Broadband News
Wed, 04th May 2011
300MHz spectrum shortfall in 2020: ACMA
Australia's love of mobile internet will increase 1000 times from 2007 to 2020, forcing providers to find an extra 300MHz of spectrum in order to cope with the growing demand in the next nine years, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has warned.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiNet bucks TIO complaints trend
At at time when complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman are escalating, at least one major ISP - iiNet - is the subject of fewer complaints.
Source: iTWire
NBN must be detailed in budget: Abbott
An honest government would use next week's budget to demonstrate how the troubled National Broadband Network (NBN) would be delivered and at what cost, opposition leader Tony Abbott says.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co's planned points of interconnect updated
The ACCC has published a revised list of NBN points of interconnect, describing it as "a refinement of the outcome of the public confirmation process about the initial PoIs to the NBN."
Source: iTWire
Vodafone not a scapegoat for TIO spike
The Australian Communications and Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has warned telcos against scapegoating Vodafone for an unprecedented rise in telecommunications complaints referred to the industry's ombudsman.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vodafone Hutchison Australia joins NBN mainland trials
Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) has taken its first steps to providing consumer fixed-line broadband services by joining the mainland National Broadband Network (NBN) trials.
Source: ARN
ACMA sees demand for mobile spectrum peaking in 2018
Most forecasts for mobile broadband data are for exponential growth driven by increasingly smart devices and video services. The ACMA, however expects demand to peak in 2018 by which time short range wireless technologies accessing fibre to the premises networks will be easing demand for spectrum.
Source: iTWire
Fujitsu in $100m a year NBN hook up
The Gillard government is poised to announce that technology group Fujitsu will handle the rollout of the National Broadband Network.
Source: Australian IT
Vodafone 'main reason' for telco complaint increase
Vodafone customer complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in the last quarter have risen by 96 per cent when compared to the previous quarter, the telco ombudsman revealed today.
Source: SMH
Vodafone leads the charge as complaints against telcos surge to new high
Australia's peak telecoms users gripe body has slammed the latest complaints figures released by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), which show that consumer complaints for the first quarter of 2011 surged by 31%, easily eclipsing the previous record. Vodafone in particular and the other two major mobile providers were fingered as the chief culprits.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 03rd May 2011
Vividwireless switches on 4G for Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra
Wireless ISP, vividwireless, has expanded coverage of its 4G network to Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra.
Source: ARN
NBN delay attacks couched in impatience
Council areas given the chance to access the NBN seem to want it - and yesterday. But the NBN isn't going to be built overnight, and it really can't get started in earnest until it gets a disinterested Telstra to sign on the dotted line. Yet this hasn't stopped critics from attacking every delay as a failure of the NBN - even when they're contributing to those delays. Is this unfair criticism, or a fair cop by NBN Co?
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra contractors in court for staffing
About 10,000 call centre workers and door-to-door salespeople working as subcontractors for Telstra around Australia could be out-of-pocket as a result of being engaged as independent contractors.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Free DNS service adds IPv6 support
OpenDNS, one of the Internet's most popular free DNS services, is now offering production-grade support for IPv6, an upgrade to the Internet's main communications protocol known as IPv4.
Source: Computerworld
Mon, 02nd May 2011
Conroy moves to streamline regulation for smaller telcos
The Communications Minister wants to remove obligations to pay regulatory compliance costs for telcos making less than $25m in revenue.
Source: ARN
vividwireless flags TD-LTE network by year's end
Wireless broadband provider, vividwireless, has flagged plans to commence the nationwide rollout of a Time Division Duplex Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) network by year's end.
Source: Computerworld
Vodafone Infinite case costs Optus
Optus has been stuck with Vodafone's court costs after bringing a case against the mobile telco accusing it of misleading advertisements.
Source: ZDNet Australia
PennyTel engaged in stoush with Optus
Mobile VoIP provider PennyTel has threatened legal action against former wholesale partner Optus after the carrier informed PennyTel customers directly that their mobile services would "cease" in a fortnight.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vividwireless turns on Brisbane metro network
ISP vividwireless has switched on its Brisbane wireless broadband network, bringing its first Queensland customers onto the service late last week.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN will provide greater media convergence: Samsung
Samsung claims to have transitioned from producing 'just a TV' to creating an entertainment hub - and it says the NBN will further allow it to expand technology and content.
Source: ARN
Sat, 30th Apr 2011
NBN scout silent on inquiry
The process behind the hiring of the top executive at the NBN apparently failed to disclose controversial information.
Source: Australian IT
Fri, 29th Apr 2011
Communications issues bane of NBN existence
Continued discussion over who should gain responsibility for primary communication of the National Broadband Network (NBN) to end-users has continued to mount as industry, communities and network wholesaler come to grips with their respective roles in the process.
Source: Computerworld
NBN to boost video conferencing
The national broadband network could improve video conferencing, allowing more people to work from home and improve the country's productivity.
Source: Australian IT
Photos: here's what an NBN-install might look like in your street
So what does getting your street hooked up to the national broadband network actually involve? These photos, which Whirlpool user Sambo9 has courteously given us permission to republish here, show an NBN-install in detail. All images are by Sambo9. See the gallery on Flickr. All captions by Sambo9.
Source: PC Authority
Tasmanian towns trial NBN fibre extension
The seven stage 2 National Broadband Network sites in Tasmania will be first to trial a community-funded extension of the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) footprint beyond the 93 per cent currently mandated by government.
Source: Computerworld
NBN chiefs silent on scandal
The top two executives at the NBN did not raise an ongoing corruption investigation into their former employer before taking jobs to run the $36bn project.
Source: Australian IT
First Look: Telstra's Elite Mobile Wi-Fi, a better wireless broadband solution?
The Telstra Elite Mobile Wi-Fi puts a wireless hotspot in your pocket, but watch out for the hip-pocket hit when it comes to topping up with prepaid data. Read our first look review.
Source: PC Authority
1Gbps NBN a response to Google: Quigley
The chief executive of the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co), Mike Quigley, has admitted that the company's announcement of one-gigabit-per-second services on the NBN was in response to media criticism after Google's one gigabit US network had been announced.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co flags NBN fibre footprint extension process
Areas seated just outside the National Broadband Network (NBN) fibre footprint may still have a chance of being included through a new process to be trialled by NBN Co.
Source: ARN
Cities sidestepped in NBN second wave
Business has attacked the latest National Broadband Network rollout in Tasmania because it shuns the state's main cities.
Source: Australian IT