Broadband News

Fri, 31st Dec 2010

NBN advisers fined in US for paying bribes

Alcatel-lucent, the company providing key advice to the National Broadband Network, has been fined $137 million in the US.

Source: Australian IT

It's policy: Victoria rejects NBN opt-out

Victoria's new technology minister has confirmed the state's new Coalition Government does not support the introduction of Labor's preferred 'opt-out' model for the National Broadband Network, in a move that will force residents to actively choose to receive fibre infrastructure when the rollout hits their neighbourhood.

Source: Delimiter

NBN project a worry: John Colvin

The chief of the Australian Institute of Company Directors is particularly worried about the National Broadband Network.

Source: The Australian

NBN boss denies part in corruption scandal

Mike Quigley, the man Kevin Rudd appointed to head the national broadband network, denies being involved in a multimillion-dollar bribery scandal that occurred during his time as a top executive at the French telecommunications giant Alcatel.

Source: SMH

Thu, 30th Dec 2010

Behind the 'no' to Telstra's flat $30

It was an exciting, brash and colourful time in a complex and boring industry.

Source: SMH

Face to face: Vodafail's Brimo meets VHA chief

Over just a few short weeks his nascent website has become a focal point for customers angered by problems in the mobile networks of telco giant VHA, with his name has been splashed across Australia's mass media. Now Vodafail founder Adam Brimo has taken his complaints directly to the top of the corporate telco ladder.

Source: iTWire

Wed, 29th Dec 2010

Alcatel Lucent fined over bribes

French-based telecom equipment giant and NBN contractor Alcatel-Lucent has agreed to pay US$137 million in fines and penalties to settle US charges it paid bribes to win contracts in Latin America and Asia, officials said.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Tue, 28th Dec 2010

NBN: politicians and their promises

The Federal Coalition, the opposition to the Federal Government, has had its Finance Spokesperson, Andrew Robb, make an excellent suggestion in relation to the NBN, but would he take it up himself?

Source: iTWire

Mon, 27th Dec 2010

Asbestos next big challenge for NBN

The company delivering the National Broadband Network could be forced to remove asbestos from trenches being dug for the project.

Source: Australian IT

Vodafone customers to sue in class action

It has already presided over one of the biggest PR disasters of the year and now Vodafone faces being sued by potentially thousands of its customers over poor network performance.

Source: SMH

Costly NBN will prove a super test

Would Julia Gillard and Stephen Conroy be willing to link their superannuation payouts to the performance of the National Broadband Network?

Source: Australian IT

Sun, 26th Dec 2010

2010: the year of the NBN

2010 was one of the biggest years on record for the telecommunications industry: The National Broadband Network (NBN) roll-out began, the project became much more political and we consequently had Australia's first election fought and won on broadband policy.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN promises already broken?

The NBN is coming... in 10 years, even longer than initially promised. Which promises will be broken next?

Source: iTWire

Thu, 23rd Dec 2010

ACCC suffers initial setback in TPG case

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has been dealt in a blow in its lawsuit against national broadband provider TPG over the company's $29.99 'Unlimited' ADSL2+ plan, with the judge in the case denying the regulator's application to freeze TPG's advertisments until the case is finalised.

Source: Delimiter

Will Vodafone survive its network mess?

It is late in the month of October in the year 2008. And Sydney has just begun the long wind-down as it prepares for its traditionally glorious summer. But despite all the frivolity, Optus managing director of products and delivery Andrew Buay is not having fun.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Datacentre builds to follow NBN sites: IBM

David Yip, leader of IBM's Site and Facility Services arm, has predicted that first and second release site for the National Broadband Network (NBN) could bring with it new points of presence for datacentre vendors.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN: a sick, dirty and expensive joke played on Australians

Now that the wildly optimistic NBN figures are out, showing the NBN won’t be available to all Australians for almost a decade, we can safely say the NBN is a sick, dirty, political and very expensive joke. Thanks Senator Conroy!

Source: iTWire

Photos: Networking remote Australia

Telstra's network operations team share some snaps from the most remote corners of Australia as they construct fibre, wireless and satellite networks.

Source: iTnews Australia

Detour on Telstra road to NBN deal

Telstra has set itself an Australia Day deadline to finalise its $13.8 billion deal with the government.

Source: Australian IT

Wed, 22nd Dec 2010

NBN: The dirty little secret of regional Australia

While NBN proponents tout wildly optimistic benefits that ubiquitous FttH will bring to regional Australia, the rhetoric falls way short of what will actually be delivered to bush dwellers. This is the claim of the head of at least one telecoms carrier, who says the lead time for rolling out the NBN to a large proportion of country Australia will be unacceptably long and will not happen at all in many cases.

Source: iTWire

Telstra confirms: no definitive NBN agreement this year

Telstra has written to shareholders telling them that it will not be able to meet its earlier commitment to complete definitive agreements with NBN Co by the end of the year, but that it still hopes to present the deal to them my mid year so they can vote on it.

Source: iTWire

Telstra: Government to blame for lack of deal

Telstra (ASX:TLS) has blamed the Federal Government and NBN Co for delaying the finalisation of a deal for shareholders until mid-2011.

Source: ARN

Adelaide mathematicians model internet traffic

Network designers could benefit from a new Government-backed project that aimed to model the volume, movement and type of data traversing the internet.

Source: iTnews Australia

Fast NBN faces slow take-up

Latent customer demand for the superfast download speeds offered by the NBN could undermine the profitability of the project.

Source: Australian IT

Commentators pan 'uncompetitive' NBN plan

A number of Australia's most senior business and economics commentators have opened fire on Labor's flagship National Broadband Network project, claiming NBN Co's corporate plan released on Monday was based on flawed assumptions and demonstrated the project would wind back competition in the telecommunications sector.

Source: Delimiter

NBN battery recycling 'could add $240m'

Persuading people to recycle back-up batteries for their NBN connections could cost taxpayers up to $240 million extra.

Source: Australian IT

Flats may be too hard to connect

People living in apartment blocks face new uncertainty over whether they will have access to the $36 billion National Broadband Network.

Source: Australian IT

Vodafone chief says 'sorry' for 3G network

Vodafone chief Nigel Dews has apologised to customers for the way it has dealt with a slew of 3G network issues in recent months without any explanation of the root cause of the problems.

Source: iTnews Australia

ACCC helps Telstra with 52 more exempt exchanges

Telstra has been given a helping hand from the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission with an additional 52 exchange service areas (ESAs) set to be made exempt from standard access obligations.

Source: ARN

Tue, 21st Dec 2010

Turnbull "naive" on NBN's HD future: Hackett

The federal Opposition needs to go back to school to brush up on broadband network topologies, a leading ISP said today.

Source: iTnews Australia