Broadband News

Mon, 02nd Nov 2009

Day Eleven: iiNet chief "hit the roof" on Westnet copyright policy

ISP iiNet chief Michael Malone has been accused of submitting "utterly misleading" affidavits and lying under oath over his knowledge of an alleged automated system at Westnet for dealing with copyright infringement notices.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet rolls out more DSLAMs in regional towns

ISP iiNet has announced plans to roll its own DSLAMs out to eight "regional communities" in four states, on the back of "new competitive backhaul" options in those areas supplied by Optus.

Source: iTnews Australia

Sun, 01st Nov 2009

Coalition should get out of the way: Tanner

The Coalition had 11 years to fix competition problems in telecommunications and did nothing, and should now get out of the way and let Government reform the sector, Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner said.

Source: iTWire

Sat, 31st Oct 2009

AFACT v iiNet case could tarnish music industry image

As the battle between the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) and iiNet recommences on Monday, a law professor has told Computerworld the corporate music industry’s attack on technology is giving it image problems.

Source: Computerworld

Fri, 30th Oct 2009

iiNet's copyright crucible heats up

The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft's (AFACT) hunt for Australia's third largest internet service provider iiNet is set to resume on Monday, with all eyes on its managing director Michael Malone as he takes the stand.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Conroy wins Greens with Senate inquiry pledge

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy will support a Senate inquiry into the use of commercial-in-confidence provisions by governments in a pledge to win support from the Greens for a motion ensuring the telecommunications reform bill gets debated this year.

Source: iTWire

Telstra breakup bill debate resumes

A Senate order canning debate on Communication Minister Stephen Conroy's bill to break up Telstra and give the competition watchdog stronger powers has been overturned.

Source: iTnews Australia

AFACT v iiNet decision months away

The legal stoush between the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft and Internet service provider, iiNet, resumes on Monday, but the judge's decision is unlikely to come until next year. iiNet chief executive officer, Michael Malone, is expected to take the stand to kick off the ISP's case, after AFACT finished presenting its witnesses to the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney two weeks ago.

Source: Computerworld

Thu, 29th Oct 2009

Telstra dangles lure with prepaid wireless 3G offer - but will customers take the bait?

A "bonus" 1GB of data and a chance to double your download limit are two ways Telstra is hoping to attract more of the prepaid wireless crowd.

Source: PC Authority

Exetel boss bets against NBN and Quigley

Boss of internet service provider Exetel, John Linton, says the National Broadband Network should be handed to the only company that can build it - Telstra - and he's not impressed by NBN Co chief Mike Quigley.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra unsure on NBN assets

Telstra expects to reach agreement with the government on the national broadband network by December, but chief executive David Thodey says any deal on selling assets must provide fair value for shareholders.

Source: Australian IT

Conroy wins battle for Telco Bill debate

Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy has won the support of the Greens, independent Nick Xenophon and Family First's Steven Fielding to have the government's telecommunications reform legislation debated before the end of the year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra CEO available 'on-demand' for Conroy

Telstra CEO David Thodey makes himself available to Communications minister Senator Conroy 'on-demand' for separation talks, he told media at the telco's investor's day in Sydney yesterday.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra network sale: show us the money

Telstra chief executive David Thodey has pledged the company will seek shareholder approval in the event it agrees to sell infrastructure to the Federal Government for the proposed national broadband network - and will want cash.

Source: SMH

Comms Alliance progresses NBN model

Communications Alliance has announced further progress in its work to develop an architecture model for the National Broadband Network.

Source: iTWire

Australian internet fails pigeon test

A pigeon has transferred a 700 megabyte file faster than a car or a Telstra ADSL internet connection in rural Australia.

Source: iTnews Australia

Wed, 28th Oct 2009

Cheaper broadband on the way: Telstra

Telstra has revealed that price changes to its fixed-line broadband products were "imminent" after new customer sign-ups fell for the first time in four years.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra: Separation can be win-win

Telstra chief financial officer John Stanhope has said, subject to three key conditions, structural separation could benefit shareholders.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra may sell assets elsewhere: Analyst

Telstra is almost certainly looking for potential buyers of its network assets outside of the NBN Company in a structurally separated scenario that would work against Government’s objectives for the telecommunications sector, analysts say.

Source: iTWire

Telstra coy on "real value" of its network

Telstra has assured investors it will only sell assets into the NBN if it receives "real value" for them but dodged questions on what it deemed to be fair.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra flags broadband price cuts

Telstra will soon chop its broadband prices as it reacts to falling customer takeup of its fixed line broadband services.

Source: Australian IT

Independent user poll endorses NBN

Most Australians want what the National Broadband Network (NBN) promises to offer, according to an independent survey.

Source: ARN

myONE blocks peer-to-peer on "unlimited" broadband

myONE has become the latest ISP to offer "unlimited" broadband services in Australia but it will block peer-to-peer, IRC and newsgroup access across all plans.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra talks tough on NBN stake

Telstra says it does not want a stake in national broadband network if there are no guarantees of returns to shareholders.

Source: Australian IT

Obama telecommunications advisor keen on NBN detail

The Obama administration's interest in the National Broadband Network continues, with the US president's key telecommunications advisor meeting an Australian analyst earlier this month to discuss the $43 billion plan.

Source: Computerworld

Telstra spends $1.5bn more on IT in transformation

Telstra deliberately spent $1.5 billion more on IT than planned as part of its $11.9 billion IT systems transformation project but saved $1.3 billion in other areas, leading to an overspend of "around two percent", the telco said today.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra: Open to asset sale to NBNCo

Telstra says it is open to selling assets to the government's national broadband network but it needs a guarantee on returns.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra charts steady path

Chief executive David Thodey said Australia's biggest phone company would take advantage of recent network and technology upgrades to "defend and grow" the core business.

Source: Australian IT

Tue, 27th Oct 2009

Conroy and Minchin spar over Telstra valuation blunder

In a rowdy sitting of the Senate communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy and his shadow, Senator Nick Minchin, have traded barbs over the erroneous tabling of an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) document containing a confidential valuation of Telstra's core network.

Source: Computerworld

Conroy calls ACCC doc release

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has taken the rap for mistakenly making public confidential information about the value of Telstra's copper network assets.

Source: ZDNet Australia