Broadband News
Fri, 30th Nov 2018
NBN Co's node cabinets turned into things of beauty
NBN Co’s large green node cabinets are being turned into canvases for local art and photography, with over 100 so far either receiving - or in line to receive - the ‘wrap’ treatment.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 29th Nov 2018
NBN Co puts first G.fast capable kerbside kit in the ground
NBN Co is starting to deploy “trial” distribution point units built by Nokia in its fibre-to-the-curb footprint that have VDSL2 and G.fast modes, though it has “no immediate plans” to switch on the G.fast capability.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co puts gigabit-capable gear in the ground for FTTC
NBN Co revealed this morning that it had deployed the first G-fast-capable distribution point units (DPUs) as part of its roll out of fibre to the curb (FTTC).
Source: Computerworld
Wed, 28th Nov 2018
Piracy site-block expansion to search engines passes Parliament
It will be easier to block mirror sites under the amendment, with online search engines also now included.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NT calls for NBN to use existing fibre to deliver better broadband
The Northern Territory government is pushing for 39 communities to be connected to the National Broadband Network using existing optical fibre rather than NBN Co’s Sky Muster satellite service.
Source: Computerworld
Fast broadband boosts female entrepreneurship, says NBN Co
Fast-broadband connectivity is contributing to a boom in female entrepreneurship and giving women more flexibility to choose where and how they work, according to a new research report just released.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 27th Nov 2018
PNG upholds deal with Huawei to lay internet cable, derides counter-offer
Papua New Guinea will uphold its agreement with China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd to build its internet infrastructure, a PNG government minister said on Monday, dismissing offers from Western countries to take on the work.
Source: Computerworld
Site blocking expansion waved through committee
An expansion of site blocking laws to target cyberlockers, search engines and mirror sites has cleared a fortnight-long senate committee inquiry.
Source: iTnews Australia
Senate committee defends piracy site-block expansion
The piracy site-block expansion should be passed by Parliament, a Senate committee has recommended.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 26th Nov 2018
ACCC to continue regulating Telstra copper as NBN rollout completes
Telstra's ULLS, LSS, WLR, LCS, FOAS, and FTAS fixed-line services will continue being regulated for the next five years to ensure certainty during the end of the NBN rollout.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ATO may get direct telco metadata and bank data access
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) could be allowed to directly access telecommunications metadata and other records such as those held by banks under a proposal aired by Treasury late last week.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACCC extends declaration of Telstra's fixed line services
The ACCC has extended the declaration of six Telstra fixed line telecommunications services to 30 June 2024.
Source: ARN
NBN Co signs strategic deal with Cisco
NBN Co has announced a new strategic deal with networking giant Cisco focused on joint education and engagement activities targeted at Australian SMBs.
Source: ARN
Fri, 23rd Nov 2018
NBN supplier Tandem at centre of $400m class action vows to defend case
Tandem, the telecommunications contracting company and NBN supplier targeted by a $400 million class action launched by Shine Lawyers, has vowed to defend the case saying it is “extremely confident” about the legality of its subcontracting arrangements.
Source: iTnews Australia
$400m sham contracting class action rocks NBN supplier, telco sector
Australia’s telecommunications sector has been left reeling by a bombshell potential $400 million class action launched by the Australian arm of Erin Brokovich’s Shine Lawyers against alleged sham contracting arrangements at communications services heavyweight Tandem, formerly known as Infrastructure Services Group Management (IGSM).
Source: iTnews Australia
Small NBN providers cannot compete on price: claim
Small NBN retail service providers will have to compete on quality of service, not price, if they want to stay in business, given the way the industry is structured, the head of a small ISP claims.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 22nd Nov 2018
ACCC wants to expand NBN speed guidance to fixed-wireless
The ACCC is consulting on a proposal to extend its NBN speed guidance to fixed-wireless services so that consumers are notified of how cell congestion, line of sight, and distance from towers could impact their service.
Source: ZDNet Australia
New anti-pirate laws may block VPNs, Pinterest warns telco group
A group representing the telecommunications industry has warned that the government’s proposed expansion of Australia’s anti-piracy site-blocking laws could lead to “overblocking” and potentially limit access to virtual private networks (VPNs) and other legitimate online services.
Source: Computerworld
Victims of 'sham contracting' launch one of the biggest class actions in Australia
Allegations of sham contracting are at the centre of an "unprecedented" class action involving thousands of subcontractors working for ISGM, a workforce management company which supplies staff for Telstra, Foxtel and NBN Co.
Source: ABC News
Wed, 21st Nov 2018
NBN fixed wireless issues should be disclosed upfront, says ACCC
Fixed wireless NBN providers will soon have to supply more detailed information about connection speeds and known congestion issues in a cell before a customer signs up to receive a service.
Source: iTnews Australia
Push for telcos to disclose more information about NBN fixed wireless speeds
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission plans to revamp the guidelines for making broadband speed claims that it produces for NBN retail service providers (RSPs), with the ACCC seeking to make it easier for end users to understand the likely performance of fixed wireless connections.
Source: Computerworld
Only fibre can meet our needs into the future, says ISP chief
A full-fibre national broadband network would have cost much more, possibly as much as an extra $40 billion, but it will have to be built some time as it is the only technology that can do the heavy lifting Australia will need into the future, the head of a small ISP claims.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 20th Nov 2018
How China diverts, then spies on Australia's internet traffic
For six days last year, China Telecom appears to have deliberately diverted Australian internet traffic to China and logged as a routing error.
Source: SMH
NBN provider Mungi goes into administration
Melbourne-based unlimited NBN retail service provider Mungi has gone into voluntary administration just a year after it was created.
Source: iTnews Australia
Piracy crackdown: Rights holders come out swinging for bill targeting search engines
Groups representing copyright holders and one of the entertainment companies that has spearheaded use of an existing anti-piracy law have strongly backed proposed changes to Australia’s site-blocking regime.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co urged to move into Layer 3
NBN Co is being encouraged by a parliamentary committee to move beyond Layer 2 services on both the satellite and fixed wireless portions of its network.
Source: iTnews Australia
Inquiry calls for changes to government’s ‘NBN tax’
A parliamentary inquiry into the roll out of the National Broadband Network in regional and rural areas has called on the government to update the modelling used to underpin a levy scheme that has been dubbed an ‘NBN tax’.
Source: ARN
Labor says fixed-wireless service congestion cause for concern
The Australian Labor Party has expressed concern over the state of the fixed-wireless service offered by the NBN Co and identified in the second report of the Joint Standing Committee on the NBN as likely to be due to congestion.
Source: iTWire
House NBN panel asks govt to change regional broadband levy
The Australian Parliament's Joint Standing Committee into the NBN has recommended that the government update the modelling of its proposed regional broadband levy, in order to reflect the cost increases since the original modelling in 2015.
Source: iTWire
Labor accuses govt of avoiding 'inconvenient metrics' in NBN Co results
The Australian Labor Party has, predictably, slammed the Federal Government for avoiding any mention of what it calls "inconvenient metrics" in the NBN Co's first-quarter results which were announced on Monday.
Source: iTWire