Broadband News

Wed, 17th Nov 2010

Vodafone admits on 3G: we could have been smarter

Vodafone Hutchison Australia has admitted it responded poorly to customer concerns over slow download speeds on its 3G smartphone and mobile broadband services.

Source: SMH

Greens, independents demand NBN Co business plan

The Greens and key independent MPs have requested that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy table the business plan which has been delivered to the Government by NBN Co.

Source: Delimiter

Unions seek NBN wage and job deals

Unions are preparing to serve claims for annual pay rises of 5 per cent - 15 per cent over three years - on major contractors engaged in the NBN rollout.

Source: Australian IT

Gillard confirms no NBN Co business plan till December

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has confirmed NBN Co's business plan will not be released until after Parliament has finished for 2010.

Source: ARN

Tue, 16th Nov 2010

Telstra separation passes lower house

Draft laws which will pave the way for the rollout of the NBN through the structural separation of Telstra, have passed the lower house of parliament.

Source: SMH

ISP filter online in 2013

Labor's controversial mandatory internet filter scheme could be delayed until 2013, when the next federal election is due.

Source: Australian IT

Official: ACTA deal means no law change for Australia

Participants in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations announced today that they have finalised the text of the Agreement, after resolving the few issues that remained outstanding after the final round of negotiations in Tokyo.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co's POI good for the little guys

Following strong opposition to the National Broadband Network Company's (NBN Co's) proposed points of interconnect (POI) for the network from the country's biggest telcos, a number of small ISPs have welcomed the model.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Turnbull telco reform changes defeated

House independents have voted with the Government to defeat proposed ammendments to telecommunications reforms put forward by shadow communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull.

Source: iTWire

Cisco and NBN Co sign $9.5 million datacentre deal

The company responsible for building the National Broadband Network, NBN Co, has picked global tech vendor, Cisco, to provide its datacentre equipment.

Source: ARN

Telcos lobby independents on NBN analysis

The Alliance for Affordable Broadband, a splinter group of telcos concerned about Labor's National Broadband Network project, has written a letter to federal independent and Green MPs backing Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull's legislation to inject more transparency into the project.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Greens seek release of NBN business plan

The Greens will try to force the Gillard government this week to produce the business plan for its $43 billion National Broadband Network.

Source: Australian IT

Productivity Commission cost-benefit analysis won't delay NBN rollout: Turnbull

A Productivity Commission cost-benefit analysis of the National Broadband Network would not delay the roll out of the national infrastructure project, according to Opposition communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull.

Source: Computerworld

Tasmania readies NBN "opt-out" legislation

Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett will introduce legislation to state parliament today to put the onus on residents to "opt out" of receiving an NBN fibre connection to their homes.

Source: iTnews Australia

Rebel telco alliance backs Turnbull's NBN bill

The splinter group of telcos concerned about Labor's National Broadband Network project has backed Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbulll's legislation to inject more transparency into the project, in an open letter to the Federal independent and Green MPs who will ultimately decide its fate.

Source: iTWire

Demands for Conroy to release NBN plan

The Federal Government is under renewed pressure to provide tougher scrutiny of its National Broadband Network (NBN).

Source: ARN

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