Broadband News
Thu, 04th Nov 2010
Outstanding telco bill threat to deal
The government's failure to pass crucial legislation designed to underpin the success of the National Broadband Network may prove costly
Source: Australian IT
Malcolm turns bullish on Telstra split
In this edition of Twisted Wire, Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says that a split of Telstra is long overdue and his personal preference is for a structural separation.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Bombshells in NBN documents
The Gillard government must urgently pass legislation to smash apart Telstra's near-monopoly position for the implementation of the $43bn NBN to proceed.
Source: Australian IT
Wed, 03rd Nov 2010
Best wireless ADSL2+ modem/routers
In our ongoing testing of wireless ADSL2+ modem/routers, we bring you the top 10 so far. Of course, everyone has a horror story about each, so feel free to comment below on the frustration within.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Pivotel: NBN overlooks mobile broadband
The Federal Government's National Broadband Network (NBN) has overlooked the importance of mobile broadband services in rural Australia, according to satellite service telco, Pivotel.
Source: ARN
Pacnet opens first data centre upraded from cable landing station
Pacnet has launched its Hong Kong Data Landing Station (DLS), claiming it to be the first carrier neutral data centre facility of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.
Source: iTWire
Conroy's involvement in tower battle an unwise move
Communications minister, senator Stephen Conroy has got himself involved in a dispute between people living and working around a proposed location for a new Telstra mobile network antenna.
Source: iTWire
Optus' Open Network spawns legal attack
Hours after Optus received stinging penalties from the competition regulator over dodgy advertising for its Supersonic plans, the telco may again wind up in federal court over allegations of trademark infringement.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Broadcom readies 100G Ethernet chip
Broadcom is shipping samples of a processor for 100-Gigabit Ethernet, part of an architecture that can scale up to a clustered system with a total capacity of 100T bps (bits per second).
Source: ARN
How to pick a 3G data plan: $25 or less
It's an all-in-brawl at the cheaper end of the wireless market. So which plans stand out?
Source: PC Authority
AAPT loving life without consumer business
AAPT has credited the $60m sale of its consumer division to ISP iiNet for bringing "focus" back to its telecommunications business.
Source: iTnews Australia
Judge attacks 'tricky' Optus
A Federal Court judge has branded Optus "tricky" for misleading customers over the fine print in its high-speed internet plans.
Source: Australian IT
Tue, 02nd Nov 2010
OPEL ghosts haunt Broadband Department books
Liquidators of the previous Coalition Government's canned OPEL broadband project were still considering whether to file "unquantified" financial claims against the Commonwealth, according to notes buried in an annual report.
Source: iTnews Australia
ISPs lock horns over ACCC pricing intervention
Internet service providers (ISP) have locked horns over the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) proposal for revamped pricing structures for Telstra's broadband wholesale offerings, with some questioning the need for tighter regulation of the incumbent telco.
Source: Computerworld
Telcos fear NBN will crush them
Telecoms industry stakeholders have raised concerns that NBN Co is reneging on commitment not to "squash" backhaul infrastructure competition.
Source: Australian IT
Mon, 01st Nov 2010
iiNet shows how not to do social
I don't mind waiting for an internet connection, as I realise there can be screw-ups. However, I do expect regular updates if there are problems, which is where iiNet went horribly wrong in the saga that has led to me being without internet for almost three weeks.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ispONE and Comcen to provide TiVo customers unmetered downloads
Hybrid Television Services, the creator of CASPA On-Demand and the exclusive licensee of TiVo products in Australia and New Zealand today announced that ispONE and Comcen have agreed to unmeter CASPA downloads to the TiVo media device.
Source: iTWire
Telstra values NBN deal at $16 billion
Telstra has revealed a pre-tax price tag of $16 billion on its draft financial heads of agreement with NBN Co - a figure made public as the telco attempts to win an argument with Australia's competition watchdog over the value of its copper network.
Source: iTnews Australia
$100 million poured into Tasmania
NBN Co has revealed it injected equity cash of $100 million into its subsidiary, NBN Tasmania, for the financial year ending 30 June 2010, in its second annual report tabled in Parliament on Friday.
Source: Computerworld
Pipe to build dedicated dark fibre to 200 IRESS customer sites
IRESS, a company providing share market and wealth management systems for financial market participants, has contracted TPG subsidiary, Pipe Networks, to build it a dedicated dark fibre network that will link over 200 customer sites around Australia, with the aim of providing services to clients at the lowest possible latency.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co's first-year ICT budget hits $6.4m
NBN Co spent almost $6.4 million on communications and IT in the past financial year, according to its annual report released late Friday.
Source: iTnews Australia
Sat, 30th Oct 2010
Of course Turnbull is anti-NBN in its current form!
An interesting article on Malcolm Turnbull's stance on the NBN has appeared from iTWire colleague James Riley, but as is possible in a democracy, or at least what we have left of democracy, I completely disagree with James' views.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 29th Oct 2010
Turnbull NBN demolition is DNA hardwired
Malcolm Turnbull, not unreasonably, wants the most rigorous tests of project oversight and financial transparency applied to the National Broadband Network. Which is quite right, of course. It is, after all, the largest single infrastructure spending project ever undertaken in this country.
Source: iTWire
Turnbull's revamped broadband policy still a "bandaid solution": IBES' Tucker
The revamped alternative to the National Broadband Network (NBN) announced by shadow communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, this week remains a "bandaid solution" that doesn't address the problems of current telecommunications, according director of the Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society (IBES), Rod Tucker.
Source: Computerworld
yARN: NBN becomes a game that must be won, at all costs
As the 2010 election entered the last days of campaigning it became more and more apparent that the National Broadband Network (NBN) had, quite remarkably, become a key issue in a lead-up that veered close to being one of the more boring in recent history.
Source: ARN
iPrimus put excess charges on 3G plans
ISP iPrimus has announced it will charge excess data usage fees on a series of revamped 3G wireless broadband plans.
Source: iTnews Australia
Conroy attempts new censorship strategy
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has lashed out in an attempt to block the introduction of a .XXX domain.
Source: ARN
Telstra's long road to customer satisfaction
David Thodey's focus on customer service isn't a new initiative for Telstra. So what's holding the telco back from providing the type of service its customers demand? David Havyatt explores.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN is economic Hansonism: Abbott
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has accused Labor of resorting to economic Hansonism with its $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vic estates need fat pipes to meet NBN mandate
New housing developers in designated growth areas around Melbourne must dig "NBN-ready" pits and pipes accessible by more than one operator's cables in their estates, a Melbourne council said.
Source: iTnews Australia