Broadband News

Tue, 16th Nov 2010

Bandwidth threat to online pay-TV

Australia's emerging internet pay-TV providers appear set for a new bandwidth battle in the race to win online audiences.

Source: Australian IT

Mon, 15th Nov 2010

Conroy defends NBN after OECD report

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has dismissed concerns over the national broadband network after a high-level report suggested it may not be the most cost-effective strategy.

Source: SMH

Malcolm Turnbull jumps on NBN OECD report bandwagon

Shadow communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has wasted no time jumping on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) report which claims the National Broadband Network (NBN) could diminish competition in the Australian telecommunications sector.

Source: Computerworld

OECD's unedited comments on the NBN and telecommunications

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) recently released comments calling for more telco competition im Australia and questioning the Government's NBN plans. Here are the unedited comments from that report.

Source: ARN

OECD unsure of NBN finances

The global Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has handed the Federal Government's flagship National Broadband Network project a mixed report card in its latest detailed examination of Australia's economic health.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Fifty ISPs harbour half the world's zombies

OECD researchers have found that piracy, not high speed broadband as is often assumed, explains the prevalence of botnet infections in a country.

Source: iTnews Australia

OECD sees dangers in NBN haste

The OECD has urged the Gillard government to slow down the rollout of its $43 billion high-speed broadband network.

Source: Australian IT

Blueprint exposes flaws in NBN plan

Start with the stinging rebuke to Stephen Conroy for rushing his National Broadband Network rollout before ensuring the blue-sky productivity benefits justify the $43 billion price tag.

Source: The Australian

Cost-benefit analysis needed for NBN

Stephen Conroy has made every excuse that proponents do when they don't want pet projects exposed to the scrutiny of a cost-benefit analysis.

Source: Australian IT

Fri, 12th Nov 2010

Conroy promises NBN Co business case by end of year

Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has promised to release NBN Co’s business case by the end of the year, but the Opposition won’t get a full copy.

Source: ARN

Optus a closed shop on NBN

The nation's number two telco Optus yesterday again refused to disclose what the outcome of any ongoing discussions with the National Broadband Network Company might be -- or when it might commence a trial of retail services with the company.

Source: iTWire

Turnbull's done a 'great job': Conroy

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has praised his opposition counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, saying he has done a "great job" in bringing the party out of the 19th century on telecommunications policy.

Source: ZDNet Australia

iiNet calls for customer service focus

Internet service provider, iiNet has claimed customer service must be given a greater focus in the telecommunications industry or providers will risk high customer churn levels.

Source: Computerworld

NBN Co strikes datacentre deal with Global Switch

NBN Co has picked datacentre provider, Global Switch, to host its primary datacentre.

Source: ARN

Extending NBN may add $30 to phone bill

Controversial plans to extend the monopoly reach of the $43 billion high-speed broadband network could add $30 a month to phone bills.

Source: Australian IT

Thu, 11th Nov 2010

Optus chief sorry for misleading broadband ads

Optus chief executive Paul O'Sullivan has apologised for an advertising campaign described as "tricky" by a Federal Court judge, but insisted the telco would continue to "push the boundaries" on marketing and take "aggressive action" to get back on track.

Source: iTnews Australia

ACMA research highlights increased internet use

New research from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) suggests that Australians are embracing the digital economy, with growth in the volume of data downloaded and online activities since June 2009.

Source: Computerworld

Quigley faces battle over infrastructure

A seemingly technical debate over points of fibre "interconnect" is looming as a critical industry issue for the NBN project.

Source: Australian IT

NBN plan could 'hurt business, regions'

Business has slammed NBN Co's plans to build billions of dollars worth of privately owned infrastructure.

Source: Australian IT

Wed, 10th Nov 2010

Nextgen hits half-way in regional backbone blackspots rollout

Transmission services provider Nextgen Networks today celebrated the completion of 3000km of construction in the Australian Government's Regional Backbone Blackspots Program (RBBP) in an event attended by Communications Minister in Melbourne. According to Nextgen, it has now reached the half-way point of its network construction.

Source: iTWire

Alcatel-Lucent's glossary of broadband and NBN terms

Global telecommunications equipment vendor, Alcatel-Lucent, today released a glossary of key terms that explain broadband and NBN concepts. We've reproduced the document for your general information.

Source: ARN

DSL kickstarts engin's business

SMB telco, engin, has reported a major turnaround in its business in the 2010 financial year, notching up a record EBITDA of $0.7 million off revenues of close to $20 million.

Source: Computerworld

Kazacos: NBN should keep Tasmanian Government as joint venture partner

The Federal Government's decision to drop the Tasmanian Government as a joint venture partner in the National Broadband Network's rollout is a worrying sign, according to telco boss and Anittel executive chairman, Peter Kazacos.

Source: ARN

Treasury warns over costings for the NBN

Treasury has warned cabinet it needs to give "very careful consideration" to the National Broadband Network's implementation study over coming months.

Source: Australian IT

Interpol offers "worst of" list to Australian ISPs

Australian authorities have welcomed an INTERPOL initiative to provide a list of Internet domains containing severe child sexual abuse content to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) voluntarily participating in a scheme to reduce the availability of such material on the Web.

Source: iTnews Australia

400Mbps VDSL rings touted as cut-price alternative to FTTH

The Coalition might have another weapon in its battle to push alternative technologies against the Government's $43b, predominantly FTTH, National Broadband Network: a UK company claims to have technology that can deliver up to 400Mbps over existing copper, at less than 10 percent of the cost of FTTH.

Source: iTWire

Tue, 09th Nov 2010

iiNet appeal victory 'won't protect universities' from Net piracy law suites

Lawyers have warned that, even if iiNet ultimately triumphs in the Internet piracy case brought against it by movie industry bodies, Australia's universities remain wide open to similar litigation, but have fewer defences than iiNet.

Source: iTWire

Dead and buried: Tasmania’s NBN joint venture

Some 18 months after it was first proposed and after a year of uncertainty about its legal structure, the various parties involved in the stillborn Tasmanian National Broadband Network joint venture with Aurora Energy have walked away from the idea.

Source: iTWire

Australia's emissary to Blizzard: Simon Hackett

You've got to love Simon Hackett's constant Whirlpool posts. They're a fount of information, controversy and entertainment. Over the years I've greatly enjoyed watching the principled and ethical leader of broadband rebel splinter group Internode tussle with the denizens of the nation’s most famous online forum.

Source: Delimiter

Conroy: Turnbull is a telco market hypocrite

Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has defended the Australian Compeition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) inquiry into the NBN's Points of Interconnect and labelled the Opposition's comments as hypocritical.

Source: ARN