Broadband News
Thu, 24th May 2012
Critics 'underestimate' NBN positive impact on eCommerce growth
Critics of the national broadband network (NBN) are underestimating its ability to remove the biggest supply chain impediments to e-commerce growth, according to one leading logistics and transportation company.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 23rd May 2012
Is internet porn bad for teen health?
A study by Australian researchers at the University of New South Wales and the University of Melbourne indicates an association between internet pornography and the sexual health of teenagers, with a review of literature in the area finding a strong correlation between teenage consumers of online porn and risky sexual behaviour.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co quashes wireless block claims
NBN Co has moved to quash concerns that it would refuse homeowners a wireless connection if speed tests conducted at installation did not reach peak speeds of 25 Mbps.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 22nd May 2012
Macquarie Telecom to provide NBN to its customers
Macquarie Telecom has successfully completed NBN Co's on-boarding certification program which will allow its customers to access the National Broadband Network's (NBN) increased bandwidth and connectivity.
Source: Computerworld
Chrome overtakes IE: does it matter?
Google's Chrome appears to have become the most-used browser, having surpassed Microsoft's Internet Explorer, according to StatCounter. The larger question about the browser war revolves around whether there is a platform benefit to being the top dog.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Conroy marks digitial economy milestone
The Department of Human Services will later this year start trialling delivering video services to citizens in regions with National Broadband Network connections. According to Senator Stephen Conroy, minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy, video consultations will be available for people seeking information and advice about Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services.
Source: iTWire
Vocus acquires Maxnet for $9.5m
IP transit and data centre provider Vocus has acquired New Zealand-based company Maxnet for $9.5 million in a bid to enter the data centre market across the Tasman.
Source: iTnews Australia
Speed to screen drives Fox Sports Australia's networking upgrade
Fox Sports Australia has moved to meet demand for play-by-play sports coverage on high definition (HD) TVs, tablets and smart phones by building a virtual private network enabling the media giant to send three HD broadcast feeds from sporting venues back to the studio over one connection.
Source: Computerworld
Education group: Schools need 100 Mbps per 1,000 broadband users
Schools in the U.S. will need broadband speeds of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students and staff members by the 2014-15 school year in order to meet a growing demand for Web-based instruction and a skyrocketing number of student-owned Web devices, according to a new report by a trade group representing state education agencies.
Source: Computerworld
Mon, 21st May 2012
National Botnet Network coming: Earthwave
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are on the rise, and, according to Earthwave CEO Carlo Minassian, the situation will get worse when the National Broadband Network (NBN) rolls out.
Source: ZDNet Australia
No agreement on Internet content: Lawyer
The rapid growth of the internet and social media are causing major legal headaches globally, with no clear-cut agreement on how to control content, a law lecturer says.
Source: Computerworld
Fri, 18th May 2012
Copper greenfield dominance irrelevant: Conroy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's office has said it means nothing that 35,000 Telstra copper connections have been made to houses in greenfield estates, even though it shows how many more premises it has reached than the government's National Broadband Network (NBN) fibre.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACMA eyes Telstra microwave spectrum for broadband
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is considering re-farming spectrum that underpins Telstra microwave links and radiotelecommunications services in rural Australia.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 17th May 2012
New homes dudded over NBN: Turnbull
Opposition communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, says the government's "prejudice" against the private sector left about 35,000 new homes connected to copper instead of fibre cable last year.
Source: Computerworld
Five pros and cons of the NBN
It's fast, ubiquitous and it boosts productivity. Are there any downsides to the National Broadband Network (NBN)?
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACMA probes 1.5GHz for spectrum shortfall
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has taken a step towards addressing what it thinks will be a 300MHz shortfall in spectrum for mobile services by 2020, releasing a discussion paper on the usage of 1.5GHz spectrum for mobile.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus scores five year, $15m contract to deliver NSW distance education via satellite
The NSW Department of Education and Communities has awarded Optus a five year contract worth around $15m to provide satellite services for its distance learning programme.
Source: iTWire
TravelSIM lowers US data roaming charges
Pre-paid international roaming provider TravelSIM has cut its data rates for the US to $1 per megabyte while roaming over AT&T's network in the country.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mobile data consumption set to skyrocket: Finding
Mobile data consumption is projected to increase, by 2016, ten times more than its current usage rate, according to research conducted by business intelligence firm, Informa Telecoms and Media.
Source: ARN
Wed, 16th May 2012
NSW Northern coasts to get fixed wireless NBN by mid-2013
Residents and businesses around Coffs Harbour, Taree, and Port Macquarie are slated to have access to high-speed fixed wireless broadband as part of the National Broadband Network (NBN), according to NBN Co.
Source: ARN
Tue, 15th May 2012
ICANN names 'Independent Objector" to new gTLDs
ICANN has named Alain Pellet, a former chairperson of the International Law Commission, to the curiously titled role of 'Independent Objector' for its new generic top-level domain program.
Source: iTWire
NBN FUD: will Abbott ever learn?
I am, of course, not privy to the private conversations between Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, but I would assume that at some point, over the past two and a bit years, Abbott would have sat Turnbull down and said something like, "Please, Mal, tell me what we're doing wrong with this National Broadband Network (NBN) thing, and why it cost us the election. Give me the facts, so I can correctly explain to the Australian people why it is a bad, bad idea".
Source: ZDNet Australia
Malaysia trumps Australia in NBN connection race
Malaysia's equivalent of the National Broadband Network is "comfortably outpacing" Australia's rollout effort but a lack of independence at the wholesale level from the country's incumbent could bite its market later, according to analyst firm Informa.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 14th May 2012
Full Spectrum: Optus 'free' broadband
Despite being slapped on the wrist for its last big advertising campaign, Optus is confident that its new "free" broadband ads won't catch the eye of the industry watchdog.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra, Vodafone turn on iPad Personal Hotspot
Telstra and Vodafone have released carrier setting updates to iPad owners, enabling the Personal Hotspot feature on the new iPad, and allowing users to share the data available through the SIM card with other Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Sun, 13th May 2012
Apple's iPad goes 'cellular' to avoid ridiculous 4G lawsuits?
After Apple was forced in Australia to note that its genuinely 4G capable iPad wasn't compatible with local 4G networks, even though its marketing materials had already made the distinction clear, Apple has now renamed its 4G iPad as "WiFi + Cellular".
Source: iTWire
Sat, 12th May 2012
Australian copyright law will be decided in Washington
Another round of talks to finalise the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement will conclude next week, this time in Dallas, Texas.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 11th May 2012
NBN contracts may be left alone: Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has indicated that a coalition government may let current National Broadband Network (NBN) contracts run their course, rather than face a multibillion-dollar termination payout bill.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Doubts cast over Pacific cable
The former joint venture partner in the Pacific Fibre initiative has cast doubt on the viability of the project, which aims to link Australia, New Zealand and the US with a new submarine cable.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fibre maker to hire 400 staff in Victoria for NBN
Fibre manufacturer, Corning Cable Systems, has pledged $40 million to add 300 to 400 jobs in Victoria in preparation for the peak rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: ARN