Broadband News

Mon, 29th Nov 2010

Don't add Telstra deal to NBN cost: Quigley

It is unreasonable to add the $13.8 billion payment to Telstra, which National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) counts as an operating cost, to the $35.7 billion capital expenditure cost of the whole network, NBN Co chief Mike Quigley has said.

Source: ZDNet Australia

IPv6 compatibility coming to more Billion routers in 2011

Network hardware vendor Billion has announced a forthcoming firmware upgrade for its X series routers that will allow the devices to simultaneously support IPv4 and IPv6 addressing.

Source: iTWire

Happy Budde faces a hostile NBN crowd

Paul Budde's support for the National Broadband Network project is well known, with most in the industry considering the analyst's open bias to be a matter of public record.

Source: Delimiter

Nervous investors await ruling on NBN Co

Investors are watching how the ACCC plans to break the deadlock over NBN Co's plans to charge the same prices in the city and bush.

Source: Australian IT

NBN benefits 'grossly overstated'

An international study has found the claimed benefits of a national broadband network have been "grossly overstated", and accuses the federal government of misusing research to build the case for it.

Source: ARN

Sun, 28th Nov 2010

NBN boss: We know the Telstra financials but we won't tell you

The boss of the government-owned company in charge of implementing the NBN rollout today refused to reveal details of the project's business case relating to Telstra. Mike Quigley, In an interview on ABC TV, the CEO of NBN Co Mike Quigley claimed that the cost of buying Telstra's network could not be added to the cost of implementing the NBN but would not reveal how much Telstra is expected to improve NBN Co's bottom line.

Source: iTWire

Sat, 27th Nov 2010

Early customers test NBN's limits

Nbn customers in Tasmania who have bought high-speed connections are stretching their ISP's bandwidth capacity.

Source: Australian IT

Fri, 26th Nov 2010

Telco reform bill passes Senate

Labor's controversial legislation to break up Telstra and restructure the telecommunications sector was approved in the Senate this afternoon, in a long-awaited move that the Federal Government has been pushing for for more than a year.

Source: iTWire

Govt stays ISP zombie laws

A peak Australian technology body has welcomed the Federal Government's decision to not force internet service providers (ISPs) to disconnect the infected computers of its customers as part of its response to a Senate committee report into online security threats.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Focus shifts to Telstra-NBN Co deal as Bills pass the Senate

With legislation crucial to the NBN and NBN Co's deal with Telstra now through the Senate the focus shifts to the deal between NBN Co and Telstra: NBN Co's business plan is predicated on definitive and binding agreements being signed by year end.

Source: iTWire

NBN "holy grail" of reform: Conroy

Communications minister Stephen Conroy has described the National Broadband Network (NBN) as the "holy grail" of micro-economic reform after the Senate passed legislation to break up Telstra.

Source: Computerworld

NBN: recreating Telstra by stealth

Worldwide it has always been fashionable to hate your government-owned telephone company and Telstra has been no exception. Privatisation and regulation has seen the Telstra haters dwindle in number and intensity amidst strong competition. Why then is the Government spending massive taxpayer dollars to buy back the previous government-owned telecoms monopoly in order to create another one?

Source: iTWire

Telstra separation bill passes Senate

The Senate has passed legislation which separates Telstra's retail and wholesale arms and paves the way for the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Source: ZDNet Australia

AARNet to trial 'terabit' network

Education and research network operator AARNet has announced plans to trial a cross-Australia 'terabit' connection next year.

Source: iTnews Australia

Opposition throws spanner in efforts to pass NBN vote

The federal opposition has mounted a last-ditch effort to stymie the national broadband network by delaying until Monday a vote on the bill to structurally separate Telstra.

Source: SMH

Conroy lashed over lack of NBN discount

The NBN Co has faced criticism that its service could disadvantage lower-income households.

Source: Australian IT

Labor MPs stack NBN group

The committee being created to scrutinise the taxpayer-funded National Broadband Network will be stacked with Labor MPs and not operate until July.

Source: Australian IT

Thu, 25th Nov 2010

Conroy assaults broadband alliance

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has dismissed the Alliance for Affordable Broadband as a group of "ten CEOs who represent almost no customers".

Source: iTnews Australia

Victoria proposes opt-out NBN model

A re-elected Victorian Labor Government would introduce legislation demanding households and businesses opt out of the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout.

Source: Computerworld

NBN testbed plans terabit trials

Australia's Academic and Research Network, AARnet, which sees itself as "almost a testbed for the NBN", is planning a terabit per second communications trial next year and believes it will be able to offer network speeds of up to 500 Gbps to universities and research organisations by 2017.

Source: iTWire

NBN rebels: NBN to cost more than $55 billion, not $35.7 billion

The Alliance for Affordable Broadband (AAB) has ripped into the NBN Co business case summary, claiming the document reveals the National Broadband Network will cost close to $55 billion, almost $12b more than its initial budget.

Source: ARN

iPrimus signs up Smithton school to NBN

ISP iPrimus claims to have signed its first school onto the NBN in Tasmania, giving 128 students access to 100 Mbps broadband services.

Source: iTnews Australia

Senate may sit extra day for NBN bill

The Senate may sit into an extra day tomorrow as Labor tries to have key National Broadband Network legislation passed before the summer break.

Source: Australian IT

On the ground with the NBN rollout: Part 1 - Brunswick

The gentle hum of suburbia is broken by the grunts of a 2-ton digger edging past a Jacaranda tree. A wary Telstra site manager looks out for trouble - he knows just one accidental twitch could send the mechanical beast charging through flowerbeds onto headlines around the country.

Source: ARN

Labor bills lay groundwork for NBN

Two key pieces of legislation have been introduced into the parliament which will set up the regulatory framework for the National Broadband Network.

Source: Australian IT

Libs threaten to drag out NBN debate

The Coalition is threatening to drag out debate on legislation to split Telstra after the government won the support of two senators for the bill.

Source: Australian IT

Fielding, Xenophon back Telstra split bill

The Telstra split bill appeared likely to clear the Senate after positive statements from key independents Nick Xenophon and Steve Fielding in the lead-up to today's expected vote.

Source: iTnews Australia

Wed, 24th Nov 2010

NBN Co to build wireless network from late 2011

NBN Co will start building its wireless network in November next year, according to a summary of the network builder's business plan [PDF] released today.

Source: iTnews Australia

10-year wait for NBN demand to hit 100Mbps

Nbn Co has forecast that the average consumer demand for broadband speeds won't hit 100Mbps until 2022.

Source: Australian IT

NBN summary "curiously inadequate": Turnbull

The coalition has jumped on the 36-page summary of the forthcoming NBN Co business plan as "curiously inadequate" in financials.

Source: Computerworld