Broadband News
Mon, 15th Oct 2012
165,000 premises added to the NBN rollout
Thousands more homes added to the NBN map across nearly every Australian state - are you linked in?
Source: PC Authority
Cost of canning the NBN at least $2.3 billion
Taxpayers face an estimated $2.3 billion bill should the National Broadband Network be terminated, a half billion dollar increase on figures from May, according to the Department of Broadband's annual report.
Source: iTnews Australia
Sun, 14th Oct 2012
VHA to sit at digital dividend auction table
Vodafone Hutchison Australia does not need expensive digital dividend spectrum for its mobile network, but won't sit outside the spectrum auction process entirely, according to CEO Bill Morrow.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 12th Oct 2012
Opinion: Telcos losing billions in SMS revenue? Get over it
Free messaging services like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are supposedly costing the telcos billions, but how much have they made by charging for a service that costs them practically nothing to begin with?
Source: PC Authority
Broadband spectrum auctions a 'mistake'
Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer says the money can be better used by telcos to provide wider, better connectivity to rural communities and spur societies to advance through tech.
Source: ZDNet Australia
A third of the world's population has internet: UN
More than a third of the world's population is online while mobile phone uptake increased by more than 600 million in 2011 to around six billion, according to a UN agency.
Source: SMH
Thu, 11th Oct 2012
Internode bags A/NZ Internet award
Internode recently collected an A/NZ Internet award (ANZIA) for its pioneering work to deliver Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) to Australia.
Source: ARN
Versus: Telstra 4G versus Optus 4G
Next time you need to download something quickly, you're better off doing it over 4G than your home's ADSL2+ connection.
Source: PC Authority
Internet TV now "mainstream" in Australia - but what about piracy?
One quarter of Australians have watched TV over the Internet, says a report by ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority), That includes catchup viewing like the ABC's iView, but true iPTV is still not widely used. And the report ignores illegal downoads.
Source: iTWire
Huawei could be blocked from Canadian network
Canada indicated strongly on Tuesday it would exclude Chinese telecom equipment giant Huawei from helping to build a secure government communications network because of possible security risks.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra buoyed by $1.6b subsidies: Vodafone
Vodafone Hutchison Australia has accused Telstra of being buoyed as market incumbent with up to $1.6 billion in industry subsidies over the past decade due to skewed regulation.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 10th Oct 2012
Turnbull needs to stop the "witch hunts", Conroy says
Senator Stephen Conroy has again called on Malcolm Turnbull to answer questions about the Coalition’s National Broadband Network (NBN) policy, instead of continuing to make attacks.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co prepares first copper disconnects
NBN Co has unveiled plans to disconnect copper and cable broadband services at 15 of the first fibre rollout areas by May 2014 as it moves to migrate customers off Telstra's fixed networks.
Source: iTnews Australia
Conroy's subsea cable plans 'a real worry': Hackett
Internode founder and iiNet Director Simon Hackett has said that the Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's plans for a government-owned subsea cable are a real worry.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co: Countdown for copper switch-off for 25,000 homes
Residents and businesses at around 25,000 premises in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania will be forced onto the National Broadband Network (NBN) in around 19 months, after copper and cable internet in their suburbs is switched off.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co says sign-up for fibre early
NBN Co wants early adopters in the 15 locations across Australia that will switch to fibre optic broadband over the next 18 months.
Source: ARN
Attorney-General told to keep data retention to six months
The Attorney-General's Department was told to keep a mandatory data retention regime to a maximum of six months before it initiated public consultation proposing metadata retention for "up to two years".
Source: iTnews Australia
Telco code won't end bill shock: Ombudsman
The recently revised industry code on telecommunications consumer protections is unlikely to completely end bill shock or consumer complaints, the industry ombudsman has warned.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 09th Oct 2012
Australia's shrinking ISP competition
New statistics published today as part of the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Internet Activity Survey (IAS) have revealed that the number of players in the ISP market is continuing to shrink.
Source: Computerworld
iiNet introduces new 4G services
Internet service provider, iiNet, has launched a new range of 4G services and two 4G devices to boost customer choice.
Source: ARN
Will Turnbull use an NBN Co boardroom coup to manipulate Telstra?
It's clear that Malcolm Turnbull wouldn't keep Mike Quigley around for long if he could help it - but would a victorious Coalition dangle NBN Co executive positions to get Telstra to help make FttN's numbers work?
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN won't help Aussie IT offshoring woes
The National Broadband Network could exacerbate the offshoring of ICT and other services-oriented jobs, according to a revised National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) analysis.
Source: iTnews Australia
Turnbull warns on data retention laws
Shadow communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has blasted the Federal Government's proposed mandatory data retention regime as contrary to Australians' right to privacy and impractical to establish.
Source: iTnews Australia
ISP offers pay-as-you-go NBN plan
ISP Australian Broadband Services (AusBBS) has released the first pay-as-you-go plan (PAYG) for the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: Computerworld
Bondi Beach to get free wi-fi
Waverley Council has unveiled plans to trial a free wi-fi network at Bondi Beach and the surrounding areas in order to determine the viability of the service.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 08th Oct 2012
ACMA targets Telstra over privacy breach
ACMA has directed Telstra to comply with a privacy clause in the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (TCP) following the telco’s breach of the code for over eight months last year.
Source: Computerworld
NBN executive inexperience led to 'gold-plating': Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley and other executives in the company of being unsuitable to run the company.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Two thirds of businesses see no benefit in NBN beyond fast Internet
The latest findings from Roy Morgan research suggest that only 29 percent of businesses expect the NBN to benefit or be useful to their business.
Source: iTWire
US issues new warning on Huawei, ZTE
US Government officials have urged private sector companies away from using Huawei network gear for fear its equipment could open doors to spying.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus customers to see $1 to $6 price hike
Optus customers will see a price hike on most phone and broadband plans next month, the telco said. The carrier this month reduced the number of plans available and did away with peak and off-peak data limits.
Source: Computerworld