Broadband News
Tue, 19th Feb 2013
4G and NBN rollouts drive ICT spending: IDC
The NBN and 4G rollouts in Australia are driving ICT spending within the communications and media sector, according to analyst firm, IDC.
Source: ARN
Mon, 18th Feb 2013
Warrnambool users spent 10.5 days without internet
Residents of Warrnambool and surrounds spent an average of over 10 days without internet access and four days without mobile coverage in the wake of a Telstra exchange fire last year, according to a survey by RMIT University researchers.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tas switches on to NBN government services
Twenty new government services have been launched in Tasmania for the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co in struggle against time to change construction schedule perceptions
NBN continues to cop criticism for delays in its roll out schedule. There is little it can do but plug on and hope the perceptions change.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 15th Feb 2013
Turnbull's HFC plans 'doomed to fail': Industry
An alliance of Telstra's competitors has said that Shadow Communication Minister Malcolm Turnbull's plan to use existing HFC cable instead of NBN fibre won't work.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Fastel offers discounted residential NBN access services
Queensland Internet service provider, Fastel, will be offering discounted residential NBN access services following NBN Co's move of providing a migration incentive for retail service providers.
Source: ARN
NBN Co spends $94m on Northern NSW rollout
NBN Co has added a second fibre construction contract to Downer EDI's roster, bringing the total of the construction company's NBN contracts to $160 million.
Source: iTnews Australia
Turnbull: Coalition will honour existing NBN contracts
Shadow communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has said a Coalition government would honour existing contracts for the National Broadband Network.
Source: Computerworld
SingTel and Optus release 'stable' financials
Optus has joined Telstra and Vodafone in publishing its financial results. It's a mixed bag for Australia's number two telco.
Source: iTWire
Retaining HFC network for the NBN would stifle competition: Telstra competitors
An alternative rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) could be 'doomed to fail' if it used the hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) network, according to the Competitive Carriers Coalition (CCC).
Source: Computerworld
Thu, 14th Feb 2013
Downer EDI secures AU$94m for NSW NBN construction
Downer EDI has won a AU$94 million, two-year contract with NBN Co to provide extra construction work for the NBN fibre roll-out in northern New South Wales.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Qld calls to divert NBN funds to improve mobile coverage
The Queensland Liberal National government has called for the federal government to divert funding from the National Broadband Network rollout to improve mobile coverage in flood-affected areas.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus wins more mobile customers, earns less revenue
Australia's second largest carrier Optus added nearly 60,000 new mobile customers and increased its post-paid accounts by three percent in the last quarter, according to the latest SingTel quarterly report.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus slashes nearly 1000 staff in a year
Optus has shed 305 staff over the three months to 31 December, 2012, SingTel announced today.
Source: Computerworld
ACMA plots amateur radio band harvest for LTE
The Australian Communications and Media Authority wants to use a small, 2 MHz radio frequency band to create a larger block of spectrum for future 4G transmissions, a move that could inconvenience thousands of radio amateurs currently using the range.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 13th Feb 2013
Telstra cracks 90 Mbps in Perth LTE device tests
Telstra is readying a CAT4 wifi dongle and handset for its LTE network after field trials in Western Australia proved the devices capable of peak speeds exceeding 90 Mbps.
Source: iTnews Australia
Coffs Harbour switches on to the NBN
Fibre services for the National Broadband Network (NBN) has been switched on in Coffs Harbour, NSW.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra-Adam deal may spur competition: Exetel
Exetel has defied the statements made by other ISPs, and has said that Telstra's proposed takeover of Adam Internet could help competition.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN hearing descends into name-calling
We can't trust our politicians to behave at the best of times. At the Senate Estimates hearing into the National Broadband Network they acted like ten - no eight - year olds.
Source: iTWire
ACCC on guard against net content shaping
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has given its strongest indication yet that it will examine closely any efforts by telcos, including Telstra, to favour certain types of content over other types traversing the network.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiNet launches bundled NBN business plans
iiNet has announced bundled business plans for the National Broadband Network (NBN), starting at $79.95 per month on 25Mbps.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co downgrades construction targets
NBN Co has downgraded its June 2013 target for the number of premises passed due to construction delays from Syntheo.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 12th Feb 2013
NBN Co teams up with strata group for apartment trial
NBN Co is attempting to tackle the tricky issue of obtaining consent from unit owners to roll out fibre into multi-dwelling units.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Critics question Telstra's motives on P2P throttling
Consumer groups fear a trial by Telstra that will slow the speed of peer-to-peer (P2P) services could be the start of a trend that sees ISPs "interfering in people's online activities".
Source: SMH
Is Telstra's P2P throttling really so bad?
We all know what happens when an entire suburb turns on their split-cycle air conditioners on a 43-degree day. This is the same thing that happens to shared HFC networks when a few fanatics set out to download every piece of data known to man.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 11th Feb 2013
Falling prices, NBN to boost videoconferencing market
The local market for videoconferencing products and services is "still quite buoyant" according to Garry Scarborough, acting country manager at LifeSize Communications.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co, strata tie-up to ease fibre into unit blocks
Strata Community Australia (SCA) has allied itself with NBN Co to make it easier for the network builder to get building access to multi-dwelling units as it rolls out the national network.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra links ADSL 'congestion pricing', deep packet trial
Telstra has linked a trial of deep packet inspection technology to a broader plan of attack against network congestion that also includes an unpopular plan to raise wholesale ADSL prices.
Source: iTnews Australia
Australia, NZ governments to regulate mobile roaming
The Australian and New Zealand governments have decided to regulate high trans-Tasman mobile roaming rates, following industry consultation and the commissioning of several market studies.
Source: iTnews Australia
Sun, 10th Feb 2013
Australia and NZ team up to tackle mobile roaming charges
Both governments will give their independent regulators new powers in a bid to bring down high trans-Tasman mobile roaming costs.
Source: ZDNet Australia