Broadband News

Mon, 13th Aug 2012

What if you say no when the NBN comes to your street?

Australians can elect not to be connected, but a decision is yet to be made on whether you’ll have to pay if you want the NBN at a later date.

Source: PC Authority

Coalition to reassess Huawei NBN ban

The Australian Federal Coalition has indicated that it might reconsider the ban on Huawei tendering for the NBN, should the Coalition win the next federal election in 2013.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN Co formalises user-pays fibre, wireless extensions

NBN Co has formalised a policy allowing users to request an extension to the National Broadband Network's fibre or fixed wireless networks, 15 months after first trialling the user-pays upgrade process in Tasmania.

Source: iTnews Australia

Sat, 11th Aug 2012

The Internet IPv4 address business

Don't want to switch over to IPv6 yet? It's getting to be easier to switch IPv4 Internet address blocks from region to region and to buy them from the free market.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Fri, 10th Aug 2012

We'll wait and see on NBN chief: Hockey

Shadow Treasurer Hockey will not say whether NBN Co's CEO would keep his job if the Coalition wins the next Australian Federal Election.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Internode, Exetel enter Telstra greenfields game

Internet service providers have begun offering competitive services to residents in fibre-to-the-home estates previously locked to Telstra, but first pricing indicates an ongoing wholesale price squeeze.

Source: iTnews Australia

TPG guns for SMBs with new VoIP plans

TPG has decided to cater to the small end of town with two new business VoIP plans.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Roxon reportedly pushes back data retention law

The Federal Government’s controversial data retention scheme has reportedly been stalled until after the next election.

Source: iTnews Australia

Prysmian unveils NBN cable factory

Fibre cable manufacturer Prysmian has opened a new $11 million facility in northern Sydney in a bid to ramp up supply of optic fibre for the National Broadband Network.

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 09th Aug 2012

Prysmian expands Sydney fibre factory for NBN

Cabling company Prysmian has opened an expanded fibre production factory in Dee Why, New South Wales to provide fibre cable for the National Broadband Network.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra boosts NBN, mobile investments

Telstra has unveiled plans to speed up its migration to Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband technology, investing a total $1.2 billion and upgrading between 1000 and 1500 mobile base stations over the next 12 months.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus completes $10m mobile network upgrade

Optus has completed a $10 million, two-year mobile network upgrade across Greater Darwin and Palmerston in the Northern Territory, improving 3G access in the region.

Source: Computerworld

NBN hopelessly behind targets: Lib MP

The head of the National Broadband Network would probably have been fired if the project was funded by the private sector, says a federal Liberal MP with senior experience in the telecommunications industry.

Source: ARN

Telstra reinvests AU$1.2bn in network

Telstra plans to invest AU$1.2 billion back into its mobile network, as the company today reported a full-year profit of AU$3.4 billion on the back of adding 1.6 million mobile customers in the last year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Internode launches new broadband plans

Internet service provider, Internode, has launched a set of new Reach Fibre Access Broadband (FAB) plans that will be available at over 125 greenfield real estate developments throughout the Australian mainland.

Source: ARN

Aus Govt let public down on NBN: Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull has said that the Australian Government is letting the public down with NBN delays and cost blowouts.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Government grants $27m to NBN-enabled education projects

The Federal Government has handed $27 million in grants to 12 education and training projects which utilise the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Source: Computerworld

NBN creates 50 new jobs in North Sydney

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, is applauding an $11 million investment by Prysmian fibre company that will create up to 50 new jobs will be created in North Sydney.

Source: ARN

Wed, 08th Aug 2012

Capital cost of the NBN increases $1.4 billion

The capital cost to build to National Broadband Network (NBN) has increased $1.4 billion to $37.4 billion, according to a revised corporate plan which was released by NBN Co today.

Source: Computerworld

Back-up batteries for NBN Co FTTP customers to be optional

After months of deliberation the Government has reversed its initial decision that backup batteries should be mandatory for the NBN's FTTH service.

Source: iTWire

NBN Co's second corporate plan in numbers

NBN Co has released its much-anticipated second corporate plan (pdf), revising many of the numbers and assumptions in the 2010 version and updating it to reflect significant project scope changes.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN risks: Can NBN Co scale up the rollout?

The biggest risk to the National Broadband Network (NBN) in the next two years will be the ability of NBN Co to scale up the pace of the rollout, according to an Ovum analyst.

Source: Computerworld

Conroy: NBN "on track", wholesale broadband prices to fall over time

The government is "on track" to meet its target to provide the network for 758,000 fibre premises commenced or completed by the end of 2012, he said. However, the construction time for the NBN has been extended by six months despite the nine-month delay due to the completion of the Telstra deal, he noted.

Source: ARN

NBN Co tips increased costs, 6-month delay

NBN Co has today released its revised corporate plan, outlining new roll-out targets and expected costs and revenues for Australia's NBN.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN turns opt-out for future builds

NBN Co has unveiled plans to automatically connect homes to the National Broadband Network in future construction builds in a move expected to save costs over the long-term but contribute to increased capital expenditure for the network build in the first several years.

Source: iTnews Australia

Conroy: NBN to pass 758,000 premises by end of 2012

Broadband minister Senator Stephen Conroy has told a Sydney forum hosted by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy that the rollout of the National Broadband Network will pass 758,000 premises before 2013.

Source: Computerworld

Tue, 07th Aug 2012

NICTA spin-off shows off GiFi

NICTA spin-off company Nitero has begun showing off its 60GHz Wi-Fi to the industry, as part of a fund-raising exercise for the company.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telecoms tipped to take 10 percent of global energy

Alcatel-Lucent is calling for urgent action to improve the energy efficiency of telecommunications networks amid predictions that, on current projections, the Internet could consume as much as 10 percent of global energy supply by 2020.

Source: iTWire

AAPT, Melbourne IT face privacy probe

AAPT and Melbourne IT face investigation by the federal privacy watchdog over a data breach that could involve as much as 40 GB of customer data.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telcos commend TCP code changes

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will soon register the new Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) code on September 1, charting how telecommunications providers should engage with their customers.

Source: ARN