Broadband News

Thu, 11th Oct 2012

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

Sun, 07th Oct 2012

Nothing more important than NBN, says PM

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has used a Digital Economy Forum to emphasise the importance of the National Broadband Network, and the government's commitment to it.

Source: iTWire

Fri, 05th Oct 2012

Queensland schools to get NBN satellite

The Queensland Government has unveiled plans to connect 56 of the state's most regional and rural public schools to the National Broadband Network interim satellite service in a bid to improve internet connectivity for students.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN to play major role in ASKAP

The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope which opened today at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in WA will be utilising an NBN connection to transfer data at 40 gigabits per second--the equivalent of streaming 2,000 Blu-Ray movies simultaneously down a single pipe.

Source: Computerworld

Internet pumps billions into the Australian economy: Gillard

The Internet has contributed $50 billion to the Australian economy in 2010 and its indirect effects are worth an extra $80 billion a year, stressing the importance of a digital future, according to Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard.

Source: ARN

Bathurst 1000 accelerates Wi-Fi press trial

Online news and video generated by 140 journalists covering the annual Bathurst 1000 race at Mount Panorama in Bathurst, NSW, this weekend will be on the Web much faster due to a new Wi-Fi network trial.

Source: Computerworld

Thu, 04th Oct 2012

NBN fibre rollout in ACT reaches established areas

Fibre cable for the National Broadband Network (NBN) has been laid in the Australian Capital Territory, the first NBN cable to be laid in the state in an established area.

Source: Computerworld

Tasmania on the way to being first connected NBN state

Construction for the National Broadband Network (NBN) has commenced on 12,600 premises in Launceston, Somerset and Binalong Bay in Tasmania.

Source: Computerworld

Wed, 03rd Oct 2012

Turnbull, Hockey should say sorry for NBN claims: Conroy

Communications minister Stephen Conroy asked his opposition to apologise for what he called "outrageous claims" that the NBN will cost up to $100 billion.

Source: Computerworld

4G LTE could spur DDoS, mobile data theft

Hackers can leverage high speed and data capacity of LTE networks to perpetrate distributed denial-of-service attacks on networks, and also target data on mobile devices.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra tussles over greenfield duct standards

Telstra has lobbied the competition watchdog to establish standards for pit and pipe in greenfield estates over concerns those rolled out by developers were not up to scratch or poorly maintained.

Source: iTnews Australia