.
Source: Computerworld
Tim Berners-Lee says forget targeted advertising and let data be free
The founder of the web, Tim Berners-Lee, renews his call for open data, as long as there's rules around appropriate use.
Source: PC Authority
Wed, 08th Oct 2014
Optus chair sees BT's Openreach as model for Telstra split
Optus chairman Paul O'Sullivan has called on members of the telecommunications industry to end the "crushing silence" surrounding the payments Telstra will receive for the national broadband network and the "huge" threat the cash poses to industry competition.
Source: iTnews Australia
Belkin says router outages should be resolved
Belkin said Tuesday afternoon it had fixed an issue that caused some of its Wi-Fi routers to disconnect from the Internet.
Source: Computerworld
Australia a nation of "iFamilies": NBN Co
Australia is now a nation of "iFamilies" with an insatiable appetite for online content, according to NBN chief customer officer, John Simon.
Source: ARN
iiNet in talks to resell TPG's fibre to the basement
iiNet is in talks to resell services on the network of its closest rival TPG.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Gigabit copper? Sckipio says yes
The first applied use of a transmission protocol that can theoretically reach gigabit speeds over standard home copper connections debuts today, with the release of Sckipio Technology's G.Fast chipset.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 07th Oct 2014
Optus expands 4G using new spectrum
Optus will use its new 700MHz and 2600MHz spectrum to bring 4G services to up to 200 new locations around the country over the next six months.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN change calls Telstra's separation into question
The move to a multi-technology mix for the National Broadband Network means that Telstra's structural separation should be reviewed, according to Optus' head of regulatory and corporate affairs David Epstein.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Australians ease off broadband above 24Mbps: ABS
While Australians continue to download increasing amounts of data, the number of people using broadband quicker than 24Mbps has stalled, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra completes $1b share buyback
Telstra has bought back more than 217.4 million shares from shareholders in an AU$1 billion share buyback.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Govt reveals 6000 mobile black spots
The Victorian Government is pushing for more than half of the federal government funding allocated Australia-wide for sites identified by the public as being mobile coverage black spots.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra, Tata ink Indian interconnection
Telstra will expand further into India through an agreement with the telecom provider Tata Communications.
Source: Computerworld
Vodafone deploys 4G on 850MHz spectrum in Adelaide
Adelaide Vodafone customers will now have access to improved coverage after the deployment of 4G on low-band 850MHz spectrum across the the city and its suburbs.
Source: ARN
Fri, 03rd Oct 2014
Vertigan signs Turnbull's NBN love letter to Telstra
Look beyond the call for an NBN Co split detailed in the latest instalment of the Vertigan review into the NBN, and you see a blueprint for a weaker telco regulator appear.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN corporate plan consultant accused of conflict of interest
A consultant to the Department of Communications over NBN Co's new corporate plan has been accused of having a conflict of interest, given his role in developing NBN Co's 2013 strategic review.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus to outsource, offshore 75 jobs
Optus will outsource, offshore and make redundant 75 positions from its customer division as part of its ongoing effort to restructure the organisation and drive down costs.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vertigan NBN report revives telco industry divisions
A review into Australia's national broadband network project which recommended NBN Co be split up has reinvigorated the deep division between Telstra and its rivals in the telecommunications sector.
Source: iTnews Australia
CommBank discovers security issues with NBN-connected ATMs
The Commonwealth Bank's new CIO David Whiteing has offered up his thoughts on how the process of migrating users to the NBN could be improved, revealing security issues resulting from the connection of ATMs to the NBN.
Source: iTnews Australia