Broadband News
Thu, 13th Oct 2011
Telstra, NBN Co spar over conduit drawings
Telstra has reignited a stalemate with NBN Co over conduit ownership that is stalling the rollout of NBN fibre in up to 60 new housing estates across Australia.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 12th Oct 2011
Telcos split on mobile 1800 proposal
Mobile carriers have warned that a proposal to kill charges for mobile users to dial 1800 free call numbers would force them to renegotiate up to 400 contracts a day.
Source: iTnews Australia
Anittel to offer NBN services to regional SMEs
Anittel Group (ASX: AYG) - a provider of telco and IT services focussed on SMEs in regional Australia - has become a retail service provider of NBN services.
Source: iTWire
NBN users complain about battery backup
NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley has revealed mandatory back-up batteries as the biggest source of complaints from trial users of the National Broadband Network.
Source: iTnews Australia
Privacy body joins iiNet court case
Privacy advocates fear adverse consequences if Hollywood interests are handed a victory in an upcoming High Court appeal.
Source: Australian IT
Tue, 11th Oct 2011
ACMA to cut cost of calling 1800 and 13/1300 numbers from mobiles
The ACMA is planning to fix one of consumers' biggest complaints about mobile services: the high price of calling 1800 and 13/1300 numbers. It intends to make 1800 calls free and 13/1300 calls the same price as calls from a fixed line.
Source: iTWire
NBN docs reveal the suburbs that lost out
Internal National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) documentation has revealed the suburbs that narrowly missed out on being amongst the five mainland first release sites for the NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN less competitive than Chinese broadband market: Turnbull
Opposition communications spokesperson Malcolm Turnbull has again slammed the National Broadband Network (NBN) as overpriced with too much government intervention, saying that China has a more competitive broadband market than Australia thanks to the project.
Source: Computerworld
ACMA braces for rise in telco complaints
Complaints about telco services could rise in the short term despite regulatory efforts to curb them, Australian Communications and Media Authority deputy chair Richard Bean has warned.
Source: iTnews Australia
Conroy, Ludlam slam EIU anti-NBN report
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and Greens communications spokesperson Scott Ludlam have slammed a report that calls the National Broadband Network (NBN) "extreme government intervention", labelling the report as right-wing dogma.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Comms Alliance in iiNet court battle
The Communications Alliance is expected to lodge an application to intervene in Hollywood's landmark court case against iiNet.
Source: Australian IT
Optus Networks MD: 700MHz can turn 4G LTE from racehorse to workhorse
The 700MHz spectrum band will be important for making 4G LTE a workhorse rather than a racehorse, according to Optus Networks managing director, Günther Ottendorfer.
Source: ARN
Mon, 10th Oct 2011
NBN Co eyes pop-up facilities as PoIs
NBN Co has invested over $100 million in ten "multi-purpose" facilities that can act as points-of-interconnect (PoIs) to support the scale out of the broadband network.
Source: iTnews Australia
Emerson seals $100 million NBN deal
Under the deal Emerson will design, supply, install and commission 10 network facility centres across Australia as part of the NBN rollout.
Source: ARN
Fri, 07th Oct 2011
iiNet, AFACT prepare for High Court battle
The High Court showdown this December between iiNet and the league of content owners that is the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) is expected to be a short and sharp battle, but the case will likely shape copyright law in this country for years to come.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra Next G 'glitch' stopped user uploads
Telstra network engineers have worked to fix a "glitch" that was preventing mobile broadband customers across Australia on its Next G network from uploading data and sending emails.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN fibre to eclipse DSL tails in 2016
NBN Co's fibre network will surpass DSL penetration levels after 2015 if the next-generation rollout continues unhindered, according to analyst firm Telsyte.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 06th Oct 2011
NBN Co seeks to drive broadband prices higher than inflation: Fletcher
A submission to the ACCC from NBN Co seeks to increase prices for high end broadband services by inflation plus 5% over the next 30 years, which will result in massive charges without a competing service in coming years, according to former Optus senior executive turned Liberal MP Paul Fletcher.
Source: iTWire
'Authorisation' key to AFACT v iiNet High Court appeal
iiNet says High Court judges hearing the appeal in the copyright case it has been fighting against the movie studios will have to make a decision as to exactly what action, or non-action, by an ISP would constitute authorising its customers to download copyrighted material, and that this decision will bring much needed clarity to the industry.
Source: iTWire
Primus lights up Metro Fibre
Primus has completed the first stage of its project to add Optical Transport Network capability to its fibre rings.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 05th Oct 2011
iTunes price gouging: Apple not to blame
It is ironic in a week when the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) is going into battle yet again with ISP iiNet that the NSW Minister for Fair Trading Anthony Roberts has accused Apple of price gouging through its Australian iTunes online store. Could Mr Roberts be whipping the wrong horse and should instead focus his attention on the members of AFACT?
Source: iTWire
Film company goes after Aussie downloaders
Have you downloaded a copy of mob thriller Kill The Irishman? If so, your ISP could be forced to hand your details over to the film's copyright holder.
Source: ABC News
AFACT-iiNet showdown set for December
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft has confirmed that it will be bringing its case against iiNet to the High Court in the first week of December.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN cash should be for DSLAMs too: ISPs
Internode, iiNet and Adam Internet believe that if Telstra is being paid to decommission its copper network for the National Broadband Network roll-out, other internet service providers should also be compensated as their own infrastructure becomes obsolete.
Source: ZDNet Australia
No political agenda in choice of NBN first release sites
Hoping to confirm the oft-repeated claim that NBN Co's choice of first release sites was politically motivated the Sydney Morning Herald sought, and obtained, NBN Co internal planning documents under Freedom of Information legislation.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 04th Oct 2011
Gillard 'launches' stage two of NBN in Tasmania
Australia's embattled prime minister, Julia Gillard, seems to be clutching at good-news straws. She has today 'launched' the stage two NBN rollout in Tasmania, in Kingston Beach. But it has in fact been underway for some time, did not start in Kingston Beach and is behind schedule.
Source: iTWire
Virgin to introduce customised mobile plans
Virgin Mobile today announced it would simplify its mobile plans, to enable customers to build a monthly plan that suited their needs, through combining elective options for voice calls, texting and data.
Source: iTWire
iiTrial heads to High Court hearings in December
ISP iiNet will head to the High Court in December for the latest round of hearings in its long-running copyright battle with the film industry.
Source: iTnews Australia
Virgin opens 4GB potential to more users
Virgin Mobile has launched a component-priced mobile plan that allows customers to get 4GB of data quota on their handsets for under $40 a month.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 03rd Oct 2011
NBN may reduce need for new power plants
With the internet data per user growing at 40% a year, the power needed to support that growth is also growing. So do we need new power stations to support future broadband use? The NBN and Moore's Law may save us, according to the head of an Australian telecoms research program.
Source: iTWire