Broadband News

Wed, 14th Jul 2010

Builders of the National Broadband Network announced, including Telstra

NBN Co has announced the winning companies that will build mainland Australia's first four National Broadband Network sites.

Source: ARN

Telstra 'price squeeze' claims go to ACCC

Competitors have acted on concerns about new Telstra pricing, lodging a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over an alleged "price squeeze" between the incumbent's wholesale and retail margins.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Optus to release LTE assessment

Optus is to shortly release the results of its on-going Sydney Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless trials.

Source: Computerworld

Broadband 'critical' to future global development

Broadband networks are as vital to the world's economic and social future as transport, water or power, according to the United Nations-backed Broadband Commission for Digital Development.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 13th Jul 2010

NBN Co to spend circa $1 billion on satellites

The NBN Co will spend up to $1 billion on two KA band satellites to deliver National Broadband Network (NBN) services to Australian households unable to access coverage via fibre or wireless.

Source: Computerworld

How would you vote on the internet filter?

Numerous major media outlets are running a poll today asking whether you will vote for a party that endorses the internet filter. Vote now!

Source: APC Magazine

Chance to seize the day on net filter

Australian ISPs have an opportunity to see off Labor's mandatory internet censorship laws, but their disunity could let it slip.

Source: Australian IT

Mandatory filtering should be dropped

If ISPs blocked child sexual abuse pages voluntarily, the government would not need to impose filtering, a child protection group says.

Source: Australian IT

yARN: Conroy's cleverest move yet on the filter

When the mandatory ISP filter got delayed last week, many detractors saw it as a big win for the anti-filter movement. But what seemed to some a humiliating back down is more likely to be a well-timed move by the Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy.

Source: ARN

Mon, 12th Jul 2010

Filter response shows Conroy the way

On Friday, three of Australia's largest internet service providers (ISPs) simultaneously announced that they would filter some internet content from reaching their customers.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Do you support the Internet Filter?

In an attempt to gauge the real level of support for or against Sen. Conroy's Internet Filter proposal, a large number of IT media outlets are supporting a combined survey.

Source: iTWire

How the tech industry defused the internet filter

Howls of IT industry protest may have alerted the wider community to the Federal Government's plans to filter the internet, but it was diplomacy that secured the delay in its implementation.

Source: iTnews Australia

No opt-out for Optus, Telstra filter

Two of the three major broadband providers that have voluntarily signed up to block child abuse websites have confirmed today that customers would not be able to opt out of the providers' new filter, meaning customers may turn to smaller providers that have revealed they will not join the block in the immediate future.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Internode, iiNet, VHA won't filter for now

National broadband provider Internode this afternoon stated that -- unlike Telstra, Optus and Primus -- it would not voluntarily filter its customers' internet for websites that are known to contain child pornography and child abuse material, while iiNet said it would wait to see the detail in the proposal and VHA is awaiting a code for the mobile industry.

Source: ARN

Industry reacts to Net filter delay

There were mixed reactions from politicians, industry and lobbyists on Friday to communications minister, Stephen Conroy's revelation that the Government's controversial internet filtering legislation would be delayed for a year while a review was held into the Refused Classification category of content which the filter would block.

Source: Computerworld

NBN 101: The Internet or applications?

The Internet is often seen as a single entity; one point of contact in which all online communication and activity takes place. This is understandable: While the Internet itself is made up of thousands of inter-connected networks, systems and applications, it usually appears as a single item on your monthly bill.

Source: Computerworld

Point Cook stats reveal desire for fibre

More than 300 houses covered by a fibre-to-the-home trial network in Point Cook near Melbourne have traded their copper lines for superfast broadband, Telstra said.

Source: iTnews Australia

Conroy's filter masterstroke

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's Friday filter announcement was obviously designed to get the toxic topic of internet filtering out of the news before the election, giving an impression of progress without a real policy change. Clever, but will the strategy work?

Source: ZDNet Australia

Sun, 11th Jul 2010

Internet filter: we're guilty until proven guilty

It would seem that Senator Conroy is on a mission to shut down the courts.  First step is the Internet filter - with that in place, it won't be possible to break the law related to banned material.  Easy, no more cases before the courts.  What's next?

Source: iTWire

Sat, 10th Jul 2010

Q&A: National Party Senator, Barnaby Joyce, on ISP filtering, Telstra and the NBN

The leader of The Nationals in the Senate, Barnaby Joyce, is a forthright Queensland Senator who supports the ISP filter and opposes the National Broadband Network. He talks about the differences between his party and the Liberals and why he regrets not separating Telstra.

Source: ARN

Update: Conroy delays Internet filter till next year

The Federal Government's mandatory Internet filtering plans has been pushed back to next year.

Source: ARN

Fri, 09th Jul 2010

Google welcomes web filter retreat

Google has welcomed a delay in Stephen Conroy's controversial mandatory web filtering scheme but maintains the plan is still too "broad" in scope.

Source: Australian IT

Government delays mandatory net filter by a year

Stephen Conroy has capitulated to critics of his automated internet censorship scheme and will delay its compulsory implementation by a year to allow a review of censorship rules.

Source: APC Magazine

Telstra, Optus, Primus to filter child porn

Three of Australia's largest internet service providers have agreed to voluntarily block online child pornography material ahead of the federal government's planned internet filtering plan.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Conroy delays ISP filter until after content review

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy will delay the introduction of mandatory ISP-level filtering until a proposed review of refused classification (RC) guidelines is completed.

Source: iTnews Australia

Broadband fibre via sewer mooted for Brisbane

A successful trial of a system for running fibre optic cables through sewers has been completed in Brisbane, and a large-scale rollout may follow.

Source: iTWire

ISPs cry foul over Telstra 'price squeeze'

Following a Telstra revamp of its retail DSL pricing, competitors are considering lodging complaints with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over an alleged "price squeeze" between the company's wholesale and retail margins.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Opposition mounts for Gillard's filter push

Members of the parliamentary cyber-safety committee have criticised new Prime Minister Julia Gillard for standing behind her party's controversial internet filtering proposal.

Source: iTnews Australia

Barnaby Joyce gets behind an ISP filter

Maverick Nationals Senator, Barnaby Joyce, has revealed his strong support for the filter and dissatisfaction over rural and regional broadband.

Source: ARN

Thu, 08th Jul 2010

Maps: Second release of NBN Co sites

Darwin, Perth, Geraldton, Mandurah, Townsville, Toowoomba, inner-city Brisbane, Adelaide, Western Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Melbourne and Bacchus Marsh among those to get NBN fibre services in 2011.

Source: iTnews Australia