Broadband News

Wed, 16th Feb 2011

Turnbull secretly 'loves' the NBN, claims Internode

National broadband provider Internode this morning claimed Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull secretly "loves the NBN as a concept", despite having been given an order by Opposition Leader to "demolish" the project.

Source: Delimiter

Government blows away wireless threat to NBN

The federal government has dismissed suggestions wireless technology is a threat to the national broadband network (NBN)as Telstra plans to boost mobile internet speeds.

Source: ARN

Broadband Dept earns rebuke over rural subsidy scheme

The Department of Broadband has railed against an audit of the Australian Broadband Guarantee scheme that concluded it had not kept pace with the prices and download quotas offered by metro-comparable internet services.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 15th Feb 2011

LTE? We've got that too, say Optus, VHA

Telstra's rivals have issued a muted reaction to the company's plans announced overnight to upgrade its flagship Next G mobile network to the Long-Term Evolution family of fourth generation (4G) wireless technologies, pointing out they were also in trials of the standard.

Source: Delimiter

Telstra won't lack 4G spectrum: Ericsson

Telstra will not be at risk of running out of spectrum for its new Long Term Evolution networks, thanks to multiband technology and the upcoming digital dividend, according to Ericsson.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra upgrades metro Next G network to LTE

Telstra has revealed plans to commercially deploy Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile technology on its Next G network by the end of the year.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra not insured for disaster

Telstra has restored its fixed-line and mobile networks  following  Queensland's floods and Cyclone Yasi.

Source: Australian IT

yARN: Will Telstra's LTE launch kick NBN Co where it hurts?

Telstra has recently announced an ambitious program to roll out "4G" LTE throughout Australia. The obvious and crucial question is what this will do to the Government's National Broadband Network, which remains venerable to high-speed wireless technology.

Source: ARN

Telstra to launch LTE by end 2011

Telstra will have LTE services available in capital city CBDs and major regional centres operating at 1800MHz and using network infrastructure from incumbent supplier Ericsson and dual LTE/HSPA USB dongles from Sierra Wireless by the end of 2011.

Source: iTWire

Mon, 14th Feb 2011

Optus hit for misleading broadband ads

The Federal Court has once again hit Optus for misleading advertising for its "unlimited broadband" TV and newspaper advertisements.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Turnbull: Greenhill report backs up anti-NBN arguments

Shadow Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has used the independent report by Greenhill Caliburn into NBN Co's business case, to back up his arguments against the National Broadband Network.

Source: ARN

Wireless takeup threatens NBN: report

Wireless internet services could significantly threaten the NBN's long-term viability an independent commercial assessment has revealed.

Source: Australian IT

Telstra slims down 'exchange' data centres

Telstra has detailed a multi-year, multi-million dollar data centre consolidation project that would merge up to 68 sites into two or three large facilities.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN is 'visionary', congratulations: Wu

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is a "visionary" project and Australia should be congratulated, according to the author of a history of large-scale communications technologies. The challenge will be in the execution, he said.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Port Mac council seeks free NBN access points

A NSW North Coast council has called on the Government to fund free NBN public access points to get rural residents excited by the prospect of superfast broadband.

Source: iTnews Australia

Caliburn rubber-stamps NBN business case

Corporate advisory firm Greenhill Caliburn has delivered a positive appraisal of NBN Co's business case in a report published this morning by the Federal Government, with the firm labelling the broadband company’s assumptions of its future operations as "reasonable".

Source: Delimiter

Highland folk battle cable guys

There's something special about Wingecarribee Shire, something about the rolling green hills of the NSW southern highlands and the town's leafy streets.

Source: Australian IT

Business Council favours cutting NBN to fund flood recovery

The Business Council of Australia - which is made up of the CEOs of Australia's 100 largest companies - has added its voice to those calling for spending on the National Broadband Network to be redirected to restoring Australia's disaster damaged infrastructure.

Source: iTWire

Backlash looms over NBN rollout

A survey by The Australian of 12 councils near NBN test sites found the majority reporting a mixture of apathy, scepticism and hostility towards the NBN among residents.

Source: The Australian

Fri, 11th Feb 2011

NBN Co to pay $5m for second datacentre

The National Broadband Network Company will shell out $5 million over five years for the use of Queensland's Polaris datacentre, the company announced today.

Source: ZDNet Australia

2011 a year of 'network development' for AARNet: CEO

Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet) will attempt to expand its international access network in coming years in an attempt to stretch its reach for research projects, according to the service provider's chief executive, Chris Hancock.

Source: Computerworld

NBN will kill off fixed-line telephony

The National Broadband Network will kill off the already ailing business of fixed-line local calls that was once the cornerstone of Telstra's business.

Source: The Australian

Optus broadband plans 'misleading'

Optus was found to have engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct when it used the word "unlimited" in advertising broadband plans that slowed down users' speed once the download limit was reached.

Source: The Age

Telstra's consumer chief lures them back

Gordon Ballantyne has warned rivals that Telstra will continue to win new customers in the year ahead.

Source: Australian IT

Telstra network holds up as customer numbers soar

Telstra claims its network is coping with the recent pick-up in new customers.

Source: ARN

Thu, 10th Feb 2011

Conroy remains committed to mandatory filtering

Australia's proposed mandatory ISP filter proposal was very much alive, the Minister for Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy said today.

Source: iTnews Australia

Senetas says NBN traffic should be encrypted

ASX listed encryption technology developer Senetas has told a parliamentary enquiry that all traffic on the National Broadband Network should be encrypted.

Source: iTWire

ISPs lukewarm on Telstra-NBN Co terms

Australia's major internet service providers (ISPs) have issued a lukewarm response to the news of Telstra and NBN Co coming to an agreement on commercial terms, months after initially envisaged and following numerous delays in negotiations.

Source: Computerworld

Conroy suggests fibre to reconnect disaster-affected customers

With the apparent increased frequency of naturally disasters, communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has suggested Telstra should consider the use of fibre, rather than copper, to reconnect customers affected by Cyclone Yasi and the January floods.

Source: Computerworld

Telstra's flood costs mainly opex: Thodey

Telstra chief executive David Thodey says most of the cost to the company from the natural disasters in Queensland and elsewhere will be on operating expenses.

Source: ZDNet Australia