Broadband News

Tue, 10th Nov 2009

Day 17: iiNet copyright case to enter fifth week

The copyright infringement case between the film industry and ISP iiNet could now run into a fifth week of hearings to provide adequate time for iiNet's lawyers to prepare their closing submissions.

Source: iTnews Australia

Adam Internet turns on Adelaide WiMAX network

Adam Internet has launched services and announced prices on the WiMAX network it is rolling out in Adelaide to provide broadband services to residents in a number of blackspot areas.

Source: iTWire

Data#3 wins NBN office IT roll-out

Diversified ICT products and services group Data#3 has won a fistful of contracts to design, deploy and manage the National Broadband Network Company's corporate IT infrastructure.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Day 16: iiNet authorised infringing acts, says film industry

The film industry's barristers yesterday commenced closing statements in the Federal Court in Sydney as the copyright case against ISP iiNet entered its fourth and final week of hearings.

Source: iTnews Australia

Conroy defends $1m bill for two communications forums

The federal Communications Department has splurged more than $1 million on two talkfests - for the new broadband network and for the switchover to digital television - amid suggestions that one conference will be a financial failure and the other will short-change regional viewers.

Source: SMH

Optus pitches satellite for NBN role

Optus is positioning its satellite service as the means by which NBNCo might solve the difficult requirement of providing broadband services to the "last ten percent" of Australians living in regional and remote areas.

Source: iTnews Australia

Mon, 09th Nov 2009

The long-awaited separation of Telstra

Blessed is he who shepherds the weak through the valley of Telstra, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost DSLAMs.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Conroy's broadband forum to cost $500k

A conference to be held at the University of New South Wales on the future of fast broadband will cost taxpayers $528,000.

Source: ZDNet Australia

AAPT adds free calls to unlimited download broadband plan

Aapt has upgraded its bundled broadband and home phone Anytime Unlimited plan to include free local and national fixed line calls.

Source: iTWire

Xenophon backs Telstra split

Independent senator Nick Xenophon over the weekend said he backed a structural separation of communication giant Telstra as long as regional Australia got a fair deal.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Sun, 08th Nov 2009

The iiNet case is just a minor skirmish, the big battle is ACTA

The latest round of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiations have wrapped up in South Korea. Amongst other things, if successful in their present form, the internationally agreed rules would completely sideline the iiNet case currently before the Australian courts.

Source: iTWire

Sat, 07th Nov 2009

Top posts on the AFACT v iiNet case - Week 3

Controversy over the ongoing iiNet vs AFACT case has once again sparked an influx of comments on online articles and forums. As the third week of the case draws to a close, we take a look at the top posts.

Source: Computerworld

We're not going to do AFACT's job for them: iiNet

Australia's third largest ISP iiNet chief regulatory officer Steve Dalby has admitted in Federal Court to dismissing AFACT allegations of iiNet customer copyright infringement, saying, "we were not going to do AFACT's job for them."

Source: iTWire

Fri, 06th Nov 2009

Day 15: ISP e-security draft code held up as "reasonable steps"

The film industry has tendered for consideration a draft ISP code of conduct created this year in its copyright case against iiNet, despite presiding Justice Cowdroy believing its relevance was "peripheral" and probably not of much use to his decision in the case.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet joins ISPs offering TiVo all-you-eat broadband

The unmetered option from iiNet marks another coup for TiVo subscribers who also have similar deals from the likes of Optus, Internode and AAPT - making TiVo one of the few Video On Demand services devliered via the Internet in Australia with a comprehensive number of ISPs offering unmetered downloads.

Source: PC Authority

Day 15: Internet industry application deferred to next week

A hearing of the Internet Industry Association's application to join the copyright case between the film industry and ISP iiNet as a "friend of the court" has been deferred until next week.

Source: iTnews Australia

Internode offers IPv6 services in native mode on its national network

Internode is offering IPv6 services in native mode on its national ADSL network. The broadband provider said it had been operating a native IPv6 backbone from mid-2008 but it was only available to those with a direct Ethernet connection or with the ability to tunnel IPv6 through an IPv4 connection. The new offering is being run across the company's national network and provides concurrent IPv6 and IPv4 PPP access for any router or computer that supports it.

Source: Computerworld

AFACT: iiNet's Dalby was "completely and utterly misleading"

The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) has accused iiNet's chief regulatory officer, Steve Dalby, of issuing misleading evidence in a bid prove the ISP’s inaction to prevent film piracy.

Source: ARN

Day 15: iiNet had "intellectual curiosity" in AFACT jargon

ISP iiNet wanted to know the meanings of terms used in AFACT notices only out of "intellectual curiosity" because it had already decided not to take action whether or not it received additional information including definitions, it was alleged in the Federal Court today.

Source: iTnews Australia

AFACT v iiNet: iiNet moves to reassure customers

iiNet has moved to reassure customers that it never supported breaches of the Copyright Act, following the chief executive's three and a half day stint in the witness box. In a statement on its website, the internet service provider (ISP) provided an account of day 14 of court proceedings against the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) in the Federal Court of Australia.

Source: Computerworld

EU sanctions 'three strikes' rule for illegal file sharers

The European Union has finally agreed the last details of the Telecom Reform Package, and decided that citizens' internet access can be restricted if necessary, but only after a "fair and impartial procedure including the user's right to be heard".

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 05th Nov 2009

Day 14: iiNet confused by AFACT's techspeak

ISP iiNet claimed to have had difficulty understanding some of the terms used in infringement notices from AFACT, but did not explicitly seek answers from the film industry in return correspondence, the Federal Court heard today.

Source: iTnews Australia

Day 14: Film industry continues to hold up Exetel as model ISP

ISP iiNet's chief regulatory officer claims he did not read an Exetel blog post referred to him by a staffer because he did not think it would help iiNet respond to a letter from AFACT, the Federal Court heard today.

Source: iTnews Australia

Day 14: iiNet forced to defend takedown policy

ISP iiNet acted on takedown notices for copyright material hosted by customers on its systems or networks without being legally required to do so, the Federal Court heard today, calling into question a key part of the ISP's defence in a civil suit launched by representatives of the film industry.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet claims it can't block Pirate Bay

Internet service provider iiNet does not have the technical capability to block access to the Pirate Bay website and doesn’t think any other ISP can either.

Source: iTWire

iiNet v AFACT: Internet filtering raised in Court

The Government's ISP filtering trial has featured prominently in the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft's (AFACT) cross examination of iiNet CEO, Michael Malone.

Source: ARN

Day 14: Film industry wants iiNet to block Pirate Bay access

The film industry will seek Federal Court orders to force ISP iiNet to block its customers from accessing websites such as the Pirate Bay should it win the civil case currently underway.

Source: iTnews Australia

Oz Pirate Party slams 'secret' IP talks

The newly formed Australian Pirate Party came out swinging yesterday with a release criticising the international discussions currently being held in Korea to cement an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

Source: ZDNet Australia

WTO 'could challenge internet censorship'

Internet censorship is open to challenge at the World Trade Organization (WTO) as it can restrict trade in online services, a forthcoming study says.

Source: News Limited

Day 13: Honeypot becomes sticky point in iiNet trial

ISP iiNet allegedly "misunderstood" the method used by film industry investigators to gather data for AFACT's letters and infringement notices, affecting the way it treated them, the Federal Court heard yesterday.

Source: iTnews Australia