Broadband News
Wed, 09th Apr 2014
NBN: Good-bye FTTP, we hardly knew ye
The Coalition government today signed the death warrant for the roll out of a predominantly fibre-to-the-premises-based National Broadband Network.
Source: Computerworld
Costs must be fixed first in piracy solution: Comms Alliance
Australia's peak telecommunications organisation has said ISPs are willing to come to the table on a new deterrence system for online copyright infringement but rights holders have to sort out who will pay for such a system first.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN blowouts warned as Turnbull sets new expectations
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said that the wireless network for the NBN was underplanned, with uptake expected to be higher than forecast.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Two Chinese sentenced for bribes in Telstra deal
China has sentenced a former China Mobile executive to death for taking bribes when Telstra acquired two Chinese companies in 2007. Telstra has lost its investment.
Source: iTWire
Turnbull gives NBN Co green light to continue MTM build
NBN shareholder ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Matthias Cormann have given NBN Co the official nod to continue the rollout of the multi-technology mix national broadband network.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co should own copper, HFC networks: Switkowski
The goal of renegotiations with Telstra should see NBN Co own the legacy copper and cable networks, NBN Co chairman Dr Ziggy Switkowski has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Big move to faster broadband
There are now over two million Australian households and businesses accessing download speeds of 24 Mbps or greater.
Source: iTWire
Malcolm Turnbull says NBN plan must change or 300,000 will miss out
Major changes to the implementation of the national broadband network will be needed to avoid huge cost blow-outs and up to 300,000 homes missing out on high-speed internet, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull will warn in a speech on Wednesday.
Source: SMH
Tue, 08th Apr 2014
NBN Co to offer compensation for missed appointments
ISPs will be compensated when NBN Co misses an appointment to hook up a new customer to the service, executive chairman Ziggy Switkowski has revealed.
Source: ZDNet Australia
D-Day approaching for landline switch off, warns NBN chief Ziggy Switkowski
About 19,000 homes and businesses in 15 towns across Australia face having their phone and internet services cut off when copper lines that connect them are switched off in 45 days, National Broadband Network Company chairman Ziggy Switkowski warned on Tuesday.
Source: SMH
ABS registers significant jump in 24Mbps+ connections
The number of Australian Internet connections that deliver a speed of 24 megabits per second or faster grew by more than a quarter between December 2012 and December 2013, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra gets 90Mbps in fibre to the building NBN trials
Telstra has reported peak download speeds of 90Mbps and peak upload speeds of 30Mbps in a trial of NBN Co's fibre to the building technology in Melbourne.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Virgin Mobile curbs excess data charges
Virgin Mobile has responded to widespread consumer criticism around excess data charges, announcing new pricing structures for excess data costs for post-paid customers.
Source: iTWire
Telstra calls on industry to fix NBN migration headaches
Telstra's head of regulatory affairs Tony Warren has called on the telecommunications industry to develop an industry-wide solution to coordinate customer migrations to the national broadband network, suggesting the Comms Alliance take a more active role in handling the transitions.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 07th Apr 2014
Telstra lodges appeal over exchange and underground duct access pricing dispute
Telstra has lodged a formal appeal in the New South Wales Federal Court over its exchange and underground duct access pricing increase dispute against the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Vocus Communications (ASX: VOC) and iiNet (ASX: IIN) subsidiaries.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra appeals ruling in exchange fees fight
Telstra has lodged a formal appeal in the Federal Court against its decision to dismiss the telco's challenge to the jurisdiction of the national consumer watchdog over a pricing dispute.
Source: iTnews Australia
Sun, 06th Apr 2014
NBN Co misses construction plan deadline
NBN Co has missed its first regulated deadline to produce one-year and three-year construction plans, with no firm date given for their creation.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 04th Apr 2014
Defence extends Optus satellite contract
The Department of Defence has extended its managed satellite services agreement with Optus for another four years, the telco announced this morning.
Source: Computerworld
Default password leaves tens of thousands of Optus cable subscribers at risk
When Alex* found flaw in his cable modem that allowed anyone to receive and make calls using his number, his jaw dropped.
Source: SMH
Mobile broadband worth billions to Australian economy
Mobile broadband has been directly responsible for a $33.8 billion increase in economic activity (measured in terms of Gross Domestic Product) in 2013, or a 2.28% contribution to Australia's total GDP..
Source: iTWire
Thu, 03rd Apr 2014
Mobile broadband boosts economy by billions: ACMA
Australians using mobile broadband services added AU$33.8 billion to economic activity in the country in 2013, according to research commissioned by the ACMA.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co reveals start date of FTTN trial
NBN Co will start its trial of fibre-to-the-node technology from May 1, as it consults with industry on its proposed mix of fibre-to-the-node and hybrid-fibre coaxial technology.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus activates 4G on Sydney's Eastern Suburbs train line
Rail commuters in Sydney's eastern suburbs will now be able to make calls, send SMS, update social networks and browse the internet all the way from Redfern to Bondi Junction.
Source: ARN
24 million vulnerable home routers primed to launch DDoS attacks
A vulnerability in more than 24m home routers is leading to an increase in denial-of-service attacks, according to network activity company Nominum.
Source: PC Authority
NBN Co brings back regional broadband subsidy
The Australian government, through NBN Co, will subsidise the satellite connections of up to 9,000 regional broadband users at a cost of AU$15.6 million.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co to subsidise satellite costs for 9000 users
NBN Co has agreed to subsidise the costs associated with setting up 9000 regional users unable to access the oversubscribed interim satellite service (ISS) with commercial satellite services.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN should be all fibre: NICTA boss
The head of Australia's foremost IT research organisation thinks the Government chose the wrong path with the national broadband network by moving it from an all-fibre model.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 02nd Apr 2014
NBN pause a boon for Tasmanian cloud provider
Tasmanian cloud provider TasmaNet has idle NBN construction crews rolling out its dark fibre for businesses in Hobart while the Commonwealth Government reassesses the NBN rollout in Tasmania.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiNet slams metadata 'fallacy'
iiNet has lashed out at proposals by government agencies to force internet service providers to retain user data for law enforcement purposes, and outlined its concerns about federal use of section 313 of the Telco Act to force ISPs to block websites.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 01st Apr 2014
Optus customers offered contract release by court
Customers who signed an Optus mobile contract earlier this year will be given the option of release from their contract due to advertising about the company's mobile network size that the Victorian Supreme Court ruled was misleading.
Source: ZDNet Australia