Broadband News
Fri, 28th Jun 2013
Conroy's departure leaves big shoes to fill
Wednesday's Labor leadership shakeup claimed a Prime Minister but it also claimed the head of the biggest infrastructure project in the nation's history, Senator Stephen Conroy.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 27th Jun 2013
Conroy confirms resignation, no replacement likely until the weekend
Senator Stephen Conroy has resigned as Minister for Communications. His replacement will not be announced until the full Cabinet reshuffle, expected within three days.
Source: iTWire
Government needs a minister to sell NBN to voters
The toughest challenge now for the Rudd-led Labor party will be finding a new communications minister that can sell the National Broadband Network (NBN) to voters, according to independent telco analyst, Paul Budde.
Source: ARN
What now for the NBN? Will Conroy stay?
Last night’s dramatic events in Canberra may have a major bearing on the future of the National Broadband Network.
Source: iTWire
Crane arm interferes with Optus network
A major construction crane has emerged as the latest unusual source of radio interference after it blocked the line of sight between two Optus microwave backhaul towers in central Queensland.
Source: iTnews Australia
Top 20 Stephen Conroy memories and milestones
Rumours of Stephen Conroy's departure from the Communications portfolio began soon after word filtered through of last night's change in Prime Minister.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 26th Jun 2013
Optus overhauls its branding and mobile plans
Say goodbye to the cheesy farm animal motif and pricey excess usage charges.
Source: PC Authority
Rudd in, Gillard out, Conroy quits cabinet
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has stepped down from cabinet following the change in Labor leadership.
Source: ARN
Australian telcos call for ACCC to rein in Telstra
The Competitive Carriers' Coalition has called on the government and the competition watchdog to rein in Telstra, in the wake of a report revealing that the company's retail arm had access to key information on its wholesale rivals.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Federal Government and ACCC need to step up in post-NBN world: Telco lobby
Australia has experienced crucial and hard-fought telecommunications and broadband reforms over the past five years, but now is the time for the next step in injecting competitive rigour, according to industry lobby group, the Competitive Carriers' Coalition.
Source: ARN
Can you hear me now? Vodafone introduces HD voice
Vodafone has launched High Definition (HD) Voice on its 3G network. It uses wideband technology to enhance the quality of telephone conversations on compatible devices.
Source: iTWire
iiNet turns on Perth NBN services
Internet service provider, iiNet, has switched on its first Perth NBN services in the established suburbs of South Perth and Victoria Park.
Source: ARN
Tue, 25th Jun 2013
Telstra switches on IPv6 for business ADSL
Telstra has now enabled IPv6 for business ADSL customers.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co urges residents to stand up in MDU disputes
NBN Co is hoping to force apartment dwellers to take on owners corporations that continuously stand in the way of connecting their blocks to the National Broadband Network.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN you can eat: how broadband can ease the global food shortage
The CSIRO says that Australian farmers can help to tackle the global food shortage and significantly increase their productivity by taking advantage of new smart farming technologies enabled by next generation broadband networks.
Source: iTWire
Telstra avoids 50 Mbps NBN speed tier
Telstra will stick with a narrow line-up of NBN fibre products while it "gets more experience" of customer demand on the network, meaning a 50 Mbps speed tier and more quota options remain off the cards.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN will boost agribusiness productivity: study
A national broadband network and mobile sensor technologies could transform the Australian agribusiness sector but farmers have lagged behind the rest of the country in adopting telecommunications technology, a new CSIRO report has found.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 24th Jun 2013
Union wants Telstra copper truth
The Australian Communications Workers Union has called on Telstra to reveal the exact state of its copper access network.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Data retention needs oversight: Inquiry
A parliamentary inquiry has recommended that any data retention laws should include provisions to protect privacy and provide oversight.
Source: Computerworld
Data breach notifications necessary: ACCAN
Telecommunications consumer body, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), is urging the Senate Committee to back the introduction of mandatory data breach notification laws in the Privacy Amendment (Privacy Alerts) Bill 2013.
Source: ARN
Unions raise doubts over Telstra's copper network; workers using plastic bags to waterproof cables
Unions have told the ABC that Telstra's copper network is in a state of disrepair, with workers at the coalface of the infrastructure using plastic bags to protect cables from water.
Source: ABC News
AARNet upgrades submarine link to 40Gbps
Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet) and Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN) have completed a 40Gbps upgrade to a fibre link connecting Sydney and North America.
Source: Computerworld
NBN partner Service Stream extends trading halt again
NBN Co construction partner Service Stream has again extended its trading halt on the Australian Stock Exchange pending an announcement about Syntheo.
Source: Computerworld
An Exabyte a month by 2016 - Australia's Internet future
Australian internet traffic will increase by more than five times to hit one Exabyte of data a month by 2016.
Source: iTWire
Fair Work examines Telstra's five-day interview trial
Fair Work Australia is examining whether a trial recruitment method at Telstra involving a five-day interview process meets Australian workplace laws.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 21st Jun 2013
ACCC issues damning report on Telstra structural separation breaches
The ACCC has issued a damning report about Telstra’s non-compliance with its Structural Separation Undertaking (SSU) obligations under the NBN program. The report outlines seven areas in which Telstra allowed commercially sensitive information to pass between its wholesale and retail arms, putting its rival broadband providers at a disadvantage.
Source: iTWire
Telstra retail staff caught cancelling ISP orders
Telstra's retail staff have been discovered withdrawing new service orders lodged by some of Australia's internet service providers.
Source: iTnews Australia
Australian internet traffic to grow fivefold by 2016
Australian internet traffic has been doubling every 465 days since 2004 and will likely hit one exabyte of data a month by 2016, according to research from the University of Adelaide.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra breached competition rules: ACCC
The ACCC has said that Telstra breached competition rules in seven areas by sharing information between its wholesale and retail companies.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra investigated over NBN competition breaches
Telstra breached a number of measures to protect it from gaining a commercial advantage over its wholesale customers, according to an ACCC report.
Source: Computerworld