Broadband News

Fri, 11th Mar 2011

IIA to develop copyright guide for courts

Australia's peak internet industry body has moved rapidly to protect its members from liability for online piracy.

Source: Australian IT

iiTrial costs case likely in June

ISP iiNet may have to wait until June to argue costs stemming from its latest success in a long-running copyright case with the film industry, due to the unavailability of one of three Federal Court judges.

Source: iTnews Australia

Conroy talks up NBN participation

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has joined an international delegation in talking up the opportunity for greater levels of citizen participation through ubiquitous broadband.

Source: iTnews Australia

Is your broadband the worse for Wi-Fi?

Internet performance monitoring company Epitiro says consumers are losing on average of 30 percent of downstream broadband bandwidth and suffering 20 to 40 percent increases in latency by using Wi-Fi rather than wired ethernet to connect their PCs etc to their broadband router.

Source: iTWire

iiNet, Nextep deploy DSLAMs in Geraldton

ISP iiNet has wasted no time taking advantage of a new backhaul route in Western Australia, deploying three DSLAM racks in the Geraldton exchange.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiTrial spurs ISP industry piracy code

The organisation representing Australia's internet industry today revealed it would "immediately" start working on a new industry code of practice to detail ISPs and hosting providers' rights and obligations when dealing with alleged copyright infringements by their users, in the wake of an interim result in copyright holders' high-profile legal action against iiNet.

Source: Delimiter

Nextgen lights up WA fibre

Nextgen has switched on its fibre backhaul link between Perth and Geraldton.

Source: ARN

Keep copper in towns excluded from NBN fibre: Digital Tasmania

Premises in Tasmania earmarked for wireless coverage under the National Broadband Network (NBN) that already have existing ADSL connections should be able to retain their services, according to Digital Tasmania.

Source: ARN

SAP Australia chief decries NBN "wasted investment"

The managing director of the Australian branch of global software giant SAP has broken ranks dramatically with other leaders in Australia's technology industry in their support for the Federal Government's flagship National Broadband Network project, declaring the initiative a "wasted investment" because it doesn't focus on wireless technology.

Source: iTWire

NBN: Korea kept its HFC cable, says Turnbull

Shadow Communications Minister Turnbull appears to have returned from an impromptu study tour of the telecommunications facilities in Asian countries with fresh ammunition for Australia's own broadband debate, pointing out that global broadband giant South Korea has maintained both HFC cable and fibre options for residents.

Source: Delimiter

Thu, 10th Mar 2011

NBN will drive working from home opportunities: Lundy

The National Broadband Network (NBN) will increase the advantages of employees working from home for many businesses, according to government and industry representatives.

Source: Computerworld

40% prefer 4G wireless broadband to fibre poll equals NBN financial headache

A poll purporting to show that 4G wireless broadband will not threaten the business case of the FttH National Broadband Network (NBN) appears to show the exact opposite. According to the Compare Broadband poll, 40% of respondents to the small online poll say they would prefer to use 4G wireless to the NBN in the future, which if true would put a severe dent in the NBN business case.

Source: iTWire

$500m rail spectrum investment in limbo

There was still no certainty for the states' 1800MHz spectrum-dependent $500 million investment in national rail safety.

Source: Australian IT

NBN good, but DSL works fine: Salmat

While the the National Broadband Network (NBN) may help some businesses enable remote working, contact centre management specialist Salmat is already making do, according to its head of teleworking.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra's threatening its wholesale: NBN Co

Telstra's proposed amendments to legislation for the National Broadband Network (NBN), which seek to limit NBN Co's ability to offer services directly to non-telco corporations with carrier licences, would in fact stop Telstra from offering wholesale fixed-line services, a Senate inquiry has heard.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Dumping cherry-picking laws 'a risk to NBN rollout'

The company building the NBN say the government's investment in the $36 billion project could be undermined.

Source: Australian IT

The need for more air

Wireless spectrum is being fought over by mobile providers, TV networks, emergency services and a myriad of other users.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 09th Mar 2011

NBN: What does 'retail service provider' actually mean?

From the joint parliamentary committee into the National Broadband Network today (and associated submissions released over the past week) comes news that energy utilities want to be able to buy services directly from NBN Co.

Source: Delimiter

Internode boosts intercap fibre links to 10 Gbps

ISP Internode has upgraded capacity on its leased intercapital fibre network, swapping 24 small-capacity links for five fat 10 Gbps links.

Source: iTnews Australia

TransACT concerned NBN will force its split

Wholesale telecommunications provider TransACT has raised concerns with a parliamentary committee that National Broadband Network (NBN) legislation could force it to structurally separate in a similar manner as Telstra.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Optus guns for NBN volume discounts

Optus has supported NBN Co offering volume discounts to ISPs with large customer bases.

Source: ARN

Get a licence, telcos tell utilities on NBN

Utility companies that want to access services directly from the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) should have to get a carrier licence, Telstra and Optus have argued.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra makes case for NBN cherry-picking

Telstra has a "difference of opinion" with the Government and a key Greens senator on proposed cherry-picking provisions in NBN legislation before Parliament, saying the controversial rules should be culled.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra, Optus oppose 'special' NBN rules for utilities

Australia's largest telcos have spoken out against proposals to allow utilities to bypass retail service providers by buying a wholesale fibre service directly from NBN Co.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 08th Mar 2011

We need direct NBN services: utilities

The Energy industry has rejected calls from Optus, Telstra and the Federal Opposition for the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) to be prevented from supplying retail services to utilities, saying that receiving retail services would over-complicate energy networks.

Source: ZDNet Australia

AARNet increases Basslink capacity to 10 Gbps

AARNet has secured a revised 15-year agreement with subsea cable operator Basslink that will provide Tasmanian researchers with access to mainland-equivalent fibre links for the first time.

Source: iTnews Australia

Albanese on board in spectrum dispute

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has stepped into a dispute between rail operators and mobile carriers and regulators over radio spectrum.

Source: Australian IT

Telstra: LTE and NBN are complementary

LTE wireless technology will work alongside the NBN, not against it, according to Telstra.

Source: ARN

NBN Co, Telstra close to deal

Telstra and NBN Co are finalising an interim arrangement for the network builder to have access to the telco's pits and pipes.

Source: Australian IT

Telstra sets up 1800 MHz LTE interest group

Telstra has set up an 1800 MHz Long Term Evolution (LTE) special interest group to pool operator enthusiasm for deploying next-generation mobile broadband services in that spectrum band.

Source: iTnews Australia