Broadband News
Thu, 21st Feb 2013
Telstra sacks 650 staff from Sensis arm
Telstra will axe 650 jobs from its Sensis business which comprises the Yellow Pages, White Pages and the Trading Post.
Source: ARN
Wed, 20th Feb 2013
Telstra's superfast 4G hints at Vodafone's prospects
Telstra's brag about getting 90 megabits per second (Mbps) download speeds using CAT4 4G devices in Perth could give us a hint about Vodafone's chances with 4G.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ISPs, industry raise Trans-Tasman cable competition concerns
ISPs and other internet industry players have raised anti-competitive concerns over the new Tasman Global Access (TGA) subsea cable to run between Australia and New Zealand.
Source: iTnews Australia
Brisbane begins switching on to the NBN
Around 500 premises have been switched on to the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Aspley, Brisbane, with another 1700 premises to join the network in the coming weeks, according to NBN Co.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra to combat congestion with small cell networks
Telstra is moving to combat congestion on its mobile network in city areas through the trial of small cell networks known as heterogeneous networks.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra commits to 4G in 900 MHz
Telstra is set to trial a raft of new technologies aimed at increasing the speed and spread of its 4G network.
Source: iTnews Australia
A cable under the Tasman is worth two on the drawing board
It took the dastardly Telecom New Zealand to come up with a realistic plan working with Vodafone NZ and Telstra to finally deliver on this long awaited cable project.
Source: ZDNet Australia
People to pay for cable with Libs: Conroy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says Australians will have to pay up to $3000 for the final kilometre of fibre cable to their premises under a coalition plan.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 19th Feb 2013
Vodafone pushes 4G to 67 Mbps peak
Vodafone has kicked off tests of its 1800 MHz 4G network in Sydney's eastern suburbs, recording peak downlink speeds as high as 67 Mbps.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra techs face second fire-damaged exchange
Telstra has been left with its second scorched exchange in three months after a bushfire swept across part of Kangaroo Island yesterday.
Source: iTnews Australia
Aussies to pay as much as $3k for high speed broadband: Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has confirmed Coalition plans to make Australians pay as much as $3000 if they wanted to connect to superfast broadband.
Source: ARN
Turnbull supports user-pays fibre NBN
Australian Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said that he would support an NBN scheme where residents pay to upgrade the last mile of copper to fibre.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Sorry but HFC must go says Turnbull
Telstra's HFC Bigpond Cable network would unfortunately not survive under a Coalition Federal Government, according to Shadow Broadband Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Well at least that's the inference from his answer to a question from iTWire after his keynote address at the Kickstart conference on the Sunshine Coast today.
Source: iTWire
Coalition's NBN will look like a "dog's breakfast": Ludlam
Greens Senator, Scott Ludlam, believes the Coalition's version of the National Broadband Network (NBN) will end up looking like a "dog’s breakfast" if it wins the federal election in September.
Source: Computerworld
Telcos join forces for new trans-Tasman cable
Telecom NZ, Vodafone NZ, and Telstra are spending a total of US$60 million to build a submarine cable between Auckland and Sydney.
Source: ZDNet Australia
New trans-Tasman cable announced
Telstra and New Zealand telcos Telecom and Vodafone this morning announced that they are planning a joint cable project across the Tasman Sea.
Source: iTnews Australia
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