Broadband News
Mon, 05th Aug 2013
Syntheo walks from NBN construction contracts
Construction partner Syntheo will not extend its contracts to construct the NBN fibre network in South Australia and Western Australia.
Source: ZDNet Australia
What can NBN Co do in caretaker mode?
NBN Co will shift into caretaker mode with other government agencies but "may" continue some promotional activities right through the election period.
Source: iTnews Australia
Any NBN is a threat to Foxtel
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said that the Coalition's NBN policy is just as much of a threat to Foxtel as Labor's NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra pit work to restart in two weeks
Telstra contractors will pick up their tools and recommence remediation work on the telco's pits from the 19th August.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co enters caretaker mode
NBN Co will not sign any significant contracts or get its new CEO before the September 7 Australian election.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiNet to buy Adam Internet for $60 million
Internet company iiNet is to buy Adam Internet for $60 million, after an Adam deal with Telstra fell through.
Source: ABC News
Fri, 02nd Aug 2013
Turnbull talks 1Gbps over FttN NBN
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has suggested that his version of the NBN may be able to deliver 1Gbps speeds thanks to developments in DSL technology.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Turnbull calls for global cyber espionage agreement
Shadow Communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull has put his support behind an international agreement on cyber espionage in the wake of revelations surrounding the NSA's electronic data surveillance and accusations of Chinese corporate spying.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra unveils UNI-V NBN voice service
Telstra is offering its first voice product on the National Broadband Network operating via the UNI-V port on the network termination device.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 01st Aug 2013
Trident reveals $400m subsea network design
Trident Subsea Cable has revealed further details of the design of a subsea cable network that will connect Perth and the resources-rich Pilbara region with Indonesia and Singapore.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus partners with Samsung for 4G TD-DLTE
Telecommunications services provider, Optus, has partnered with Electronics vendor, Samsung, to rollout its 4G TDD-LTE network in Australia.
Source: ARN
Telstra's 4G COWs keep Splendour campers happy
Telstra deployed two 4G-enabled cells on wheels at the Splendour in the Grass music festival at Byron Bay to keep up with the demand of some 25,000 festival goers.
Source: ZDNet Australia
How Vodafone, and Optus, 3G are faster than Telstra 3G
There's been a most unseemly stoush between Telstra and Vodafone in recent days over who has the fastest LTE (aka 4G) network. Pity, then, that Telstra and its MVNO partners are not upfront about the third rate 3G offering Telstra makes available to MVNOs.
Source: iTWire
End of an era? CSIRO wifi patent nears expiry
A patent that has delivered Australia's CSIRO $430 million and counting will expire in the US on November 30, 2013, bringing to a close a critical chapter in Australia's innovation history.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 31st Jul 2013
Southern Cross Cable Network completes 100G expansion
Southern Cross Cable Network has completed its 100G expansion across its entire submarine network leveraging Ciena's 6500 packet-optical platform.
Source: ARN
Work to begin on new Perth-SE Asia cable
Construction of a new cable system between Perth and SE Asia that will link resource extraction areas in the Pilbara may commence as early as next month, according to reports.
Source: iTnews Australia
Australian government keeps digital dividend spectrum price
Communications Minister Anthony Albanese last week quietly directed the industry regulator to keep the existing reserve price for the remaining 700MHz spectrum from the digital dividend auction.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone launches $5 global roaming flat rate
Vodafone has launched a new global roaming offering which will allow customers to use the same text, data and calls in their normal plan overseas for an additional $5 a day when travelling to select countries, in an effort to combat global roaming bill shock.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus expands mobile coverage to Lake Cathie
Telecommunications services provider, Optus, has switched on mobile coverage at Lake Cathie, in the mid-north coast region of NSW, with a dedicated mobile tower, bringing dedicated mobile coverage to the coastal community for the first time.
Source: ARN
Tue, 30th Jul 2013
Foxtel launches IPTV service
Australia's largest subscription television company Foxtel has launched its IPTV subscription service allowing customers to watch to Foxtel over the internet.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Albanese keeps high price on 700 MHz spectrum
Communications Minister Anthony Albanese will maintain reserve prices on unsold 700 MHz spectrum, keeping Telstra happy but ignoring calls by Vodafone to delay future pricing decisions.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vodafone makes call centre hires in Tasmania
Telecommunications company, Vodafone, has expanded its Australian call centre base with the hire of 150 new recruits to its customer care team in Tasmania.
Source: ARN
ACCAN cans ACMA's view on telco complaint handling
Following ACMA's reports that telcos are handling complaints better, consumer group ACCAN says much more needs to be done.
Source: iTWire
Optus reveals mobile data use thresholds
Optus is keeping tabs on continuous mobile data sessions in six-hour or 100 MB increments to meet its Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) code obligations.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 29th Jul 2013
Australian telcos making progress on complaint handling: ACMA
The ACMA has found that Australia's big three telecommunications companies are making strides in resolving issues within 10 working days.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ABC iView now on Fetch TV
ABC TVs internet channel iView has been integrated into the Fetch IPTV main menu, providing users with ready access to the entire suite of iView content on their TV.
Source: iTWire
NZ landing site agreed for trans-Pacific cable
The second trans-Pacific cable linking Australia, New Zealand and the US will connect to the northern Whangarei area of New Zealand, after cable owner Hawaiki signed a memorandum of understanding with the Northland Inc regional economic development agency.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thiess buys out Silcar
Leighton Holdings subsidiary Thiess has become the complete owner of telecommunications contractor Silcar, after buying out joint venture partner Siemens.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra's 117 MB mobile data 'mystery' solved
Telstra is keeping track of continuous mobile data sessions in 117 MB increments to alert customers when they reach 50 and 85 percent of quota as early as possible.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 25th Jul 2013
Coalition NBN plan to bring in money faster: iiNet, AAPT
While the Coalition's cheaper National Broadband Network (NBN) will deliver slower broadband speeds to Australians, it will deliver revenue faster to the two ISPs.
Source: ZDNet Australia