Broadband News
Wed, 12th Mar 2014
NBN Co mulls fibre to the apartment
NBN Co has outlined plans to run fibre networks to individual units in apartment blocks, in an effort to combat the potentially "severe" impact of the fibre-to-the-basement efforts of TPG and Telstra.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN starts high rise trials in Melbourne
The first high rise apartments have been connected to the national broadband network using the cheaper, multi-technology approach taken by the Coalition government.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co snares four telcos for Melbourne pilot
NBN Co has signed four telcos to take part in a Fibre-to-the-Building pilot in Melbourne.
Source: ARN
Toowoomba transmission trial touches terabit/s
A transmission trial using a 1,066 kilometre fibre-optic ring on NBN Co's transit network reached one terabit per second speeds, the network builder and its equipment vendor Coriant said yesterday.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 11th Mar 2014
Telstra breaches privacy of thousands of customers
Telstra has been found to have broken the law when it breached the privacy of 15,775 customers between February 2012 and May 2013.
Source: SMH
Mon, 10th Mar 2014
Vodafone takes fight to Telstra over regional mobile funding
The battle over the Federal Government's AU$100 million funding for regional mobile coverage blackspots heats up.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Yet another NBN inquiry - this one's after Conroy's blood
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced another NBN inquiry - the fifth - on how Labor planned it. What will it achieve?
Source: iTWire
Vandals break Basslink fibre cable
Vandals are being blamed for damaging a terrestrial fibre optic cable owned by Basslink Telecoms, resulting in almost 20 hours of internet connectivity problems for Tasmanian residents over the weekend.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 07th Mar 2014
Turnbull to audit the conception of Labor's NBN
The Coalition Government has announced it will conduct a four-month audit into the process by which the previous Labor government conceived of the national broadband network.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra reveals volume of data requests from law enforcement
Telstra has released its first ever transparency report, taking the lead from the likes of Google, Apple and Facebook to detail the volume and nature of requests for customer data it receives from Australian law enforcement and regulators.
Source: iTnews Australia
"NBN-ready" phone helps SMEs in cost war
Commander has launched its "NBN-ready" phone in a bid to help small to medium businesses in the war against costs.
Source: ARN
Thu, 06th Mar 2014
Telehealth could save "unsustainable" federal health budget, according to a white paper
A national strategy for Telehealth could save the federal government about $4 billion and help rein in an unsustainable health budget.
Source: ARN
Cloud growth drives network upgrade at Brisbane ISP
Growth in demand for Metro Ethernet services has driven a program of ongoing upgrades at Brisbane Internet service provider APEXnetworks over the last 12 months, according to chief technology officer Ryan Crouch.
Source: Computerworld
Aldi gets wrist slap over 'unlimited' plans
Aldi Mobile has been forced to rename one of its 'unlimited' prepaid mobile plans after the consumer watchdog accused the company of misleading customers.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Comms union backs Tasmanian pro-FTTP NBN bill
Tasmanian Senator Anne Urquhart's pro-fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) bill has been welcomed by the Communications Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU).
Source: ARN
Wed, 05th Mar 2014
Labor tries to force NBN Co to keep Tasmanian fibre rolling
Labor will introduce legislation into the Senate today aiming at forcing NBN Co to keep rolling out fibre to 200,000 Tasmanian premises.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Wholesale VoIP to create new revenue streams for Optus partners
Optus wholesale clients are now able to access voice over internet protocol (VoIP).
Source: ARN
Telstra doubles Cyclone Dylan outage impact
Telstra has revised upward the number of damaged fixed line services in North Queensland to over 10,000 after a more complete assessment of the aftermath of January's Cyclone Dylan.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telco industry questions ACCAN's role
The Communications Alliance has asked the Australian government to review the telco-funded consumer lobby organisation ACCAN as part of its red tape reduction review.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 04th Mar 2014
Optus, Vodafone call for repeal of roaming laws
Optus and Vodafone have called on the Australian Government to pull back regulation introduced less than a year ago that was designed to prevent overseas travellers incurring excessive roaming charges.
Source: iTnews Australia
How Telstra plans its digital makeover
Telstra's head of digital, Gerd Schenkel, plans to make dealing with Telstra online so appealing that customers will flock to it in droves.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Look past NBN for Australia's digital future: AIIA
Australia's peak ICT industry body is urging the federal government to look past the NBN when considering investment in Australia's digital future.
Source: ARN
Mon, 03rd Mar 2014
Telstra adopts Qantas pitch on opening mobile network
Telstra CEO David Thodey has said the foreign-owned mobile companies Optus and Vodafone could invest as much in their own networks as Telstra has.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra to offer real-time billing, tracking of technicians
Telstra is set to launch a real-time view of customer billing and payments, as well as a new digital service for customers to track the schedule of a Telstra technician assigned to work at their premises.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra to bolster digital customer interaction
Telstra is revising its product and services portfolio in a bid to become more digital on the customer interaction front.
Source: ARN
Telstra vans to be fitted with GPS for customer tracking
Telstra chief executive David Thodey says the company is sick of "being the incumbent" telecommunications provider and embarked on a three year strategy to become a global technology player.
Source: SMH
NBN-Telstra deal must be part of copper network prices: iiNet
iiNet has told the ACCC that it should consider Telstra's AU$11 billion deal with NBN Co in setting wholesale line rental prices.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus in 4G speed lead with 2.4Gbps 'Gigasite'
Optus has achieved a 'world first' 2.3 Gbps total site throughput on its custom built 'Gigasites', partially through use of its TDD technology.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 28th Feb 2014
Telecom completes $A450m sale of AAPT to TPG
Telecom New Zealand has completed the sale of AAPT to TPG for $A450 million.
Source: ARN
Optus gets 2.3Gbps in Gigasite mobile trial
Optus' Gigasites trial saw spectrum and mobile technologies combined to achieve a 2.3Gbps throughput speed on its mobile network.
Source: ZDNet Australia