Broadband News
Fri, 02nd Dec 2011
iiTrial: AFACT dismisses individual user suits
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) has sought to downplay the relevance of section 202 of the Copyright Act in its ongoing battle with service provider iiNet.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiTrial: ISPs 'set up' by rights holders
Communications Alliance counsel Patrick Flynn has accused rights holders of "setting up" internet providers by delivering them an ultimatum to become copyright enforcers or be sued.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 01st Dec 2011
iiTrial: Court mulls 'partially effective' ISP warnings
The Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) has added weight to the proposition that passing on copyright infringement notices is only a "partially effective" means of an ISP avoiding accusations of authorisation.
Source: iTnews Australia
"Final" wholesale agreement a work in progress: NBN Co
Despite publishing its "final executable" Wholesale Broadband Agreement (WBA), NBN Co has conceded that the contract terms will continue to be open for consultation with industry and customers for further development.
Source: Computerworld
iiTrial: AFACT grilled on 'reasonable steps' for iiNet
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) has faced tough questions from three of five High Court Justices over the efficacy of an ISP warning its users of alleged copyright infringements.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 30th Nov 2011
iiTrial: Comms Alliance, APRA allowed to intervene
The High Court today dismissed four of six applications for amicus curiae, or "friends of the court", as hearings between service provider iiNet and content owners began in Canberra.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiNet vs. AFACT: the road to High Court
Today marks the beginning of the end for the landmark copyright infringement battle between iiNet and the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT). ZDNet Australia looks back into the three-year history of the case.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiNet forgoes 'Amazon-style' model in cloud push
iiNet has unveiled its take on infrastructure-as-a-service in the latest bid to ramp up its focus on the business market.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus continues WBA negotiations with NBN Co
Despite the expected release of NBN Co's Standard Form of Access Agreement today, Optus has confirmed it is still in negotiations with the company to address what it views as unresolved issues in the draft version of the agreement.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 29th Nov 2011
Govt trials NBN-based health monitoring
Chronically ill veterans will soon have their health monitored at home through technology driven by the Federal Government's high-speed National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: ZDNet Australia
ISPs stuck with 'Malaysia' piracy solution
You've got to have some sympathy for internet service providers, just like Labor with asylum seeker policies, no matter what they do around copyright infringement, someone will be unhappy.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co demo truck hits Tasmania
Nbn Co's demonstration truck has begun its nationwide journey in Tasmania this week, with the 23-tonne mobile 'discovery centre' having arrived in Devonport yesterday.
Source: Computerworld
Mon, 28th Nov 2011
ISP code a US-style privacy sell-out
Some may welcome it as a conciliatory and positive step towards resolving disputes between ISPs and copyright holders, but the industry's new code of practice also turns Australia away from the privacy protections of its European heritage, and towards an American-style regime where privacy is less sacred than commercial interests.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN oversight Committee to consider privatisation
Construction of the NBN has barely begun, yet the Parliamentary committee overseeing the project is already gearing up to consider privatisation of NBN Co.
Source: iTWire
Telstra exec: No more excuses for bad customer service
The telco may have had "reasonable reasons" for why it couldn't deliver on customer satisfaction, but not anymore, according to Telstra's consumer unit boss, Gordon Ballantyne.
Source: ARN
New warnings of NBN cost blow-out
The organisation engaged by the government to review NBN Co's corporate plan reportedly told the government that NBN Co capex would total $50.8b by 2028, as opposed to NBN Co's estimate of $35.9b by 2020.
Source: iTWire
Sat, 26th Nov 2011
Telstra's London datacentre: photos
Telstra is in the process of revamping a 10-year-old building shell in London to support a modern high-efficiency datacentre, with the help of consulting company On365.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Fri, 25th Nov 2011
Rights holders vetted in ISP copyright plan
A proposed scheme to address allegations of copyright infringement on the internet would force rights holders to open their detection technology to third-party audits and limit the number of notices to 100 per service provider a month.
Source: iTnews Australia
Early signs of NBN cost overruns: Oakeshott
The Joint Committee on the National Broadband Network has warned that NBN Co may be showing early signs of cost-blowouts and delays, with timeframe slippage and higher than expected operating expenditure recorded during the last six months.
Source: Computerworld
NBN operations facility finally opens in Melbourne
NBN Co has unveiled its mainland network operations and testing facility for the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Melbourne's docklands.
Source: ARN
EU rules against ISP filtering
Internet service providers cannot be forced to install filters aimed at preventing people from illegally downloading music and other files, the EU's top court has ruled.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Value-added broadband services increase uptake, revenue
A global study of the broadband market has found that value-added services, such as security, Voice Over IP (VoIP) and IPTV, added almost 37 percent to the basic broadband subscription during 2010, and generated $60 billion in revenue for vendors.
Source: iTWire
ISPs can't be forced to monitor traffic for copyright infringement, ECJ rules
In what some consider to be a landmark decision, the European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that forcing Internet service providers (ISPs) to monitor consumer traffic in order to block copyright infringement is incompatible with European Union laws.
Source: ARN
Thu, 24th Nov 2011
iiNet to beat AFACT in High Court but ISPs on borrowed time
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) is almost certain to lose its appeal against ISP iiNet in the High Court of Australia, according to a legal source close to the case. However, AFACT, now armed with the knowledge of how to correctly prosecute ISPs in future, is already getting ready to pounce on TPG, Dodo and others.
Source: iTWire
Form NBN fibre-expansion policy: Oakeshott
A parliamentary committee has demanded that the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) announce its policy on extending the 93 per cent fibre footprint of the NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
BigPond Cable upgrade - don't mention the speed
Telstra has just announced plans to upgrade its HFC network in Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Perth to support download speeds of up to 100Mbps, but oddly it does not seem to be too keen to tell customers about it.
Source: iTWire
Towers Bill could cost Telstra $2bn per year
Proposed legislation by the Greens and Independent MP Andrew Wilkie to increase the levels of community consultation around the maintenance of mobile phone towers could cost Telstra $2 billion a year in extra costs, according to the telco.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC finalises rules for services non-NBN high speed networks
The ACCC has, almost, finalised the rules that will govern the provision of NBN-type services over non-NBN high speed broadband access networks.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 23rd Nov 2011
Primus offers unlimited calls to fixed lines in 50 countries
Primus Australia has launched two new calling plans - 'Passport Easy' for its own fixed line customers and 'Lingo 50 Countries' a VoIP service for any fixed broadband user - that offer unlimited international calls to standard fixed numbers in 50 countries including China, India, Israel, UK and the USA.
Source: iTWire
Telstra gives HFC network 100Mbps boost
Although the death knell has tolled for Telstra's hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) network with the signing of the $11 billion deal with the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co), Telstra has committed to upgrading the network to provide speeds of 100 megabits per second by next month.
Source: ZDNet Australia