Broadband News
Tue, 23rd Sep 2014
Telstra ditches 900 MHz for LTE-Advanced
Telstra will cease development of 900 MHz + 1800 MHz for its LTE-Advanced network to instead focus on pairing 1800 MHz with its newly acquired 700 MHz spectrum.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra could resell broadband on TPG's NBN rival
Telstra CEO David Thodey has said TPG's decision to rollout fibre to the basement in competition with the NBN is not a threat to the telecommunications giant.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Anti-terror laws are working so why do need data retention?
Last week, the Australian government gave the citizenry a good demonstration that the country's existing anti-terror laws work. Around 15 people were arrested in a massive show of strength by security forces, and there was wall-to-wall media coverage.
Source: iTWire
TPG revenue soars, ISP releases FTTB plan details
Internet service provider TPG has posted a 34 per cent increase in revenue for the financial year ending 31 July. The ISP reported revenue of $970.9 million and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $363.7 million; up 24 per cent on the previous financial year.
Source: Computerworld
VDSL2 standards for NBN to clean up interference
With vectored VDSL2 broadband expected to play a key role in the Coalition’s multi-technology National Broadband Plan, the Communications Alliance has updated two related industry standards.
Source: Computerworld
Mon, 22nd Sep 2014
Better broadband means less commuting: survey
Faster and more reliable broadband could increase the number of Australians working from home, providing them with greater flexibility and the chance to avoid peak-time congestion, according to research commissioned by NBN Co.
Source: iTWire
Vodafone revamps prepaid offerings
Vodafone Australia has refreshed its prepaid caps, with 10 countries now eligible for unlimited international calls.
Source: iTWire
Canberra's wi-fi network to block file sharing P2P traffic
ISP iiNet will block peer-to-peer file sharing on the free wi-fi network it has been contracted to build and operate for the ACT Government, in a bid to prevent users breaching its usage conditions.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vodafone demands SMS pricing regulation consistency from ACCC
Vodafone Australia has highlighted that greater transparency and consistency is needed around Mobile Terminating Access Services (MTAS) pricing to show it is in the best interests of end-users, and not Telstra.
Source: ZDNet Australia
DSL remains Australia's main business broadband option
Most Australian businesses are sticking with their copper DSL broadband connections, as the latest numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) adoption is experiencing slow growth in the business community.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus launches carrier aggregated LTE on 2300MHz spectrum
Optus has commercially launched LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide using two 20MHz allotments of its 2300MHz spectrum.
Source: ARN
Fri, 19th Sep 2014
Turnbull fooling nobody but himself on NBN Co FttP savings
It wasn't too long ago that the Coalition was claiming that it would cost AU$3,600 per premises to build an FttP NBN. With NBN Co savings dropping per-premises costs towards AU$1,000, there's a valid argument that the Strategic Review and cost-benefit analysis no longer represent FttP's costs correctly.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra launches accessibility initiatives
Telstra has announced a new portal to help the disabled choose equipment, has stopped using CAPTCHA, and is captioning some BigPond content.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 18th Sep 2014
Turnbull reflects on 'killing the dream' of NBN 'fibre fanatics'
A year into the job, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he is worried that some believe every Australian town can be a Silicon Valley with fibre to the premises, as he insists there is no money being saved in the fibre rollout.
Source: ZDNet Australia
IPv6, IANA transition headline APNIC meeting
Spurring adoption of IPv6 and promoting a smooth transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) are key Internet governance priorities for the year ahead, according to the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC).
Source: Computerworld
NBN often 'indistinguishable' from existing broadband for many: Turnbull
As increasing numbers of Australians connect to the Internet using the National Broadband Network, they may well "wonder what all the fuss was about - and why the NBN is costing so much and taking so long," Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said today.
Source: Computerworld
Human Services brings on Telstra for call centre work
The Australian Department of Human Services is bringing in 200 Telstra call centre staff members to handle high-volume transactions for Medicare and Centrelink.
Source: ZDNet Australia
"Wasted" money on the NBN unrecoverable: Turnbull
The money that has been "wasted" on the NBN can not be recovered, according to communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull.
Source: ARN
Wed, 17th Sep 2014
Telco customer complaints drop 12.4 percent, but excess charges up
New complaints to the Australian Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman have dropped by almost 20,000 in the last year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
TPG decision not meaningful over long term to NBN Co: Switkowski
The rollout of the national broadband network is gaining momentum but is slower than it should be, NBN Co chairman Ziggy Switkowski says.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 16th Sep 2014
ACCAN small business digital tech kit goes live
A new program by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network is aimed at helping small businesses make the most of broadband and emerging IT infrastructure.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Antique equipment dents IPv6 reliability
Devices on the edge of the network are holding back performance of IPv6, according to networking industry officials on a panel at APNIC 38.
Source: Computerworld
iiNet's fibre-based CBRfree Wi-Fi previewed at Commonwealth Park
Canberra has had its first taste of iiNet’s free, fibre-based public wireless network ahead of the 'official' October launch of CBRfree.
Source: ARN
Quigley's 'Project Fox' still saving NBN Co money on fibre: Morrow
NBN Co has said it is incorporating new fibre deployment methods to cut the cost and time of the roll-out, that originated from an internal program known as Project Fox.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Edward Snowden reveals tapping of major Australia-New Zealand undersea telecommunications cable
A major undersea telecommunications cable that connects Australia and NZ to North America has been tapped to allow the NSA and its espionage partners to comprehensively harvest internet data.
Source: SMH
Copyright a 'burden' say economists
Two of Australia’s most experienced economists say the proposed anti-piracy laws will mean higher prices for consumers because ISPs will have to do more work.
Source: iTWire
Mon, 15th Sep 2014
Qld MPs push for faster NBN rollout to remote areas
A panel of Queensland parliamentarians has urged the state government to lobby its federal counterpart to move remote and regional communities up the list of areas to be connected to the national broadband network.
Source: iTnews Australia
No one group should govern Internet, says Turnbull
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged world leaders to maintain a multi-stakeholder model for governance of the Internet as the United States releases its stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co targets unserviceable premises in Tasmania
NBN Co has signed a new contractor in Tasmania as part of its effort to reduce the number of customers counted as passed by fibre but unable to order a service through the national broadband network.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thiess signs NBN contract to connect 170,000 premises per year
NBN Co and Leighton Holdings' subsidiary, Thiess, have inked a deal to extend and significantly amend a contract to provide installation, activation and maintenance of connection to the NBN.
Source: ARN