Broadband News
Tue, 24th Jul 2012
Misled TPG unlimited customers granted free exit
TPG customers that signed up to its $29.99 unlimited ADSL2+ plans can exit the contracts "without penalty" if they feel misled by the terms and conditions.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vodafone prepares August end to 3
Vodafone Hutchison Australia is on track to migrate its remaining 3 Mobile customers across to its primary 3G network by the end of August but chief executive Bill Morrow has warned of potential network contention issues in the lead-up to the switch.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 23rd Jul 2012
Optus 3G outage hits national users
Optus engineers have worked to fix core routers in the Global Switch facility in Sydney after an outage took out mobile data access to thousands of services nationally today.
Source: iTnews Australia
VHA loses $262.6m and 178,000 customers
Hutchison Telecommunications Australia (ASX: HTA) has reported a $131.3m operating loss for the half-year to 30 June 2012 from its 50 percent stake in VHA, putting that company's total loss for the half year at $262.6m a 68 percent increase on the corresponding previous half year.
Source: iTWire
Coalition's NBN cheaper? No says MyNetFone CEO
MyNetFone's CEO has rebuked Malcolm Turnbull's claims the Coalition could deliver a cheaper model for the National Broadband Network (NBN), stating the cost of maintaining the copper network will add to a fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) deployment.
Source: Computerworld
30 percent of NBN 'Coalition-proof' says Conroy
Communications minister Stephen Conroy has told Channel Ten that about 30 percent of the NBN, including the entire satellite and wireless components, would survive a Coalition election victory, so long as a Coalition Government honoured existing contracts.
Source: iTWire
Sun, 22nd Jul 2012
Tough times for Vodafone as revenues decline
Vodafone is facing tough trading times in almost every market, with trading in emerging markets not making up for poor performances from the company’s European markets. The group reports worldwide revenues declining by 7.7 percent, according to Ovum, and in Australia, as iTWire reports, there’s a pessimistic outlook for the group’s joint venture operation.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 20th Jul 2012
No-frills NBN provider aims for the tech savvy
A group of telco consultants and engineers in Victoria is planning to launch a not-for-profit internet service provider in an attempt to provide cheap access to the National Broadband Network for like-minded people.
Source: iTnews Australia
Turnbull slams ACCC approval of Optus and NBN Co agreement
Malcolm Turnbull has slammed the approval of the $800 million agreement with Optus and NBN Co which will see Optus decommission its HFC network.
Source: Computerworld
Optus' HFC cable customers to migrate to NBN
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has authorised the agreement with NBN Co to migrate Optus' Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) cable customers to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: ARN
Thu, 19th Jul 2012
ACCC approves Optus HFC deal
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has approved decommissioning Optus' Hybrid fibre-coaxial network, on the grounds that the competitive benefits soon won't be relevant to the NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Australia gets low broadband ranking
Australia's poor ranking in an international broadband report underpins the need for the national broadband network (NBN), Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says.
Source: ARN
Australia slips in broadband rankings
Australia has slipped in the latest global rankings on fixed line broadband penetration, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 18th Jul 2012
Is 5G WiFi the most confusing term of 2012?
In case you thought you knew about 802.11ac it all gets a little more confusing with Broadcom pushing the term 5G WiFi.
Source: PC Authority
ACMA to re-introduce 05 numbers in 2017
Remember when Telstra offered its "One Number" service, which had numbers starting with 05 008 and 05 007? I do, because I had one at the time: 05 008 54321, but sadly, the numpties at Telstra at the time killed the service.
Source: iTWire
Telco equipment firms find no joy in 4G revolution
With data traffic from video downloads and on-the-go web surfers clogging up telecoms networks, mobile equipment makers such as Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia Siemens Networks should be booming.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 16th Jul 2012
Conroy demands apology for false NBN claims
Senator Stephen Conroy has moved to reassure the Queensland regions of Townsville, Rockhampton and Mackay that they will receive the National Broadband Network (NBN) via fibre.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra launches prepaid LTE pocket WiFi hotspot
Telstra has made available a prepaid pocket WiFi hotspot that operates on its LTE network.
Source: iTWire
Optus switches on coverage in selected Sydney railway tunnels
Optus mobile customers in Sydney who use rail services on the city's North Shore and Western Lines will now receive mobile coverage through tunnels between Central and Chatswood stations, the telco announced today.
Source: ARN
Telstra's Wi-Fi 4G goes pre-paid
Telstra has announced the launch of its ninth 4G product in Australia, the Pre-Paid Wi-Fi 4G modem. The modem is available from tomorrow through Telstra stores and online.
Source: ARN
Submarine cable operators face US levy
Pacific submarine cable operators Southern Cross, OPT French Polynesia, Level 3 and PIPE Network have objected to a US Government proposal that would see them charged a 15.7 percent levy on quarterly revenues.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 13th Jul 2012
Telstra to gain $8b under coalition plan: analysts
Telstra stands to gain $8.2 billion in compensation for selling its copper network to a future coalition-led Federal Government, according to Deutsche Bank analysts.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 12th Jul 2012
ACCAN continues push for real-time data alerts
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network has continued to call for telcos to provide real-time data usage alerts, despite concessions by the media regulator on the issue.
Source: iTnews Australia
US company wins $280m NBN satellite equipment contract
US company ViaSat has won a contract from NBN Co worth at least $280 million to supply a Long Term Satellite Service (LTSS) for the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: Computerworld
Forget about Angry Birds, the NBN has Hungry Birds
Forget about Angry Birds, the National Broadband Network [NBN] has got its first Hungry Birds. Or, to be more specific, the Hungry Birds Cafe in Brunswick, Victoria.
Source: ARN
Wed, 11th Jul 2012
Coalition's NBN criticisms 'absurd' says Phil Ruthven
Leading futurist and social commentator, Phil Ruthven, has branded as "absurd" any suggestions that the NBN is a huge and wasteful expense.
Source: iTWire
Vodafone grabs Huawei pre-paid phones
Vodafone will exclusively sell two new low-cost Huawei Android phones in Australia on pre-paid plans, it was announced today.
Source: ARN
Megaupload founder offers deal to the US
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has offered to do a deal with U.S. prosecutors, who are seeking his extradition from New Zealand to the U.S.
Source: Computerworld
Telcos given six weeks to improve customer service
Telcos have been given six weeks to improve customer service standards on complaints handling, advertising and credit management, as the media watchdog prepares to register a revised code governing the industry.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN to create Australia's 'Last Spike' moment
The NBN will change education irrevocably, in the same way that the construction of railroads did so, long ago.
Source: ZDNet Australia