Broadband News
Fri, 08th Mar 2013
NBN users won't pay for high speeds, economist says
Former Telstra chief economist John de Ridder has said consumers will not be prepared to pay more for higher speeds on the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: Computerworld
ACMA mulls long-term strategy for LTE spectrum
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has started canvassing long-term options for the 1800 MHz band favoured by mobile telcos for LTE voice and data services.
Source: iTnews Australia
Conroy rejects NBN favours marginal seats
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has dismissed claims marginal electorates in western Sydney are being favoured in the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: Computerworld
Telstra to raise a billion Euros to fund spectrum auction
Telstra has gone to the Eurozone to raise more than a billion dollars. It seems the money will be used to buy more spectrum in next month’s Digital Dividend auction.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 07th Mar 2013
TPG's Teoh tops BRW's Rich Women list
TPG's Vicky Teoh takes top spot with an estimated worth of $390 million.
Source: ARN
Australian mobile data boom on back of 4G
The amount of data that Australians are consuming over mobile networks is set to increase six-fold by 2017, with 4G leading the way, according to Cisco.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN will attract firms to Dubbo, mayor says
Dubbo City Council believes a superfast broadband connection will encourage firms to relocate from Sydney to the regional NSW city.
Source: Computerworld
Broadband blues: thousands stuck in the slow lane
Hundreds of thousands of Australians, even in capital cities, are unable to access quality home broadband due to ageing infrastructure and black spots, leading to calls for the government to change the NBN rollout to reach these areas first.
Source: SMH
The great NBN rollout non-debate
There has been a lot of smoke but little fire around the NBN's construction schedule. Ideology has obscured the facts - or the facts are interpreted through partisan eyes.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co responds to fibre delays analysis
Last night (Wednesday evening) NBN Co sent iTnews a detailed statement claiming that our analysis of its rollout progress was "untrue" and "not supported by the facts."
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 06th Mar 2013
iPrimus suffers nationwide broadband outage
Internet service provider iPrimus suffered a half-hour outage nationwide at 5pm AEDT, blaming equipment failure.
Source: iTnews Australia
Liftoff for NSW prison mobile jamming trial
The NSW Department of Corrective Services has approached the market for a trial of Australia’s first mobile jamming system in Lithgow Jail.
Source: iTnews Australia
Unmetered NBN - so long as it's off peak
Exetel is offering unmetered NBN, but only after 1am and before 9am. Download your movies overnight!
Source: iTWire
NBN Co fudges numbers to expand rollout
NBN Co has delayed fibre connections to 69,500 premises in one month alone in order to begin construction activities in a greater number of Australian cities and towns, an iTnews analysis can reveal.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 05th Mar 2013
Turnbull's NBN will cost users $6000 per home to connect: Conroy
Opposition shadow minister, Malcolm Turnbull, wants to charge Australians up to $6000 for Internet access.
Source: ARN
Turnbull still confident of Telstra-NBN deal change
Australian Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is confident that Telstra would be willing to renegotiate its AU$11 billion deal for the NBN should there be a change of government in September.
Source: ZDNet Australia
'Fibre-like' satellite broadband promised to Australia
A satellite provider is set to launch a broadband service that covers the Pacific including Australia with gigabit speeds and comparatively low latency.
Source: iTnews Australia
Dodo prepares for life in a post-ISP era
The Australian Internet service provider (ISP) market has continued to go through a process of consolidation. Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in October 2012 revealed that the number of 'medium'-sized ISPs - those with 1000-10,000 customers - dropped 25 per cent in the space of a year. ISPs with more than 100,000 customers dropped from 10 to eight in the same period.
Source: Computerworld
Exetel brings unmetered downloads to NBN plans
ISP Exetel will offer eight hours a day of unmetered downloads across its range of National Broadband Network internet service plans, in part to offset a return to higher prices for the services.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 04th Mar 2013
Coalition stuck with $11bn Telstra-NBN contract value
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has latched onto comments by Telstra overnight where the carrier ruled out renegotiating its $11 billion deal with the Government if it meant accepting less money.
Source: iTnews Australia
'We had the same debate': France approves NBN blueprint
Australia's fibre-to-the-home approach for the National Broadband Network is 'the best and most sustainable solution', according to the French minister delegate for small and medium enterprise Fleur Pellerin.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Law firm mum on Vodafone class action sign-ups
The law firm behind a class action lawsuit levelled at Vodafone has refused to provide any details on the number of people who signed up to the suit in the first week of registrations going live.
Source: iTnews Australia
Households use more data with NBN: study
Households that have switched to an NBN service download more data than they did previously, according to a study by the University of Melbourne and Swinburne University.
Source: ARN
Driven by 10G, Ethernet switches buck economic headwinds
The Ethernet switch market eked out modest growth in 2012 against the backdrop of an uncertain global economy, underscored by weakness in Europe and lower public sector spending.
Source: Computerworld
Most households not paying more for NBN internet
A university study has found most early adopters of the NBN are not paying more for their Internet connection.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co satellite launch contract to go to Arianespace
European space company Arianespace will get the $300 milion contract for launching two satellites for NBN Co, The Australian reports.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 01st Mar 2013
TCP code takes effect
The new Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code has taken effect as of today, requiring all Australian service providers to give customers a standardised format "Critical Information Summary" (CIS).
Source: ARN
Gillard government invests $4m in Vodafone
The Gillard government is providing $4 million to Vodafone Hutchison Australia to facilitate the creation of 750 new customer service jobs in Hobart.
Source: ARN
Vocus focuses on fibre as rollout hits halfway
Vocus Communications is crafting strategies to sell more capacity on its burgeoning capital city fibre network as it looks to grow utilisation from the current level of 5.6 percent.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vodafone to add 750 jobs in Tasmania following government cash injection
Vodafone will add 750 new jobs to its customer care centre in Tasmania, following $4.85 million in funding from the federal and Tasmanian governments.
Source: Computerworld