Broadband News

Mon, 28th Sep 2009

Internode cuts 3G modem prices

Internode has cut $50 from the price of its range of 3G modems for use with its a NodeMobile Data wireless broadband service and has introduced an antenna to boost reception.

Source: iTWire

AFACT calls Carson in copyright case

The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft has confirmed Ferrier Hodgson IT forensics executive Nigel Carson as its expert witness in the court case against ISP iiNet.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra takes ADSL2+ to 88 percent of Tasmanians

Telstra says it has upgraded its 100th telephone exchange in Tasmania, in Richmond, to ADSL2+, extending ADSL2+ coverage to 88 percent of Tasmanian homes and businesses.

Source: iTWire

NBN brings up fixed broadband figures

Australia was expected to gain five places in fixed line broadband penetration globally by 2013 with Gartner predicting a 14 percent rise in the number of households connected in that time.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra shareholders demand break-up vote

Telstra's big shareholders have again gone on the attack over federal government plans to break up the telco, warning such actions may go against the company's constitution.

Source: ZDNet Australia

All eyes on NBN

The sheer scale of the national broadband network (NBN)project has drawn interest from foreign governments including the US, where President Barack Obama has outlined similar plans.

Source: Australian IT

Operational NBN model to be ready within two months

Researchers and vendors will be able to test their applications and equipment on a fully operational model of the National Broadband Network within two months.

Source: Computerworld

Sun, 27th Sep 2009

Australia embarks on great broadband adventure

From snowy mountains and sun-baked deserts to the steamy tropical north, Australia has begun wiring its vast expanse with a high-tech broadband network in a giant project being closely followed abroad.

Source: SMH

Sat, 26th Sep 2009

Broadband plan smacks of the 1950s

The government's move to force Telstra, its infrastructure and its all-important customers into the $43 billion -- give or take $10-$20bn -- National Broadband Network has "focused" debate on precisely, if not quite the wrong questions, the smaller ones.

Source: The Australian

Fri, 25th Sep 2009

Sydney-wide iPhone test: which carrier has best speed and coverage?

Four networks, 150 locations and one sprawling city - Sydney's most thorough testing of iPhone carriers reveals the winners and sinners for speed and coverage.

Source: APC Magazine

ISPs cozy up to Federal Court

The association that represented the interests of internet service providers sought to model itself as a disinterested party advising the Federal Court deciding whether iiNet aided illicit downloads of copyright material as alleged by the film industry.

Source: iTnews Australia

The NBN spells the end of the ISP as we know it

The ISP has one foot in the grave. Or at least once the Federal Government's National Broadband Network (NBN is rolled out, the term Internet Service Provider (ISP) may become an endangered species, according to the director of the recently-established Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society (IBES).

Source: ARN

Photos: Digging Tasmania's National Broadband Network trench

Engineers from French and Australian joint venture Marais-Lucas Technology have begun cutting up a thin trench across the Tasmanian landscape north of Hobart for the first fibre cable of the National Broadband Network to be laid.

Source: iTnews Australia

AFACT raises concern over unlimited ISP plans

The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft has voiced concerns that AAPT's unlimited off-peak broadband plans could promote illegal movie downloads.

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 24th Sep 2009

Exetel hunts for staff

ISP Exetel has earmarked the recruitment of 36 staff in Australia over the next year, most of which are corporate sales and sales engineering support roles.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN construction rolls on in Tassie

Work has officially commenced on the Cambridge to Midway Point section of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Tasmania, with the first cables being laid in five-year-old foundations.

Source: Computerworld

Tassie starts work on Cambridge NBN link

The Tasmanian National Broadband Network Company has started work on constructing the Midway Point fibre link in the state.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Film industry links ISP's best customers with piracy

The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft has claimed that there is a link between ISP iiNet upgrading the service plans of heavy-internet users and the proliferation of film piracy, according to documents filed with the Federal Court.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra instos condemn Canberra's 'draconian impositions'

Large institutional shareholders have written to the chairman of Telstra, Catherine Livingstone, condemning the government's plans for the effective "appropriation" of Telstra's assets and requesting a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the threat to the company's future.

Source: Australian IT

Truth a victim in Telstra war

In war the first casualty is truth. And it is no less so in the Federal Government's assault on Telstra.

Source: SMH

Wed, 23rd Sep 2009

ISP filtering trial company confident it will silence the critics

Enex Testlabs is confident the findings of its report on the Federal Government’s controversial ISP filtering scheme will silence the trial’s critics.

Source: ARN

Review: iiNet BoB wireless modem

iiNet customers who yearn for a simple networking life will do well out of BoB, although like most routers, it's not without its quirks.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Huawei, Alcatel win Singapore NBN work

Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent have been selected to manage and provide the "active infrastructure" for the country's planned next-generation national broadband network (NBN).

Source: ZDNet Australia

Major shareholders rebel over Telstra

A group of Telstra's biggest institutional shareholders has called on the board to explain the "draconian nature" of the federal government's proposed Telstra legislation and reminded directors of their fiduciary responsibility to investors.

Source: Australian IT

iiNet on watch for acquisitions

Internet service provider iiNet is looking for acquisitions to quickly boost its size.

Source: Australian IT

Blacklists should be given to vendors, not ISPs

The testing company that conducted the Federal Government's controversial ISP filtering trial claims any blacklists should be kept away from ISPs.

Source: ARN

Tue, 22nd Sep 2009

Blog: Is Conroy backpedalling on separation mandate?

Now that Minister Stephen Conroy has played his hand regarding Telstra's separation, the hard part begins.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Internode talks up PPC-1 after packet test

Internode has successfully conducted end-to-end packet flow tests between Australia and the US using Pipe's PPC-1, Australia's latest international fibre-optic link.

Source: iTnews Australia

NSW students tear through 40TB a month

Armed with Government-funded netbooks and unlimited access to the internet, students at New South Wales public schools are tearing through 40TB of downloads a month and heading fast for 100TB territory.

Source: iTnews Australia

Pipe's Guam cable carries first packets

Last month, Pipe Network's PPC-1 cable from Sydney to Guam carried its first light. This time, tests run with early customer, Internode, has seen the cable carry its first data packets.

Source: ZDNet Australia