Broadband News
Mon, 02nd Aug 2010
Optus HFC upgrade done, reaches 75Mbps
Optus has completed a substantial upgrade of its hybrid-fibre coaxial (HFC) cable network in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney that will allow residents in supported areas access to speeds ranging up to around 80Mbps or more, using the improved DOCSIS 3 standard.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiTrial: ISPs "can't just throw hands up" on piracy
ISP iiNet should not rely on the magnitude of matching alleged evidence of copyright infringements to user information as a reason not to act on piracy, the film industry's lead barrister told the Federal Court today.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiTrial: Film studios don't want to sue individual downloaders
The film industry has submitted that it is "not desirable" to sue individual internet users alleged to have infringed copyright, returning to a discussion of "authorisation" during opening submissions to the full bench of the Federal Court.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiNet plugged into users, piracy: AFACT
Lawyers for the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) have said that iiNet authorised users' copyright infringements, because although it was in close communication with users and knew of their infringing activities, it did not act.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Could Tony Abbott unscramble the NBN egg?
All the momentum in this so far tedious federal election campaign has been Tony Abbott's, delivering opinion polls suggesting for the first time that he is a real chance of becoming Australia's next Prime Minister – and that the Coalition can make good its promise to scrap the national broadband network.
Source: iTWire
Telco consolidation kills NBN choices
Shortly after former Alcatel-Lucent executive Mike Quigley stepped on board as the first employee and leader of the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) in mid-2009, a new term entered the lexicon of Australia's telecommunications sector: "retail service provider" or RSP.
Source: ZDNet Australia
AFACT: iiNet punishes spammers but not pirates
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) has claimed iiNet punishes spammers but not copyright infringers in the first day of the copyright case’s appeal hearing in the Full Federal Court.
Source: ARN
Sat, 31st Jul 2010
How iiNet beat the pack to AAPT
The battle for Telecom New Zealand's struggling Australian operation, AAPT, was fought among a clutch of telecoms heavyweights.
Source: Australian IT
Fri, 30th Jul 2010
Tassie NBN unviable alone, pricing to rise
The Liberals' plan to axe the NBN and leave existing services in place would never work because Tasmania's NBN would be unviable without current high levels of cross-subsidisation, Senator Stephen Conroy argued in a far-reaching speech after which he also confirmed that Tasmanian NBN access prices are certain to rise in the near future.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Budde barney over NBN blowout
Telecommunications analyst, Paul Budde, has slammed comments by a rival consultant that the National Broadband Network (NBN) could cost in excess of $80 billion.
Source: Computerworld
iiNet pays $60m for AAPT consumer business
ISP iiNet has confirmed with the Australian Stock Exchange that it plans to acquire the consumer business of AAPT for $60 million.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN coverage maps reveal 93 percent fibre footprint
The Federal Government has extended the National Broadband Network (NBN) fibre footprint from 90 to 93 percent of Australian premises, in accordance with KPMG-McKinsey recommendations.
Source: iTnews Australia
The NBN coverage maps
These maps show an indication of where the NBN will be rolled out.
Source: Computerworld
NBN adds 300,000 premises to fibre footprint, releases details of full coverage
The $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) fibre reach will now cover 93 per cent of homes, schools and businesses, extending to 300,000 additional premises.
Source: ARN
Labor uses NBN as election plus
Labor will use its $43 billion national broadband network to make up for lost ground as the second week of the election campaign comes to an end.
Source: Australian IT
AAPT tells staff: Welcome to iiNet
AAPT chief executive Paul Broad has told staff of the company's consumer telecommunications business that they are soon to join iiNet.
Source: iTnews Australia
Labor to force people to connect to broadband
Confirming an increase in the coverage of its national broadband network, Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy said he would support a rollout where people were automatically connected to the network unless they chose to opt out of it.
Source: SMH
Thu, 29th Jul 2010
Conroy pledges more of the same in tech if Labor wins
Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has promised the Government will execute a major review of regulatory systems, but said most policies will remain the same.
Source: ARN
iiNet CEO spells death sentence for AAPT unlimited
The chief executive of ISP iiNet has indicated he would dump AAPT's unlimited broadband plans - and the "leechers" on them - if iiNet bought the Telecom New Zealand subsidiary.
Source: iTnews Australia
Bannon won't front AFACT's iiNet appeal
The film industry's star barrister Tony Bannon will not lead the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft's (AFACT) appeal against ISP iiNet in the Federal Court next week.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiNet calls trading halt over AAPT
Shares in iiNet entered a trading halt today as it prepared to announce a potential acquisition, expected to be AAPT's consumer division.
Source: Australian IT
Federal Government set to release exact NBN footprint tomorrow
The Federal Government is set to release the exact locations for the National Broadband Network tomorrow, according to Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy.
Source: ARN
TPG and iiNet battle for AAPT
Iinet is locked in a battle with TPG Telecom to acquire Telecom New Zealand's struggling AAPT unit.
Source: The Australian
Pacnet hoses down AAPT bid rumours
Pacnet has ruled itself out as a bidder for Telecom NZ subsidiary AAPT, at least in the "near future", according to chief executive Bill Barney.
Source: iTnews Australia
Working from home on NBN
Australians could save up to $1.9 billion a year in travel costs, petrol and time if they spent half their work hours at home on NBN.
Source: Australian IT
Conroy backs NBN opt-out model
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy appears to have backed a so-called 'opt-out' model for the National Broadband Network where Australians would be required to choose not to have fibre internet connected to their premises.
Source: ARN
Wed, 28th Jul 2010
Pacnet joins $447m Sydney-US undersea cable
Pacnet has stepped in to jointly fund a US$400 million ($447 million) undersea fibre cable connecting Sydney to the United States via Auckland that will double capacity along the route.
Source: iTnews Australia
Election 2010: Halting NBN 'economically irresponsible'
The Coalition faces a significant business community backlash if it fails to deliver a broadband plan for Australia that at least matches the Government's existing National Broadband Network initiative, according to the internet sector’s peak industry body.
Source: iTWire
NBN could see the end of business ADSL: IDC
The connection of the first business to the National Broadband Network (NBN) this week may have sounded the death knell for SME ADSL-based business broadband plans, according to IDC.
Source: Computerworld
Gillard backs NBN investment
The Prime Minister says opposing Labor's $43 billion national broadband network is like opposing the building of the railroad years ago.
Source: Australian IT