Broadband News
Tue, 27th Oct 2009
Vocus renews warning on IPv4 addresses
The call for ramping up the roll out of the IPv6 standard has been renewed with a warning the world could run out of IPv4 addresses by as early as 2011.
Source: Computerworld
Conroy blunder could damage Telstra
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has accidentally released a confidential report containing potentially damaging and embarrassing details about Telstra.
Source: Brisbane Times
Huge $25B gap between Govt and Telstra valuations
The existing Telstra copper network is worth between $8 billion and $33 billion – and the yawning gap is the difference between the buyer and seller.
Source: iTWire
The Greens divided on mandatory filtering
Mandatory filtering advocate, Dr. Clive Hamilton, has maintained his strong support for a clean feed despite joining the Australian Greens to become its candidate in the seat of Higgins.
Source: ARN
Nats to vote for deferral of Telstra vote
The federal government will have to rely on the support of the entire Senate crossbench if it wants parliament to approve its plan to restructure Telstra before the end of the year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Slip puts value on Telstra's network
Telstra's copper network is worth between $8billion and $33bn according to a confidential report accidentally released yesterday by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
Source: The Australian
Minchin unloads on 'contempt' of majority report
Shadow communications spokesman Nick Minchin has lashed the majority membership of a Senate committee that recommended telecommunications reform legislation be passed, calling its report arrogant, hostile and unprecedented.
Source: iTWire
Senate report gives Telstra reform bill the thumbs up
A Senate Committee inquiry into a bill proposing a massive "shake up" of the telecommunications sector has recommended the bill be passed in full, despite Coalition concerns it should be delayed.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 26th Oct 2009
Committee splits, but says yes to Telstra reform
The Senate committee investigating controversial regulatory reforms in the telecommunications sector has recommended the legislation be passed without delay, but not before Coalition senators put forward substantial objections in a dissenting report.
Source: iTWire
ASIC to investigate Future Fund's Telstra sell-down
The Senate has called on the market regulator to investigate whether the Future Fund was tipped off about impending regulatory changes in the communications sector just weeks before offloading huge numbers of Telstra shares.
Source: iTWire
Conroy tables 'confidential' NBN documents
Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy has released two key documents related to the first National Broadband Network process, which may clear the way for the Senate to debate the three key NBN Bills.
Source: ZDNet Australia
iiNet launches broadband over FTTH
iiNet has launched it first broadband over FTTH services, to residents of the Alamanda Estate at Point Cook in Victoria, where Internode is already offering services.
Source: iTWire
Business Council renews calls for NBN cost-benefit analysis
The Business Council of Australia has joined the Opposition in calling for a detailed cost-benefit analysis of the NBN, in part to ensure the project doesn't bleed money as a result of "scoping inadequacies".
Source: iTnews Australia
Your average broadband user: 11.4Gbps per month
According to data from Cisco, the average broadband connection, across the globe, now generates 11.4Gbytes of Internet traffic per month.
Source: iTWire
Better deal for Telstra
The Rudd government is likely to back away from its more extreme legislative threats to Telstra if a deal can be quickly reached with the company on the $43 billion national broadband network project.
Source: Australian IT
Telcos should compensate complainers, says watchdog
The Australian Competition and Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) wants telcos to pay consumers $50 if their complaint of poor customer service is proven valid.
Source: iTnews Australia
Lift your game or we act, warns Conroy
The Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, has threatened telecommunications companies with a legislative crackdown unless they dramatically improve customer service.
Source: SMH
Sat, 24th Oct 2009
NBN expert panellist wants more talk on wireless
Former NBN expert panellist Reginald Coutts has called on the Government and NBN Co to state a clear position on how they expect to serve the 10 percent of Australians not receiving a fibre-to-the-home connection under the NBN plan.
Source: iTnews Australia
Minchin's madness
I'm in a bind. I can't work out whether Senator Nick Minchin is plain mad, or there is method to his madness.
Source: Computerworld
Optus pulls a swifty with new mobile broadband plans
Lower prices, more data and cheaper modems – Optus' revised wireless broadband plans are all good, until your monthly data allowance is halved after 12 months...
Source: APC Magazine
Fri, 23rd Oct 2009
Telcos still ignore customer complaints, says TIO
More Australians are complaining about the levels of service provided by ISPs and mobile phone companies than ever before, according to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), which has told the industry to improve customer experience.
Source: iTnews Australia
Complain about your telco, and have them pay you $50
The telecomms consumers lobby group - ACCAN, has ramped up its assault on the telecoms industry with demands that telcos compensate consumers who have to resort to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman to resolve issues with telcos.
Source: iTWire
Tanner: Telstra split not a Labor back flip
Despite icing a 2002 plan to pursue Telstra's structural separation due to concerns Labor had for its private shareholders, Minister for Finance Lindsay Tanner today said its current position was no different.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Bartlett making the most of Tassie's NBN
Tasmanian Greens leader, Nick McKim, is, according to ABC News "predicting a drip-feed of announcements over the Tasmanian roll-out of the National Broadband Network, to maximise the State Government's re-election chances," but there's plenty to suggest this has been going on for some time.
Source: iTWire
Telstra records highest telco complaints
More than half of 230,065 complaints lodged with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman were attributed to Telstra.
Source: Australian IT
Telcos push for Telstra break-up laws
A group of telecommunications companies have urged federal politicians to pass legislative reforms that would lead to a break up of Telstra business.
Source: Computerworld
Minister welcomes Telstra productivity report
Lindsay Tanner, Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation, has welcomed a report on government productivity commissioned by Telstra. It contains some very useful insights, he said.
Source: iTWire
Telco complaints jump 54 per cent
Complaints against the telecommunications industry rose a whopping 54 per cent in the 2008/09 financial year, prompting the industry ombudsman to issue a warning to business and consumers.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Murray coy on Telstra split
Future Fund chairman David Murray has refused to be drawn into the debate about a forced split of Telstra, arguing that it would be counterproductive for a declared seller of the telco's stock to comment.
Source: Australian IT
Telstra in a tizz over the irate hum of its parts
Despite attempts by the Opposition to delay the legislation to split Telstra, negotiations between the company and the Federal Government on the nature and amount of compensation to be paid to the telco are still due to be settled within eight weeks.
Source: SMH