Broadband News
Tue, 18th Feb 2014
Vodafone to switch on largest international 4G roaming network for Aussies
Australian Vodafone customers will soon have access to the world's largest 4G international roaming network at no extra cost.
Source: ARN
NBN now a long, slow and unspectacular slog
It is fast approaching six months since the Coalition came to power and assumed responsibility for the national broadband network – one of the highest-profile issues in the last federal election campaign – and in the post-election period the temperature around the NBN debate has barely cooled.
Source: SMH
Tasmanian Liberal leader says NBN could cost the election
Tasmanian Liberal leader Will Hodgman has committed a Mitt Romney-style election gaffe, after allegedly telling a colleague the lack of a FTTP NBN in Tasmania could cost him the election.
Source: iTWire
How do we serve three billion new internet users?
If, as expected, over a billion new internet users make their first connections in India and China in the next dozen years, will the region have enough power to serve them content?
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 17th Feb 2014
Whatever happened to the IPv4 address crisis?
In February 2011, the global Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) allocated the last blocks of IPv4 address space to the five regional Internet registries. At the time, experts warned that within months all available IPv4 addresses in the world would be distributed to ISPs.
Source: ARN
Google working on 10Gbits/sec fibre connections
Google is looking for ways to boost fibre connections to 10Gbits/sec within three years.
Source: PC Authority
NBN Co to count on TransACT fibre for quick win
NBN Co, under Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, will soon count existing premises passed by the TransACT fibre network as 'premises passed', without requiring any additional construction work.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Government to let private sector decide vision for NBN-driven digital economy
The private sector, not the federal government, should determine the future economic benefits Australia can draw from digital technologies, according to Paul Fletcher, parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull.
Source: SMH
NBN Co blocks board minutes release: reputations at stake
Government-owned broadband builder NBN Co claims the reputations of its directors could be damaged if it revealed which of them turned up to a September board meeting.
Source: SMH
Fletcher flags telco red tape reduction
Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Communications Paul Fletcher has indicated that the government will scale back the amount of regulation in the telecommunications industry.
Source: ZDNet Australia
DDoS attacks are on the rise - and getting larger
Latest DDoS attack could signal more to come, security experts say.
Source: PC Authority
Sun, 16th Feb 2014
Maybe we did overestimate Labor's NBN cost, admits Government
Malcolm Turnbull's Parliamentary Secretary Minister Paul Fletcher has admitted that the Coalition's estimate of the cost of Labor's NBN was ‘perhaps a little high'.
Source: iTWire
Coalition reaffirms its rural NBN commitment
Federal secretary to the minister for communications, Paul Fletcher, has reaffirmed the Coalition Government's commitment to rural and remote access to the National Broadband Network (NBN), stating it continues to support the rollout of wireless and satellite technologies in less densely populated regions of Australia.
Source: ARN
Fri, 14th Feb 2014
Attorney-General George Brandis to target illegal downloads
The Federal Government is setting its sights on internet downloading and copyright, with Attorney-General George Brandis using a speech in Canberra to foreshadow copyright law changes.
Source: ABC News
New Zealand's NBN one-quarter completed
New Zealand's Ultra-Fast Broadband network project has now reached one quarter of its target of covering 75 percent of the population with fibre by 2019, but take-up is slow.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN panel questions role of ACCC in telecoms regulation
A review panel tasked with undertaking a cost-benefit analysis of the NBN has questioned whether the competition watchdog should be responsible for economic regulation of the telecommunications industry.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN rollout drives telco job opportunities amid downturn
The NBN roll out is a bright spot on a dreary job outlook for Telco workers, while IT vacancies have grown healthily to start the year.
Source: ARN
Stop the torrents: Australian government eyes copyright crackdown
Australian Attorney-General George Brandis has said the government is considering a three-strikes proposal to force ISPs to stop the boats of The Pirate Bay, and crack down on its users downloading copyright-infringing TV shows and films.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 13th Feb 2014
Tasmanians miss out on all-fibre NBN
NBN Co chairman Ziggy Switkowski has revealed not all Tasmanian premises will receive fibre under the new-look national broadband network.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra, NBN Co talks under way
Telstra seeks to maintain the value of its NBN agreement and "enhance regulatory certainty" in negotiations with NBN Co and the government, Telstra CEO David Thodey said today.
Source: Computerworld
Cost cutting saves Optus profit from customer churn
Optus has reported a second quarter of declining mobile customers despite a targeted customer service transformation initiative.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra pours $650 million into mobile infrastructure
Telstra's recent $650 million investment into its mobile infrastructure has seen it add 739,000 retail mobile customers to its books in the six months to December 31.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus helps SingTel post strong profit
SingTel has reported strong third quarter earnings despite adverse movements in the Australian dollar, helped out by the Optus' profit boost.
Source: ARN
Telstra adds another 739,000 to mobile base
In the last half of 2013, Telstra's mobile customer base grew by another 739,000 services, for a total of 15.8 million active mobile services on its mobile network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
MyNetFone dials up profits
Communications provider My Net Fone Limited (MyNetFone) has reported a substantial increase in revenue and net profits for the half year ended 31 December 2013.
Source: iTWire
Telstra raises dividend amid profit growth
Telstra has lifted its dividend for the first time since 2006, after posting a 9.2 per cent rise in profit.
Source: ABC News
Telstra finally says it's time to Belong
Telstra is extending the reach of its low-cost ADSL ISP Belong and appointed a consumer oriented general manager. Maybe now it will start to promote the service.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co to fast-track technicians into rollout
NBN Co is preparing to change the way it accredits technicians to work on the network rollout, introducing a new option whereby "more experienced individuals" can skip training and be assessed for accreditation straight away.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 12th Feb 2014
Exetel marks 10th anniversary as ISP with new direction
Exetel is marking its 10th year of operations as an Internet service provider by streamlining its plans and launching a rebranding campaign.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co 'unaware' of Coalition's copper claims
NBN Co has admitted that it is unaware of a key part of the Coalition's broadband policy that estimates 10 percent of premises will still get fibre to the premises because the copper network is unusable for fibre to the node.
Source: ZDNet Australia