Broadband News

Mon, 20th Dec 2010

NBN return lower than in commercial plan

The National Broadband Network will deliver an internal rate of return of 7 per cent, according to the NBN Co business plan released today.

Source: Australian IT

Hundreds of POIs 'insane': Hackett

National broadband provider Internode has published a strongly worded argument supporting the National Broadband Network Company's small proposed number of points of interconnect (POI) where internet service providers link their networks to that of the NBN, describing rival proposals as "insane".

Source: ZDNet Australia

Broadband network business plan to be released in full

The government is expected to release the full business plan for the $36 billion national broadband network today.

Source: SMH

Fri, 17th Dec 2010

Libs hazy on NBN Co commercial mandate

The debate over whether the National Broadband Network (NBN) should be run as a government body or a commercial enterprise that has had its share of acrimony. Yet with the Libs' latest shot across Labor's bow, Malcolm Turnbull has exposed a curious double-standard.

Source: ZDNet Australia

UN mulls internet regulation options

The United Nations is considering whether to set up an inter-governmental working group to harmonise global efforts by policy makers to regulate the internet.

Source: iTnews Australia

CSIRO trials TV aerial Wi-Fi broadband

The CSIRO has started testing its wireless broadband technology, which uses existing TV antennas, at the first National Broadband Network roll-out site of Smithton in Tasmania.

Source: ZDNet Australia

ACCC sues TPG over $29.99 'Unlimited' plan

The national competition regulator today dragged national broadband provider TPG into the Federal Court, claiming its $29.95 'Unlimited' ADSL2+ plan actually cost a great deal more.

Source: Delimiter

iiNet challenges ex-AAPT 24x7 customers to leave

ISP iiNet's chief regulatory officer Steve Dalby has challenged any disgruntled users of the former AAPT Unlimited 24x7 plan to leave of their own accord rather than wait for a letter giving them a fee-free exit.

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 16th Dec 2010

Spinners in $250,000 pitch for NBN plan

The government will spend more than $250,000 to hire a public relations firm to help promote its $36 billion National Broadband Network.

Source: Australian IT

iiNet, Internode gear up for apps in 2011

iiNet and Internode have changing business strategies for 2011, with applications and improved customer service becoming they focal points in the coming year.

Source: Computerworld

iiNet reveals device sketches

SP iiNet has revealed a series of sketches of future products being worked on by its labs, including two futuristic curved devices with built-in touchscreens.

Source: iTnews Australia

Turnbull: Financially sound business plan will not guarantee NBN success

The Shadow Communications Minister hinted that regardless whether the full NBN business case claims can financially justify the $35.7 billion network is irrelevant to its eventual success.

Source: ARN

No content future for ISPs

As internet service providers (ISPs) accept lower margins from access provision, the battle is on to find a sustainable alternative revenue source. But it won't come from content provision.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 15th Dec 2010

iiNet launches BYO mobile service

Internet service provider iiNet has moved into the mobile arena, unveiling a number of contract-free mobile phone plans today.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Does iiNet's mobile leap make sense?

iiNet now offers mobile, with residential and business mobile plans.

Source: PC Authority

A perspective on the National Broadband Network (NBN)

The ramifications for Australia of implementing its NBN are significant and complex. We have a unique opportunity to give ourselves an international competitive edge that our children and their children will benefit from. We can get it right but we need to have it explained in a form that removes our fears and opens our eyes as to why it is important and important today.

Source: iTWire

Don't protect Australia's mobile telcos, Mr Turnbull

Let's get real about this: Australia's mobile telcos can take care of themselves.

Source: Delimiter

Man charged with phone cable theft

A NSW man allegedly posing as a telephone cable has been charged after causing $110,000 in damage by stealing active phone cabling earlier this year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Vividwireless trials TD-LTE in Sydney

Vividwireless plans to run a four-week trial of TD-LTE kit in Sydney to understand how it compared to the company's current technology of choice, WiMAX.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 14th Dec 2010

LTE not all about speed: Ericsson

Carriers and pundits must move beyond speed battles to achieve more of the potential benefits available from commercial deployments of long term evolution (LTE) mobile networks, Ericsson has urged.

Source: Computerworld

iiNet Labs fathers BoB Lite

National broadband company iiNet has extended its popular BoB integrated ADSL router product line with what it has billed as the first product to come out of its new in-house development labs -- a younger sibling dubbed BoB Lite.

Source: Delimiter

Internode expands symmetrical broadband footprint

Brisbane now home to the South Australian-based ISP's symmetrical business broadband offering, Extreme SHDSL.

Source: ARN

Will NBN karma run over Libs' dogma?

The change of government in Victoria and its posture towards the NBN-enabling opt-out legislation highlights the persistent dichotomy between what needs to be done and what will be done.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Optus: The new definition of irony

Wow, Optus is really giving its rivals a free kick at the moment. Yesterday the news arrived that the telco is suing Vodafone over the company's mobile advertisements, which use the term "infinite".

Source: Delimiter

Telstra achieves 149.4Mbps LTE speeds

Telstra has reached download speeds of up to 149.4Mbps as part of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile technology trial with Chinese network vendor Huawei.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Mon, 13th Dec 2010

Optus sues Vodafone over 'Infinite' ads

After recently copping a ban on advertising certain broadband plans, Optus is now taking Vodafone to court over its "Infinite" mobile phone plan advertisements.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Windows Live on the cards for BigPond email

The nation's biggest telco Telstra is considering dumping the email, blogging, photos and online storage platforms used by customers of its BigPond internet service provider division and migrating customers to Microsoft's Windows Live platform.

Source: Delimiter

NBN business case expected this week

After sitting on the document for over a month, the Federal Government is expected to release the controversial business case for the National Broadband Network (NBN) in the next few days.

Source: ZDNet Australia

The NBN is not about "basic voice services"

Fletcher is demeaning his technical background by focusing on such a pointless argument. You don't debate the cost of placing a call to Dubbo when the Government is talking about technology that can enable high-definition videoconferencing to every home in Australia. It's that simple.

Source: Delimiter

Attack the NBN on retail terms: Fletcher

The Opposition's attack on the National Broadband Network (NBN) should focus on how replacing Telstra's copper wire will lead to higher consumer costs, Liberal MP Paul Fletcher has suggested.

Source: ZDNet Australia