Broadband News
Tue, 20th Oct 2009
Coalition fights for unified Telstra
The Coalition has issued its reproach for the forced separation of Telstra and remains "fundamentally opposed" to the Federal Government's proposed telecommunications reform.
Source: ARN
Conroy will 'shortly' release filter report
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy late yesterday said he had received the report from Enex Testlabs into trials of ISP-based internet filtering technology, and would release it "shortly" as part of a public consultation process.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Secret treaty to enforce worldwide copyright
A secret treaty might bind the world's countries to act as copyright cops, but no one other than a few lawyers for big corporations is allowed to read the draft.
Source: PC Authority
Analysts: Future of separated Telstra is rosy
Leading telecommunications analysts have predicted a rosy future for Telstra (ASX: TLS), despite the telco claiming the Federal Government's attempts to force it to separate would hurt the business.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra signals end for copper
Telstra has finished upgrading its 1856th ADSL2+ enabled exchange, signalling the end of future investment in its ageing copper-based internet technology.
Source: Australian IT
Telcos dispute 'flawed' pricing
Telstra's competitors have urged the consumer watchdog to take the $43 billion national broadband network and the imminent break-up of Telstra into account when deciding how much they should be charged for access to Telstra's network.
Source: SMH
Mon, 19th Oct 2009
'Adult' games may be captured by internet filter
The Rudd Government is investigating how its proposed internet filtering system might apply to the online games market, particularly in relation to complications that result from the lack of an R18+ ratings classification in Australia.
Source: iTWire
AFACT and iiNet: halfway through the trial what have we learned?
The trial that is being hailed by many as the ultimate test of just who is responsible for what occurs on the internet has adjourned until November. Set down for four weeks of hearing before Justice Cowdroy in the Federal Court, this break was always part of the Court’s schedule.
Source: iTWire
Internet Industry Association content filters updated
The Australian Internet Industry Association (IIA) is updating its Family Friendly Internet Filter list with new products after testing by Enex Testlab.
Source: Computerworld
Conroy commits to public consultation on filtering
Government will release the Enex Testlab report on internet filtering "in full" at the same time it issues a discussion paper on policy options, and has committed to a public consultation on the controversial issue before it proceeds further.
Source: iTWire
Govt may not release NBN study
The Federal Government today said it wasn't yet sure whether it would publish the multimillion-dollar National Broadband implementation study currently being undertaken by consulting firms McKinsey and KPMG.
Source: ZDNet Australia
aaNet to raise ADSL1 plan prices
ISP aaNet has revealed it will "adjust" its ADSL1 broadband prices to fund an extension to the hours of its customer support line.
Source: iTnews Australia
Aussie tech to speed fibre tenfold
An Australian-developed technology that can deliver a tenfold increase in the capacity of an optical fibre link is being commercialised.
Source: iTWire
Rudd to talk about Internet filtering
Internet filtering is one of several topics The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, will discuss in a one-hour Web chat on Thursday, October 22.
Source: ARN
Sun, 18th Oct 2009
Download caps likely to stay: NBN Co
Broadband users looking forward to the removal of download caps from internet pricing are likely to be disappointed: Even the NBN Company doubts the fatter pipes will mean the end of the download cap regime.
Source: iTWire
Tassie Govt targets NBN opportunities for locals
The Tasmanian Government wants to maximise the chances of local companies getting work during the construction phase of the National Broadband Network roll-out, launching a web portal that highlights NBN sub-contractor opportunities.
Source: iTWire
NBN: Harvard backs open access model
A fundamental requirement for reducing broadband prices and increasing speeds has been the existence of an open access regime, a Harvard University study conducted on behalf of the US regulator has found.
Source: iTWire
Sat, 17th Oct 2009
Enex Testlab wants content filter report released
The managing director of the company responsible for the testing of the Federal Government's controversial ISP-level content filtering trial wants the results made public.
Source: Computerworld
Fri, 16th Oct 2009
NBN's small footprint a big opportunity for Telstra
Three months old and 40 employees strong, the NBN Company's strategic thinking is starting to emerge. And while it might be driving the biggest infrastructure project in the nation's history, NBN Co is intently focused on keeping its footprint small.
Source: iTWire
CommsAlliance releases NBN network architecture vision
Communications Alliance has released its vision of the network architecture required for the NBN to deliver a broad range of network, application and content services to end users.
Source: Computerworld
AFACT tactics have origins in 1975 UNSW library case
Some of the legal issues at stake and the tactics employed by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) in its civil case against Internet Service Provider iiNet in the Federal Court of Australia have their origins in a landmark copyright case involving the University of NSW library in 1975.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra senate hearings - CCC, ATUG
Calls to delay the passage of legislation to structurally separate Telstra "simply do not wash" according to the executive director of the Competitive Carriers Coalition (CCC), David Forman.
Source: Computerworld
Thu, 15th Oct 2009
AFACT, iiNet head for the recess playground
Perth-based internet service provider iiNet has emerged quietly confident from the first two weeks of its court fight with the movie industry - represented by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) - and will call chief executive Michael Malone as its first witness when the case resumes on November 2.
Source: iTWire
Day Eight: Internet Industry Association hands over first documents
The Internet Industry Association (IIA) produced its first documents subpoenaed by the film industry today before filing for access to affidavits and opening statements by both sides to help prepare its submission to the court.
Source: iTnews Australia
AFACT: Our evidence not 100% reliable
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft's (AFACT) solicitor, Gilbert & Tobin's Michael Williams, has conceded that the techniques AFACT used to count iiNet customers' copyright breaches was not 100 per cent "reliable".
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tata Comms taps into Pipe's PPC-1 cable
Tata Communications is now providing international capacity to and from Australia via Pipe Networks' newly-opened PPC-1 cable system which interconnects with Tata's global submarine cable network in Guam.
Source: iTWire
Day Eight: AFACT solicitor grilled on ISP disconnections
The film industry's solicitor came under sustained pressure from ISP iiNet's senior counsel to admit the number of individual sessions - and therefore infringements - recorded in spreadsheets he prepared were inflated by a technical issue.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra: NBN good, separation bad
Telstra has used its appearance at the Senate Standing Committee on telecommunications legislation amendments to reiterate its support for the NBN, and its opposition to the Federal Government's structural separation bill.
Source: Computerworld
iiNet barristers corner AFACT solicitor
iiNet's legal counsel took Gilbert & Tobin solicitor Michael Williams to task yesterday afternoon over the credibility of technical evidence he had presented to the court.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Australian ISPs stay hush hush on copyright breach notices
Australian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are remaining tight lipped over the number of copyright breach notices they have received from copyright holders as the iiNet versus the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) case continues in the Federal Court of Australia.
Source: Computerworld