Broadband News
Thu, 27th Feb 2014
Woolworths Mobile customers to switch to Optus
Customers using Woolworths-branded SIMs will need to begin recharging their prepaid accounts with Optus from March 23, and pay AU$1 extra.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus Australia boss steps down
Optus' local country chief and CEO of its consumer division Kevin Russell will leave the telco at the end of March, after just over two years in the role.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telecommunications Ombudsman reorganises into single board
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has merged its board and council into a united board of directors.
Source: ARN
NBN Co throws resources at held service order backlog
NBN Co has beefed up its field force to overcome a backlog of stalled orders caused by technical problems and contractors missing appointments for last-mile connections to NBN services.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 26th Feb 2014
Tassie NBN contractors in huge uproar
The NBN is facing fresh controversy this time from Tasmanian contractors, who say they have lost millions of dollars after the federal government altered its rollout plans.
Source: iTWire
Turnbull's Tasmanian NBN trials a political distraction: CEPU
The Communications Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU) has accused Federal Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, of wastefully duplicating National Broadband Network (NBN) fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) trials in Tasmania.
Source: ARN
Alcatel-Lucent walks fine NBN fibre line
As a network vendor that stands to profit from both fibre to the premises and fibre to the node, Alcatel-Lucent walks a fine line in the NBN debate.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra announces LTE category 6 device
Huawei and Telstra are partnering to launch the world’s first long term evolution (LTE) category six-compatible mobile broadband device in Australia.
Source: ARN
AAPT CEO departs ahead of TPG takeover
AAPT CEO David Yuile will leave the company at the end of this week, as Telecom New Zealand finalises the sale of the Australian business to TPG.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Three in four Australians buy online
The number of users making purchases online is accelerating, having increased 8 percentage points from last year, according to to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Source: Computerworld
When 'simple' means 'expensive' - Telstra roaming
Bucking the international trend, Telstra's recent 'simplification' of its international roaming rates means - in most cases - higher prices.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 25th Feb 2014
Aussies being "gouged" for texting
Aussies are being taken to the cleaners when it comes to sending text messages, according to Australia's peak communications consumer body ACCAN.
Source: iTWire
Conroy accuses NBN Co of cooking rollout estimates
Senator Stephen Conroy has accused NBN Co chief Ziggy Switkowski of changing his story "to suit [his] own facts" when it comes to rollout targets set out in the organisation's strategic review document.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co to test Aurora fibre plan in Tasmania
NBN Co will soon trial a proposal by Aurora in Tasmania to string fibre along power lines to reach homes, according to NBN Co chairman Ziggy Switkowski.
Source: Computerworld
NBN target easier to beat than we expected: Switkowski
NBN Co executive chairman Dr Ziggy Switkowski has admitted that NBN Co's low target for existing premises passed by fibre at the end of June this year is likely to be easily beaten.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 24th Feb 2014
Brandis threatens to mandate 'three strikes'
Australia's Attorney-General George Brandis has revealed the Government will implement a mandatory code of practice for internet piracy if the internet industry cannot agree on an acceptable voluntary scheme.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACCAN urges ACCC to interfere with telco SMS price inflation
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network has prompted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to impose SMS termination rates in order to squash price inflation.
Source: ARN
Dodo launches new 4G plans to target customer loss
While Australian telecommunications provider M2 reported the addition of 50,000 new customers in the last six months of 2013, subsidiary Dodo lost 25,000 mobile broadband customers.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Nextgen, Telstra wary of new backhaul rival
Nextgen Networks has asked Australia's competition regulator to pay closer attention to NBN Co's incursion into the backhaul market, asking the ACCC for "further guidance about its thinking" on keeping NBN Co in check.
Source: iTnews Australia
Dodo drives M2 broadband growth
The acquisition of Dodo led to strong revenue growth for M2 Group in the first half of the financial year, according to the telco's financial results released today.
Source: Computerworld
Turnbul's NBN morphs into shape
Welcome to the 'Optimised Multi-Technology Mix'. NBN Co has released its first half-yearly report since the election.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 21st Feb 2014
Malcolm Turnbull expects new Telstra NBN deal in a 'few months'
The renegotiation of Telstra's $11 billion NBN deal should be completed by the middle of the year, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.
Source: SMH
NBN Co and Telstra negotiating new agreement for copper access
NBN Co is negotiating a collaborative agreement with Telstra to access its copper network for Fibre-to-the-Node trials in NSW and Victoria.
Source: ARN
NBN Co to rent Telstra copper for fibre-to-the-node trial
NBN Co has confirmed that it will rent Telstra's copper lines as part of a trial of fibre-to-the-node technology.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telco legislation to be repealed on first repeal day
Australian Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said that 280 pages of telecommunications legislation will be repealed on the first repeal day in parliament in March.
Source: ZDNet Australia
MyBroadband site shows Internet blackspots
The Government has unveiled a new website which allow Australians to see how their neighbourhood rates in terms of Internet connectivity.
Source: iTWire
Survey finds mixed quality of broadband
About 1.6 million homes and businesses across Australia have either poor or no access to fixed broadband internet, a national broadband survey has found.
Source: Computerworld
Thu, 20th Feb 2014
NBN Co convinces iiNet to sign access agreement
ISP iiNet has resolved outstanding issues with NBN Co over its wholesale broadband agreement and will sign up to the commercial contract “imminently”.
Source: iTnews Australia
Virgin Mobile gets 4G on prepaid
Virgin Mobile prepaid customers in Australia now have access to the company's 4G network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiNet adds 23,000 new NBN users
Telecommunications provider iiNet added 23,000 new NBN and fibre customers in the last six months, cementing its position as the nation's largest reseller of NBN services with a 25 percent market share.
Source: iTnews Australia