Broadband News

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

Gillard should halt filter plan: Greens

The Greens have urged Prime Minister Julia Gillard to put the controversial ISP filtering plan on hold or risk affecting Labor's election chances.

Source: Australian IT

Filter cops criticism in cyber-safety commitee

Telecommunications providers and Internet advocate groups have called for more funding to educate Australian Federal Police (AFP) and state law enforcement on lawful data interception and cyber-safety.

Source: Computerworld

NBN Co releases 14 new trial sites

NBN Co has announced 14 new sites next in line to be strung up with fibre broadband services as part of the rollout of the National Broadband Network.

Source: iTnews Australia

Labor ups NBN trial sites

The Gillard government has rushed ahead with its NBN plans even though the project will be cancelled if it loses the next election.

Source: Australian IT

TIO mulls Twitter as complaints gateway

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is exploring Twitter and Facebook as potential new avenues for consumers to file complaints against their telecommunications or internet service provider.

Source: iTnews Australia

Vodafone and 3 gets new mobile broadband plans

Vodafone Hutchinson Australia (VHA) has enhanced its mobile broadband plans.

Source: ARN

Foxtel shelves Telstra net TV deal

Foxtel has scrapped a controversial plan to enter the budding internet television market through an exclusive deal with Telstra.

Source: Australian IT

Gillard to stick with web filter despite disquiet

The Prime Minister will push ahead with controversial plans for a mandatory internet filter despite acknowledging public concerns that it will interfere with "legitimate use".

Source: SMH

Wed, 07th Jul 2010

Alcatel-Lucent: NBN to solve gamer latency woes

Gamers struggling with high-latency while playing online games will find solace on the National Broadband Network (NBN), according to networking vendor, Alcatel-Lucent.

Source: ARN

Conroy says he's not the IT Minister

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy today told press at the launch of a new Macquarie Telecom call centre that he didn't consider information technology to be part of his portfolio - claiming that role belonged to Industry Minister Kim Carr.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Conroy: Internet filter bill with fixes will be out by November

Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has said he expects mandatory ISP filtering legislation to be out by November. But he refused to promise it would be ready before the election.

Source: ARN

Conroy shortlists next 20 NBN sites

The Federal Government has selected the next 20 sites across Australia to receive high-speed broadband as part of the $43 billion national broadband network rollout.

Source: iTnews Australia

Conroy cuts the crap on sewer broadband

At the launch of Macquarie Telecom's new customer service centre in Sydney today, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy wished Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman good luck with his proposal to build a fibre network through Brisbane sewers.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Gillard acknowledges fears over internet filter

... but says she has confidence that Stephen Conroy will sort out the glitches in the policy.

Source: APC Magazine

Telstra dives into big pond of diversity

Australia's telco giant may have one monkey off its back after its National Broadband Network (NBN) deal, but its boss says it now has its sights set on diversifying the business and satisfying unhappy customers.

Source: SMH

'Unlawful' net filter claim referred to AG

A network engineer has taken his complaint about the Federal Government's internet filtering trials being conducted illegally to the Attorney-General's Department after being stonewalled by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE).

Source: ZDNet Australia

Melbourne council to offer free WiFi

A Melbourne council plans to spend $45,000 on a free wireless hotspot trial to target the 40 percent of local residents who don't have home internet access.

Source: PC Authority

iiNet IPTV launches

iiNet has launched its long-awaited IPTV service based on resale of FetchTV and branded fetchtv 2, soon to be followed by fetchtv 1.

Source: iTWire