Broadband News

Mon, 03rd Sep 2012

Eftel's DSLAM write-down results in AU$2.08M loss

Eftel's decision to write down its DSLAM equipment saw the company report a loss of AU$2.08 million for the last financial year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra attacks ACCC's wholesale ADSL proposal on all fronts

Telstra is demanding that it should be exempt from being required to provide regulated wholesale ADSL services in at least 289 exchange services areas; that it should not be required to provide wholesale naked ADSL services and that wholesale prices should be set based on retail prices so that it is able to manage network congestion by adjusting retail prices without discriminating against wholesale customers.

Source: iTWire

Telstra invokes NBN in Naked DSL row

Telstra has stepped up its battle against potentially being forced to offer Naked DSL services on a wholesale basis, arguing that meeting the requirement could hurt the National Broadband Network.

Source: iTnews Australia

Fri, 31st Aug 2012

FttP half-truths mask whole-NBN deception

Malcolm Turnbull has been spruiking 12Mbps minimum broadband for years. Suddenly, it’s "just not satisfactory" - and it's OK for him to continue to dodge any substantive questions around the Coalition’s plan. Maybe that’s because nobody's asking them.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Optus launches usage alert service for customers

Optus has jumped in quickly, just ahead of the new consumer Telecommunications Protection Code coming into effect tomorrow, by launching its new usage alert service which will give customers greater transparency in managing spending on their mobile accounts.

Source: iTWire

Telstra trialling Samsung 4G network equipment

In a surprise revelation, Telstra has confirmed that it is trialling Samsung LTE 4G network equipment in Brisbane, as the telco giant pushes forward with plans to cover 66.6 per cent of the Australian population by June 2013.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Audit tick for fibre backhaul blackspot scheme

The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has won praise for its handling of the $250 million regional backbone blackspot program.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN seeks to bridge urban, rural legal services

Communications minister Stephen Conroy and Attorney-General Nicola Roxon announced $400,000 for the first round of successful applicants to share the NBN legal assistance partnerships.

Source: Computerworld

Optus introduces spending alerts system for post-paid customers

Optus has today introduced a new usage alert service for post-paid mobile customers, aiming to provide greater transparency of mobile accounts to enable better spend management.

Source: ARN

ACMA shocked by abolition calls

ACMA chairman Chris Chapman has said that he was "gobsmacked" by the Convergence Review recommendation that ACMA be abolished, saying he sees a big future for the authority in a digital world.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Thu, 30th Aug 2012

Billion's first new routers in two years

Australian specialist broadband device distributor, PCRange has starting shipping its first new Billion routers in two years, with the Billion V Series Broadcom chipset-based routers now coming on to the market in Australia.

Source: iTWire

Telstra to pull plug on 3GIS services at 10am Friday

Telstra is counting down the hours until the final shutdown of mobile services on the 3GIS network begins.

Source: iTnews Australia

Exetel internet outage brings down website, phone support

Australian ISP Exetel has experienced a network outage, which also brought down the company's support phone lines and website, leaving disconnected users to turn to social media.

Source: ZDNet Australia

iiNet's MD sells $13.2m worth of shares

Michael Malone, managing director at iiNet, has sold $13.2 million worth of shares in the company.

Source: Computerworld

Wed, 29th Aug 2012

Oakeshott 'surprised' at Coalition's Huawei pledge

Independent MP Rob Oakeshott has expressed surprise at a Coalition pledge to review Huawei's ban from NBN works should it come to power in the next election.

Source: iTnews Australia

Developers think NBN fibre is free: Opticomm

Fibre network company Opticomm has said that developers incorrectly believe that NBN Co's fibre installation in new housing developments is free of charge.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Turnbull sheds light on Coalition NBN plans

Malcolm Turnbull, Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband, has shed further light on what the Coalition's approach would be to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Source: Computerworld

NBN Co speeds up service delivery with automated tools

NBN Co is using management software tools to help speed up the delivery of new high-speed broadband services across Australia. The National Broadband Network wholesaler has deployed IBM Rational software to build the capabilities required to automate the process of activating services for retail service providers.

Source: Computerworld

Asian expansion helps boost Vocus results

Winning business from Asian carriers operating on the Singapore route and the flow through of benefits from the expanding cloud market has helped Australian-listed  telecommunications provider of Data Centre, Dark Fibre and International Internet connectivity, Vocus Communications, to a big increase in earnings and an expansion in revenue to $45.29 million for the full year 2012.

Source: iTWire

Coalition pledges to review Huawei's NBN lockout

Shadow communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has pledged to review Huawei's exclusion from National Broadband Network contracts should the Coalition come into power.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 28th Aug 2012

Vocus continues fibre optic network expansion

Vocus Communications plans to add 40km of fibre optic cable to its network in the coming financial year, further expanding its reach.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra 4G to reach 66% of Aussies by June 2013

Telstra has announced plans to extend its LTE to 66.6 per cent of Australians by June 2013.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra Wi-Fi gives Coke super-fast speeds

Coca-Cola Amatil has signed a deal with Telstra to deploy 3000 digital media units that will give people free Wi-Fi with their Coke purchase.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Mon, 27th Aug 2012

Telstra DNSChanger infections have almost halved

It's been about a month and a half since the temporary DNSChanger servers were cut from the internet, so how has Telstra's temporary redirect worked during that time?

Source: ZDNet Australia

Huawei rails against Aus Govt 'vendor discrimination'

Chinese telco giant Huawei has warned that proposed changes to telecommunications security legislation might harm competition by discriminating against particular vendors and their countries of origin.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Optus puts Facebook credits, BlackBerry apps on the phone bill

Optus has announced arrangements that will allow its subscribers to charge BlackBerry App World and Facebook credits purchases to their mobile phone accounts.

Source: iTWire

Telstra adds wholesale data products

Telstra announced a set of data products for wholesale customers available today.

Source: Computerworld

Optus signs on for BlackBerry, Facebook direct bill payments

Optus has jumped on the payments innovation bandwagon, allowing its customers to pay by having charges put on their mobile phone bill.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Fri, 24th Aug 2012

NBN satellite ground station to be built at Ceduna

Ceduna in South Australia has been announced as the location for another satellite ground station for the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Source: Computerworld

NBN spurs business process overhaul at Telstra

The NBN has driven Telstra to overhaul internal processes to become more competitive, according to Telstra director of products and IT enablement, Jenny Wood.

Source: Computerworld