Broadband News

Mon, 31st Aug 2009

Australia Japan Cable & Pacific Crossing offer GigE links from Australia to USA

Australia Japan Cable (AJC) and Pacific Crossing have launched a gigabit ethernet service across their respective networks for carrier, enterprise, and ISP customers wanting connectivity between Australia and North America.

Source: iTWire

How to Get a Good Broadband Deal, Part 8: Bundled pricing

Bundled deals that include your phone and broadband certainly look like great value on paper, but it pays to do your sums. Here's what you need to know.

Source: PC Authority

That other broadband revolution

While everyone was distracted by the NBN, a revolution was under way in the supply of fixed line broadband.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra's massive nerve centre exposed

Telstra has marked the 10th anniversary of its jumbo-sized Global Operations Centre in Melbourne by throwing the doors open to media.

Source: APC Magazine

Vodafone 3G now reaches 94 percent of Australians

Vodafone has completed the planned upgrade to its network, expanding 3G coverage to 94 percent of the population from 80 percent and adding 2G EDGE services and upgrading 2G coverage in the extended 3G coverage area.

Source: iTWire

US Government wants emergency internet powers

A leaked draft of the forthcoming cybersecurity bill has revealed a clause allowing government takeover of private and corporate networks "in the event of an immediate threat to strategic national interests."

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Survey: Is the public discourse lacking?

Seven of Australia's leading ICT analysts are split on whether the public discourse around the Federal Government's planned National Broadband Network (NBN) is lacking.

Source: ARN

Sat, 29th Aug 2009

The ISP Q&A Series: Optus

The ISP Q&A Series is a look at the opportunities Australian ISPs have for resellers.

Source: ARN

NBN Survey: Analysts mixed on need for network upgrade

Asked if they had any doubts Australia needed a significant upgrade to its existing networks from technology and competition view points, seven of the country's leading ICT analysts have given mixed responses.

Source: ARN

Fri, 28th Aug 2009

NBN "useless" without subsea investment

Investing in a National Broadband Network was "useless" if some of the up to $43 billion wasn't allocated to upgrading international subsea networks, according to Australia's leading start-ups.

Source: iTnews Australia

Pipe's Guam cable: What does it mean?

Opinions are split amongst analysts, telcos and ISPs as to whether Pipe's new PPC-1 Sydney to Guam submarine cable will lead to lower broadband prices for Australians, but all agree the threat of its arrival, set for October, has had a positive impact already.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN Survey: FttP is the best option in the long term

There is no better alternative to a fibre-to-the-premises (FttP) network in the long term for the National Broadband Network (NBN), according to seven of the country's top ICT analysts.

Source: ARN

Protests planned over "three-strikes rule" for downloaders

Human rights groups and Internet Service Providers have said they are preparing a challenge to UK government proposals that would introduce a "three-strikes rule" for illegal downloaders.

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 27th Aug 2009

Woolworths to sell Optus 3G and data deals

Woolworths' chief executive Michael Luscombe says uptake of its talk-and-text prepaid mobile packages, which rely on Optus' 2G network, has been so successful that it will now offer 3G and data packages.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Photos: Inside Telstra's Global Operations Centre

Exactly ten years ago, Telstra completed consolidating its network operation management to a single site in Clayton, Victoria.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Survey: Seven top ICT analysts think the NBN will be worth the money spent

Seven of Australia's top ICT analysts agree the social and economic benefits of the Federal Government's planned National Broadband Network (NBN) will outweigh the forecast $43 billion cost.

Source: ARN

Blog: Facts on the iiNet AFACT case

This week's Twisted Wire podcast looks at some of the claimed facts surrounding the controversial lawsuit against iiNet regarding copyright infringement by its customers.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 26th Aug 2009

To improve broadband speeds, don't fiberise, optimise

The local head of wide area network optimisation specialist, Riverbed Technology, has delivered a stinging attack on the government's National Broadband Network project claiming end users are unlikely to see real benefits simply from fatter pipes and that the performance of existing broadband services could be greatly improved by widespread deployment of wide area network optimisation technologies.

Source: iTWire

Adelaide commuters get internet bus trial

A trial of a bus passenger information system that also provides free onboard internet access has begun today in Adelaide. The system has been developed by a group of companies that includes Cisco.

Source: iTWire

Taxpayers may need to subsidise Tassie broadband

The objectives of the new Tasmanian National Broadband Network Company include delivering "affordable" broadband services and setting prices, prompting claims services may be subsidised.

Source: Australian IT

Riverbed: NBN alone won't fix poor speeds

WAN optimisation vendor, Riverbed, has slammed the lack of breadth in discussions on the Federal Government's planned National Broadband Network (NBN).

Source: ARN

Don't make NBN "another Optus": residents group

A community group in Sydney's inner west that prevented Optus from stringing aerial hybrid fibre coaxial cables in its streets has warned the Government not to make the NBN a repeat performance.

Source: iTnews Australia

UK Govt proposes cutting Web access to file sharers

Repeat offenders who persist in illegally downloading music from file-sharing sites such as Limewire could be blocked from accessing the Web under British government proposals issued on Tuesday.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 25th Aug 2009

ISPs should pay no mind to the cap

One of the great anomalies of the Australian broadband industry is the existence of usage caps, which around the world are virtually non-existent.

Source: The Age

TIO: We're doing the telcos' job for them

The telecommunications sector has copped flak once again after it was revealed that telcos have been slacking off on minor complaints, leaving the work to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).

Source: ARN

Internode ramps up enterprise offerings in the eastern states

In a bid to woo enterprise customers in the eastern states, Internode has tripled its NSW datacentre capacity and is unleashing its symmetrical broadband service in Sydney and Melbourne.

Source: ARN

NBNco joins Communications Alliance

NBNco has become a member of Communications Alliance, a telecommunications industry body.

Source: ARN

ACCC pricing process 'ridiculous' and 'stupid'

The consumer watchdog's draft pricing for fixed-line wholesale services will kill new investment in copper-based broadband, punching a big hole in any interim planning in the lead up to the years-away NBN roll-out, access seekers say.

Source: iTWire

Telstra gears up for zettabyte era: deploys Cisco ASR 9000 edge routers in Next IP

Cisco has announced that Telstra is deploying its ASR 9000 multiservice edge routers to support a range of bandwidth intensive, content-based services, such as video.

Source: iTWire

TIO names and shames Australia's worst telcos

The Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has released a report that reveals how Australia's top ten telcos have fared when it comes to resolving customer complaints.

Source: iTnews Australia