Broadband News
Fri, 03rd Oct 2014
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
Optus enterprise plans to evolve for NBN
Optus has lifted the curtain on its National Broadband Network plans for enterprise by announcing Optus Evolve voice and data services over the NBN.
Source: Computerworld
NBN roadmap shows FTTN still nine months away
The company rolling out Australia National Broadband Network has released a colourful 'Integrated Product Roadmap', showing planned developments until 2016.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 02nd Oct 2014
Labor warns of new NBN 'tax' on home buyers
The Australian Opposition is calling for the government to ensure that new premises will not have to pay for a connection onto the National Broadband Network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
CCC slams Turnbull's NBN reviews
Australia's peak body for non-dominant telcos has slammed Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull's inquiry into the national broadband landscape, dismissing its findings as 'rehashed, discredited theoretical arguments'.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Consumers worse off in final NBN Vertigan recommendations
The company running the national broadband network should stop charging the same wholesale amount so all Australians can access high-speed broadband, according to the final part of the Abbott government's NBN cost-benefit analysis into the project.
Source: SMH
Telstra warns of phishers targeting 700MHz spectrum trial
Criminals are attempting to trick Telstra customers into handing over personal details through phishing emails targeting Telstra's trials of new 700MHz spectrum.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACMA pulls up 12 telcos on consumer rules compliance
Twelve Australian telcos have been served directions notices by the ACMA for failing to comply with the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code lodgement scheme.
Source: ZDNet Australia
No break-up of NBN Co - yet: Turnbull
The government has indicated in its initial response to the third Vertigan panel report, which was released last night and includes an assessment of competition settings for the telco market, that it has no short-term plans to break up NBN Co.
Source: Computerworld
Wed, 01st Oct 2014
NBN Co's multi-technolgy mix products set for 2015
NBN Co's updated product road map released today outlines plans to introduce fibre-to-the-basement and fibre-to-the-node commercial products in 2015.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ASIO can now snoop on the entire internet
Only three MPs opposed the first tranche of national security legislation.
Source: PC Authority
Parliament passes law to let ASIO tap entire internet
The Government’s effort to expand the legislative power of the Australia's spy agency, including the breadth of computers it can access under a single warrant, has been passed by the federal parliament despite heated debate in the lower house today.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiNet, Dodo breach consumer billing rules
Internet service providers iiNet and Dodo have copped formal warnings from the Australian Communications and Media Authority for dropping the ball on consumer rights in regards to billing users.
Source: iTnews Australia
Bernardi withdraws motion to disband NBN committee
Coalition Senator Cory Bernardi has withdrawn two motions that would disband the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network and replace it with a government-dominated joint committee.
Source: Computerworld
Telco fined $225,000 for falsely claiming Telstra affiliation
Zen Telecom has been fined $225,000 by the Federal Court for breaching Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by way of misleading conduct and false or misleading representations during telemarketing calls in the 12 months ended August 2013.
Source: ARN
Global Internet speeds up, DDoS attacks down
Internet connection speeds are increasing around the globe, while distributed denial-of-service attacks are down, according to the latest report from networking services company Akamai.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 30th Sep 2014
Telstra trials 1000 public Wi-Fi sites for free in November
Australians will be able to surf the Internet at no cost on Telstra’s public Wi-Fi network when trials commence in November.
Source: ARN
ACMA to offer self-service portal for spectrum licensing
Australia's communications regulator is set to open its spectrum license database to software developers and the broader public in a bid to accelerate commercial trade in the country's radio assets.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 29th Sep 2014
NBN Co says powering nodes cheaper than fibre
NBN Co has said that the annual cost of powering the nodes in the multi-technology mix will be cheaper than the capital cost of rolling out fibre to the premises.
Source: ZDNet Australia
SingTel Optus under spotlight over company tax
Optus parent Singtel has been exposed as paying only nine percent tax in Australia in a report which found that around one third of Australia’s biggest companies are paying less than 10 percent in corporate tax.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 26th Sep 2014
NBN Co execs face grilling over Melton fibre trial 'conspiracy'
NBN Co CEO Bill Morrow has said there is no conspiracy over fibre savings with the company reviewing the outcome of a trial of new fibre deployment technology and methods implemented in a trial in Victoria that was leaked to media earlier this month.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co chief claims leaked Melton pilot has a 'bad smell'
NBN Co has continued to challenge the validity of a leaked report suggesting fibre-to-the-premise could have been rolled out cheaper and faster than originally forecast.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vodafone plans to log what websites customers visit
Vodafone has revealed it is working a project that will record for up to 90 days what online services customers access.
Source: Computerworld
Coalition, Labor back boost in ASIO's powers
Coalition and Labor senators have combined to pass the government's first tranche of national security legislation.
Source: Computerworld
Terror laws clear Senate, enabling entire Australian web to be monitored and whistleblowers to be jailed
Australian spies will soon have the power to monitor the entire Australian internet with just one warrant, and journalists and whistleblowers will face up to 10 years' jail for disclosing classified information.
Source: SMH
Thu, 25th Sep 2014
Australia's spy agency to get power to tap unlimited devices
Legislation that is likely to pass the Australian parliament this week will allow ASIO to get a warrant for access to an unlimited amount of devices, Attorney-General George Brandis has confirmed.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Australian telcos remain holdouts on IPv6
Australian ISPs continue to make a poor showing on IPv6 adoption, based on data released this week by World IPv6 Launch.
Source: Computerworld
Wed, 24th Sep 2014
'Absolutely right': Gillard stands by Labor's NBN vision
In her memoir, former prime minister Julia Gillard has said while the fibre to the premises National Broadband Network had implementation issues, the ultimate goal of the project was "absolutely right".
Source: ZDNet Australia