Broadband News

Wed, 09th Dec 2009

Equinix secures Pipe interconnect deal

Pipe has selected the Equinix Sydney1 data centre as an interconnect provider for its PPC-1 cable between Sydney and Guam.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 08th Dec 2009

Telstra raises ISP ire over BigPond price drops

Telstra has been accused of repeating anti-competitive behaviour from 2004 after again failing to reduce wholesale DSL prices in line with lower BigPond prices announced last week.

Source: iTnews Australia

Internode calls an end to 'fraudband' plans

National ISP Internode has dropped its old 256Kbps and 512Kbps plans, and will deliver a minimum of 1500Kbps to new customers. The company has also announced a "truly unlimited" plan.

Source: iTWire

Internode lifts lid on wholesale internet costs

Internode has revealed it pays around $3100 per megabit in wholesale 3G costs to provide a wireless broadband service to its customers.

Source: iTnews Australia

Conroy gets new shadow: Tony Smith

Liberal member for Casey, Victoria, Tony Smith has been appointed as the Coalition's new shadow communications minister, but his views are at odds with new shadow finance minister, Nationals senator, Barnaby Joyce.

Source: ZDNet Australia

ACMA gears up to allow in-flight mobile phone usage

The ACMA is proposing new spectrum licensing rules that would enable airlines to offer mobile phone services in-flight, but these are likely to be limited to SMS and GPRS data - Australian airlines aren't keen to offer voice services.

Source: iTWire

LTE - the bandwidth it will really deliver

Enthusiastic cellular operators hoping to upgrade to long term evolution (LTE) and their equally enthusiastic vendors have been cheerfully talking up the bandwidth capabilities of the technology to dizzying heights. Verizon Wireless has brought some reality to the situation, announcing what users can expect to get on its LTE network.

Source: iTWire

Revealed: Telstra-NBN asset deal dangers

The NBN Co and Government may be negotiating access to an unusable duct system and customer base it could win over by other means than a deal with Telstra, a regulatory gabfest in Sydney heard today.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co's FTTP tender: suppliers will have one month to respond

NBN Co has revealed details of its planned acquisition timetable for the key FTTH components of the National Broadband Network, saying it will give organisation invited to tender just one month to respond.

Source: iTWire

ISPs urged to increase security responsibility

The founder of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre (AHTCC) has called on Internet service providers (ISPs) to cooperate with each other and government to fight cyber crime.

Source: Computerworld

Mon, 07th Dec 2009

Telstra looks to the web for feedback loop

Telecommunications incumbent Telstra has invited a subset of its customers to take part in a twice-monthly customer satisfaction survey.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra threatens vividwireless speed claims

Within a month of the birth of Channel Seven's WiMax internet service provider, vividwireless, Telstra had welcomed it with "cease and desist" letters over its use of the term "4G".

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra manager deems separation

Telstra has branded functional separation of its wholesale and retail businesses as "wasteful" and claims it could cost customers up to $1 billion.

Source: ARN

Quickflix readies for NBN with Macquarie Hosting

Listed Australian online movie subscription company, Quickflix has signed a three-year, half-million dollar deal with Macquarie Hosting to host its online portal as the company prepares for what it says is an expected big increase in business with the eventual launch of the NBN.

Source: iTWire

ISPs in 2010 - iiNet

With the revelation of the NBN, the potential break up of Telstra, the AFACT vs iiNet and ISP-level filtering trials, 2009 has shaped up as quite a year for ISPs. What could be in store in 2010? We ask some of the leading internet service providers. In this edition, iiNet's MD Michael Malone.

Source: Computerworld

Telstra: Separation could be a $1bn IT project

Telstra would be forced to break apart the IT systems it implemented during its five-year transformation project at a cost of at least $500 million if it is forced to functionally separate, the telco’s public policy director said today.

Source: iTnews Australia

Internode ready to lose geek image and go mainstream

Adelaide-based Internode may soon doff its propeller hat to the geek image that has helped it prosper in Australia's cutthroat internet game for nearly two decades.

Source: The Australian

NBN Co fires starting gun for network vendors

Federal Government-funded National Broadband Network company (NBN Co) has requested networking equipment vendors provide it a statement of their capabilities in preparation for the build out of a $43 billion fibre-to-the-home (FttH) national network.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN 'a window' to grab market share

The launch of the $43 billion National Broadband Network will give Australian companies a brief window of opportunity to grab market share.

Source: Australian IT

Sun, 06th Dec 2009

NBN and IPv6 Forums to dominate next week

The National Broadband Network (NBN) and the migration to IPv6 will dominate conversations at three conferences this week.

Source: Computerworld

Sat, 05th Dec 2009

NBN Co moves into network acquisition mode

The NBN Co has kicked off the process for acquiring the equipment needed to rollout its FTTH network with a request for capability statements from potential suppliers, confirming that it intends to rollout a GPON network.

Source: iTWire

Fri, 04th Dec 2009

iiNet, Internode, MacTel circling new backhaul links

ISPs iiNet, Internode, Adam and Macquarie Telecom will look to offer services to some or all of the 100 regional towns that will benefit from the Government's $250m backhaul blackspots scheme.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN blackspots maps

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy reveals maps of 100 regional cities and towns to benefit from six new fibre links to be built by Nextgen Networks.

Source: iTnews Australia

Nextgen wins $250m NBN backhaul project

Nextgen Networks will build all six backhaul links under the Government's $250 million blackspot scheme, connecting 100 regional towns to high-speed broadband in just 18 months

Source: iTnews Australia

World's eyes on Aussie NBN: Conroy

Australia's impending National Broadband Network (NBN) has garnered considerable interest internationally, according to Broadband Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy.

Source: ARN

1000 jobs for regional NBN project

Broadband blackspots in five states and the Northern Territory will be equipped with fast broadband links in a federal government-funded project that will create 1000 jobs.

Source: Australian IT

Nextgen Networks to fill in broadband backhaul blackspots

Leighton Contractors' subsidiary Nextgen Networks has won the Federal Government's tender to provide the optical fibre links for its $250m Regional Backbone Blackspots Programme, and has already signed Nextep as the first ISP to make user of the network.

Source: iTWire

Tide rising on Tasmanian NBN

Tasmania's builder of the National Broadband Network, Aurora Energy, yesterday said it would factor in rising sea levels in its assessment of where to lay fibre along the state's coastline.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra's rivals furious at freeze on access price

The competition watchdog has enraged Telstra's competitors by freezing the prices they pay Telstra for access to millions of home phone lines.

Source: SMH

Minchin hits back at Conroy jibes

Liberal Senator Nick Minchin has hit back at jibes by communications minister Stephen Conroy over the delay of the Telstra separation bill.

Source: Computerworld