Broadband News

Thu, 24th Mar 2011

Labor backflips on NBN promise to regions

The government has backflipped on one of its key promises by proposing to allow the NBN to charge different access prices to regional and rural Australians.

Source: Australian IT

NBN struggles to put the who in wholesale

The National Broadband Network Companies Bill is currently before the Senate, having passed through the Upper House earlier this month. This is the legislation that will determine what the NBN Co can and cannot do.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 23rd Mar 2011

Will warring interests spoil wireless broth?

Wireless proponents are now providing even more reasons why wireless won't satisfy our bandwidth requirements, launching heated arguments for preferential treatment of Australia's "digital dividend" and other next-generation spectrum.

Source: ZDNet Australia

New NBN Bills impose developer penalties

Developers will have to ensure that their new developments are National Broadband Network-ready or risk facing penalties under legislation discussed in Parliament today.

Source: ZDNet Australia

TPG is rapidly expanding - NBN or not

TPG's results briefing package yesterday was, as per its custom, relatively sparse - just a page and a half of management commentary and a brief PowerPoint pack focused on the numbers. But if you delve beneath the surface at the telco, you’ll find a hive of activity.

Source: iTWire

The real future of TV: how IPTV works

Australia's burgeoning IPTV options are set to change the landscape of TV as we know it. We explore the future of digital broadcasting.

Source: APC Magazine

Simplify broadband laws: TPG

Broadband provider TPG has called on the government to simplify new laws to protect the NBN from opportunistic "cherry-pickers".

Source: Australian IT

Tue, 22nd Mar 2011

Adam Internet revamps business plans

In a bid to attract more business customers, South Australian ISP, Adam Internet, has revamped its business plans.

Source: ARN

CSIRO brings Ngara to NBN Co, regulators

The CSIRO this week met with vendors, regulators and NBN Co to discuss potential uses of its 'Ngara' wireless-over-TV technology.

Source: iTnews Australia

13 ISPs sign up to sell NZ fibre services

A total of 13 retail service providers have signalled their intention to provide services over the New Zealand Government's NZ$1.5 billion Ultra-Fast Broadband fibre network.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Revenge of the router: FRITZ!Box 7270 review

While the German-made AVM FRITZ!Box might be new to Australia, it's one of the most popular SOHO routers in Europe. And we can see why.

Source: APC Magazine

Piracy: are we being conned?

Is piracy really sending the entertainment industry broke or are the claimed hundreds of millions of dollars in annual losses and thousands of job cuts just a load of hogwash?

Source: SMH

TPG reports 23% rise in profits

Internet service provider TPG has announced half-year net profits of $33.8 million, up 23 per cent from the previous half-year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Will NBN wireless latency match ADSL?

Nbn Co has declined to say what latency can be expected from the wireless technology it will use to cover the small percentage of Australia that won't be covered by fibre-optic cable, in the wake of concerns the technology might be a step backward from what is currently offered by ADSL2+ fixed broadband.

Source: Delimiter

Optus satellite out of control

Optus has conceded it has started losing control of the last of its ageing B-series satellites as it announced plans to upgrade its regional fleet.

Source: Australian IT

Mon, 21st Mar 2011

Filter encourages complacency: Microsoft

Cyber safety will not be delivered by an internet filter alone, a series of high-profile internet companies have told a parliamentary committee.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Government introduces NBN legislation amendments

New amendments to legislation concerning the National Broadband Network (NBN) are being drafted by the Federal Government, according to Greens communications spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam.

Source: ARN

Singel-Optus set to expand coverage

Singtel-optus has revealed plans to expand its satellite capacity across its Australia and New Zealand coverage areas.

Source: Australian IT

Coalition: Government will never privatise NBN

The Federal Government will back down on its promise to privatise the National Broadband Network even after its completion, Coalition senators have claimed.

Source: ARN

VHA touts 850 MHz network rollout progress

Vodafone Hutchison Australia has deployed about a third of the 1500 cell sites planned for its new 3G 850 MHz network announced last year.

Source: iTnews Australia

Xenophon takes aim at NBN volume prices

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has outlined "significant problems" he has with provisions of the NBN Companies Bill that could allow NBN Co to vary price terms to access seekers in return for an "efficiency" gain.

Source: iTnews Australia

Govt to change NBN cherry-picking law

The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce a number of amendments to National Broadband Network legislation to address industry concerns around cherry-picking provisions for fibre network providers.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Putting NBN words in Cisco's mouth

Alright, admit it. Who's been feeding News Ltd commentator Andrew Bolt stats published by global networking giant Cisco? Fess up. We know it was one of you anti-NBN guys.

Source: Delimiter

NBN may not be completed, says Turnbull

Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull late last week warned the National Broadband Network may end up not being fully constructed, due to what he described as "the crippling costs of the project" and the likelihood that the Australian Labor Party might lose government in a future election.

Source: Delimiter

Sat, 19th Mar 2011

Telstra urged to disclose NBN deal

Investors and analysts have called on Telstra to provide more detail on its $11 billion deal to transfer its fixed-line monopoly to the NBN.

Source: Australian IT

Fri, 18th Mar 2011

Google CEO: NBN will help Australians waste more time

As Google boss Eric Schmidt knows, whenever he goes on the record about something as politically sensitive as Australia's $36 billion publicly funded National Broadband Network, it will get reported. Therefore, one has to wonder why he so willingly blurted out in an interview that the NBN will enable Australians to waste more time on YouTube.

Source: iTWire

NBN Co not phased by Telstra vote delay

national Broadband Network provider, NBN Co, has moved to allay fears that an announced delay of Telstra's extraordinary general meeting to put a vote to shareholders on selling the company's network for $11 billion could put the brakes on the NBN rollout.

Source: iTWire

Delays threaten $36bn NBN rollout

Delays threaten to hit the rollout of the national broadband network after Telstra postponed a shareholder vote on its deal with the NBN Co.

Source: Australian IT

University: Bundle student NBN access cost into HECS

Upfront technology costs including access to the National Broadband Network (NBN) should be part of the Federal Government's deferred education fee payment scheme for university students, according to Monash University.

Source: ARN

Telstra fails to meet NBN deal vote date

Telstra has announced that its $11 billion deal with the National Broadband Network Company won't be finalised in time for its shareholders to vote on by the 1 July deadline.

Source: ZDNet Australia