Broadband News
Tue, 25th Mar 2014
Turnbull pours $18.4m into NBN satellite service
The Federal Government will spend a further $18.4 million to increase capacity on its interim satellite service, after NBN Co stopped taking orders for the oversubscribed service in January this year.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN conference postponed: nothing worth talking about
The NBN was for years such a hot-button topic that the country couldn't say enough about it. Yet as the Coalition government lets the current rollout coast, one conference organiser found there was nothing worth saying about it.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Coalition's biggest achievement: making the NBN boring
Six months on, and there's so little excitement around the NBN that an industry conference was cancelled because there was nothing to discuss. Welcome to the Coalition's NBN: lowering expectations and rewriting history until the project is so unambitious and boring that we'd rather just watch the footy.
Source: ZDNet Australia
TPG's broadband growth hinged on bundles
A rise in uptake of TPG's ADSL2+ bundles has helped offset a decline in the number of stand alone broadband customers for the ISP.
Source: ZDNet Australia
TPG's FTTB build enters construction mode
TPG has begun construction on a number of sites as part of its trial of fibre-to-the-basement technology, and revealed new detail about the metropolitan areas in line to receive services as it unveiled its half year results today.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co expands enterprise testing off-network
NBN Co will allow the owners or makers of copper-based equipment to test NBN compatibility themselves, a new option that doesn't involve bringing gear to an on-network NBN-owned test facility.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 24th Mar 2014
IIA shuts down
The Internet Industry Association has announced it will cease trading and transfer its operations to telecommunications industry body the Communications Alliance.
Source: iTnews Australia
Price cuts, Wi-Fi touted as alternatives to roaming regulation
Telstra has pointed to the price drops in roaming, and the availability of Wi-Fi as reasons why the Australian government should back away from plans to regulate mobile roaming charges.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCAN backs government to end global roaming rip-off
Peak telecommunications consumer body, The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has endorsed the federal government’s bill to create a competitive global roaming market.
Source: ARN
Treasury backs NBN funding cap
Treasury has thrown its support behind the government capping off NBN Co investment at AU$29.5 billion, and opening up the network to infrastructure-based competition.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Want to be anonymous? Now you have a right to be
Australian citizens now have the right to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym when interacting with government agencies, private health service providers, and large organisations under new privacy laws.
Source: SMH
Sun, 23rd Mar 2014
NBN Co alarmed about alarms
Worried about what might happen when NBN fibre replaces copper phone lines in some areas, NBN Co has established a medical alarms register.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 21st Mar 2014
iiNet CFO Buckingham leading race to succeed founder Malone
iiNet's acting CEO and chief financial officer David Buckingham is looking to be a likely replacement for Michael Malone who today resigned from his CEO position.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Review your phone and Internet plans, says ACCC
The ACCC is urging consumers to review their phone and internet plans following the tabling of its Annual Telecommunications Reports for 2012-13 in Parliament.
Source: iTWire
iiNet chief Malone quits
iiNet founder and chief executive Michael Malone has today resigned from his position, following a three-month sabbatical from the company.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN: Concern over medical alarms as copper switch-off approaches
NBN Co this morning launched a register to track personal medical alarms that may be affected by the switch-off of the copper network in areas where the National Broadband Network has been rolled out.
Source: Computerworld
Vodafone 4G goes live in Tasmania
Vodafone has turned on its 4G (LTE) network in parts of Tasmania.
Source: ARN
ACCC releases safety guide for online business
The ACCC has released a new publication with best practice tips for online sellers and marketplaces. It will also help consumers.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 20th Mar 2014
ACCAN flags concerns about NBN complaints
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network is concerned about the number of telecommunications-related complaints in current NBN rollout sites.
Source: Computerworld
Exetel challenges NBN market with cheaper plans
Exetel has launched a set of National Broadband Network (NBN) plans which it claims have seen solid sales in serviced locations around the country.
Source: ARN
Fewer Australians complaining about telcos
Complaints to the Australian Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman have recorded an almost 20 percent year-on-year drop, according to the latest statistics.
Source: ZDNet Australia
HFC NBN just fine for Telepresence: Cisco
Cisco has endorsed using hybrid-fibre cable (HFC) as a more expedient way to connect 3 million homes to Australia’s National Broadband Network.
Source: Computerworld
Wed, 19th Mar 2014
Vodafone to charge AU$1 per minute flat rate for global roaming
Vodafone Australia has ramped up its international roaming offers in an effort to attract more travellers.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Australian government to slash telco regulation
The Australian government has indicated that 1,000 pages of regulation in the Communications portfolio has been earmarked for removal in the government's first repeal Bill.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Fibre fuels flexible working at Melbourne office
High-speed fibre broadband is critical to the design of Lifestyle Working Collins Street, a green office building in Melbourne that has emphasised flexible working.
Source: Computerworld
Reverse handout: Regional group wants to co-invest in NBN
The Northern Rivers branch of Regional Development Australia is calling for the opening up of the NBN to allow regions currently slated to receive the NBN in future years to roll out their own infrastructure.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NewSat offers to buy NBN Co satellites
Satellite company NewSat has offered to buy NBN Co's two satellites, currently in construction, and lease capacity back to NBN Co for regional services.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 18th Mar 2014
Telstra to stick with structural separation
Despite some concerns Telstra is set to reportedly stick with the structural separation of its wholesale and retail arm, according to media reports today.
Source: iTWire
FTTB: TPG puts case for competing with NBN infrastructure
Internet service provider TPG has put the case for allowing it to build infrastructure that would compete with NBN Co in a submission (PDF) to the NBN Panel of Experts - also known as the Vertigan review panel, after its chair Michael Vertigan.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra calls for NBN product overhaul
Telstra has asked the government's cost-benefit analysis panel to consider overhauling NBN Co's products to make it easier for customers to migrate onto the network.
Source: ZDNet Australia