Broadband News

Tue, 09th Mar 2010

ITU launches satellite interface standard for mobiles

The International Telecommunication Union has released a new standard which it claims will boost mobile services in the areas of roaming and compatibility.

Source: iTnews Australia

Hasty call-out for passive NBN kit

NBN Co, the company charged with building Australia's $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN), today released an expression of interest for companies to provide passive network kit for the national roll-out.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Anti-filter flash mob planned to educate fools

An online activist group will use a flash mob on April Fools Day to raise its concerns about the Internet content filter to the general public.

Source: Computerworld

NBN likely to create skills shortage

As NBN Co begins to hire in earnest, it will shy away from poaching top telco talent and could face a shortage of skilled IT professionals this year.

Source: Australian IT

NBNCo won't dob on job seekers

The National Broadband Network Company (NBNCo) has poured cold water on reports it will contact the employers of prospect executives who attempt to jump ship from other telecommunications providers.

Source: Computerworld

PIPE dream set to come true for TPG

Speculation that TPG Telecom would struggle to garner 75 per cent support from PIPE Networks shareholders for the proposed $373 million acquisition was enough to knock 20ยข off the PIPE share price yesterday, closing at $6, a discount of 5 per cent to the offer of $6.30 a share. The shareholder vote will take place on Friday.

Source: SMH

Mon, 08th Mar 2010

Primus Telecom gears up to offer IPTV

Primus Telecom is putting in place the content and technology to enable it to deliver IPTV services to its ADSL customers, but CEO Ravi Bhatia says he remains unconvinced there will be sufficient demand to merit launching the service.

Source: iTWire

Sydney's anti-filter turnout: Photos

The national day of action to protest the government's internet filter took place last weekend, although only some passionate anti-filter people turned up to the event held in Sydney.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Not all welcome at Perth anti-filter rally

Opponents of the Federal Government's internet filter plan faced unexpected controversy in Perth on Saturday, when an anti-immigration group joined the 'National Day of Action'.

Source: iTnews Australia

Photos: Stop the Filter protest, Melbourne

Almost 300 individuals met at the State Library in Melbourne to protest the Federal Government's ISP-level internet filter plan.

Source: iTnews Australia

Unwanted premium SMS banned

Mobile phone companies will be banned from charging consumers for premium SMS messages against their will.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Soul/TPG lays down Pipe final offer

Soul/TPG is trying hard to convince Pipe Networks shareholders the deal on the table is the best and final offer.

Source: ARN

Up to three weeks to fix rain-affected satellite broadband

Hundreds of satellite broadband units haven't been able to withstand the heavy rains in Queensland and northern NSW, and some people have been without internet access for weeks.

Source: ABC News

Greens will vote against filter Bill

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said on Saturday at the National Day of Action against the government's internet filter that all five Greens senators will vote against the internet filtering Bill.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Net filter protests fail to deliver crowds

Nationwide protests against the Federal Government's Internet Content Filter plans held on Saturday still struggled to draw big numbers.

Source: Computerworld

Sun, 07th Mar 2010

BigPond software cripples home PCs

Something went wrong -- very wrong -- with BigPond's software on Friday, preventing PCs from booting.

Source: APC Magazine

Sat, 06th Mar 2010

Never mind the fixed-line network, we are going wireless

Telstra is not the only potential threat to the national broadband network.

Source: SMH

What is the national broadband network?

When the federal government supercharged its attempts to build a national broadband network last year, one thing was abundantly clear: they meant business.

Source: SMH

It's all on the line: Telstra sweats it out

Government may have lit the Telstra fuse but both sides are sweating on talks that will recast Australia's telco industry, writes Colin Kruger.

Source: SMH

Fri, 05th Mar 2010

Anti-filter rallies finally off the ground

Australian Greens communications spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam, is set to join hundreds in Perth to call for a stop to mandatory ISP filter plans.

Source: ARN

ACCC should stop Conroy's 100Mbps claims

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has put a stop to telco's marketing "theoretical maximum" speeds to consumers. Should Conroy be banned from making speed claims too?

Source: ZDNet Australia

ISP offers all-you-can-eat Google traffic

ISP Cinenet, covered on iTnews for the first time earlier this week, has begun offering its business customers all-you-can-eat Google traffic for a flat fee after signing a peering agreement with Pipe Networks.

Source: iTnews Australia

Internet censorship not a vote-changer

The Federal Government's planned introduction of mandatory internet filtering was unlikely to change the way most broadband users voted in the next election.

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 04th Mar 2010

2009 survey results now available

The results of Whirlpool's 2009 Australian Broadband Survey are now available.

Source: Whirlpool

Editorial: ISP filtering policy is not evidence-based

The Federal Government's proposed ISP-level filtering policy is costly, complicated, and will be completely ineffective.

Source: Whirlpool

NBN could increase digital divide

Most people would describe the digital divide as the discrepancy in the availability of new technologies, particularly broadband. On that basis, the roll-out of the NBN (extending broadband to almost every household in Australia) should be good news as it will lessen the divide.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Conroy wades into wireless NBN debate

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has waded into the debate about whether the growing popularity of 3G wireless broadband services has the potential to cannibalise National Broadband Network subscriptions, saying the two platforms are complementary.

Source: iTWire

Mobile and wireless licences to be renewed

The Federal Government will reissue the current 15-year radio frequency spectrum licences used by telcos to provide 2G and 3G mobile phone and wireless services.

Source: Computerworld

Law centre launch: NBN Co promises transparency

The re-launch of UTS's Communications Law Centre (CLC) last night added yet another name to the group of organisations keeping a watchful eye on the build of the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Source: iTnews Australia

Telco analysts happy with NBN trial announcement

The announcement of the NBN mainland trial sites has been largely welcomed by the country's telecommunications analysts, although some have criticised the selection of the trial sites.

Source: Computerworld