Broadband News
Tue, 13th Apr 2010
Beating the filter: masterclass photos
Zdnet.com.au visited the first Exit International-sponsored "hacking masterclass", where the euthanasia advocacy group was to show how to use proxy servers and virtual networks so users could bypass the filter and find information on "safe suicide".
Source: ZDNet Australia
Internode flags broadband plan rework
ISP Internode has flagged more changes to a range of its broadband plans this month, in part to counter competition generated by reduced Telstra ADSL prices.
Source: iTnews Australia
IIA to ask members to sign ACTA petition
Internet Industry Association (IIA) chief executive officer Peter Coroneos has said he plans to ask his members to sign a declaration calling for more transparency in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) talks being held this week in Wellington, New Zealand.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Household brands could be NBN retail service providers
Vocus Communications' new chairman, David Spence, has flagged the emergence of retail service providers on the National Broadband Network (NBN) as a growth opportunity as the company moves to list on the ASX.
Source: Computerworld
Australia should drop filter plan: US
Child pornographers can be captured and prosecuted without having to resort to mandatory internet filters, says US Ambassador to Australia Jeff Bleich.
Source: Australian IT
Mon, 12th Apr 2010
Vividwireless users achieve half of claimed speeds
Vividwireless users are reporting that they are receiving roughly half the speeds they signed up for from the newly launched 4G ISP.
Source: Computerworld
Filter a 'modest measure': Conroy
The Federal Government's plan to bring in a mandatory internet filter was a modest regulatory measure that would combat illegal activity, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
No tenders yet for first NBN sites
The five National Broadband Network first release sites are due to commence construction by July; however, in a sign of the complexities that lay ahead, NBN Co is still determining how it should issue tenders for the project.
Source: ZDNet Australia
TSN sells its customers to Comcen
Internet service provider TSN Internet made the decision to divest its broadband business outside NSW almost three months ago but suffered a setback last weekend when the buyer pulled out, said its founder Michael Saunders.
Source: iTnews Australia
iiNet flashes its racks: photos
iiNet today announced the "powering up" of its new Western Australian datacentre, with enough racks to make a butcher jealous.
Source: ZDNet Australia
yARN: Can Conroy conquer filtering by flying solo?
It's arguably true to say mandatory ISP filtering is an unpopular measure among many Australians. Protest coalitions have risen against it and even child protection groups have joined with librarians to condemn it as a step too far down the censorship road.
Source: ARN
iiNet to deliver TV over internet
Internet service provider iiNet will soon deliver customers a range of free and subscription television channels via broadband connection after signing a partnership with FetchTV.
Source: SMH
Fibre investment needs won't change if government does
Australia will still need to invest heavily in a fibre optic network to deliver on the goal of providing high-speed broadband to the population regardless of what happens at the next Federal election, according to the head of a representative body leading industry discussions on the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Source: Computerworld
Vodafone and 3 to offer month-by-month mobile broadband
New plans sit between prepaid and contract deals, starting at $15/month for 1GB with BYO modem, but they’re not for everyone...
Source: APC Magazine
iiNet to launch FetchTV as IPTV service "soon"
iiNet has revealed that FetchTV will be providing the content for its long-awaited IPTV service.
Source: iTWire
Activists sign petition to open up ACTA talks
Concerned stakeholders from the Internet industry and legal communities have established an online petition calling for Governments party to ACTA (the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) to open up their negotiations to the public.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 09th Apr 2010
Internet filter according to Yes Minister
To understand the situation that we find ourselves in regarding the internet filter, we need to refer to the great political textbook of our age: Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister.
Source: ZDNet Australia
The Pirate Party: how to bypass the great Australian firewall
If an army of 70-year olds can get around the government's net filter, so can you. Here's how.
Source: Computerworld
Subordinate greenfields fibre law due in weeks
Housing developer bodies have sought more time to work through the detail of highly-anticipated subordinate legislation for greenfields estates before it is released to the public.
Source: iTnews Australia
More fibre set for ACT greenfields
Canberra telco and pay TV provider, TransACT, will serve fibre broadband to 11,000 ACT residents after the completion of fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) deployments to two greenfield estates.
Source: Computerworld
Thu, 08th Apr 2010
Paul Fletcher versus the NBN
The Opposition has been strangely quiet on telecommunications since the outspoken Nick Minchin relinquished the portfolio and subsequently dipped out of politics, with current Shadow Minister Tony Smith barely daring to voice an opinion.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Nokia Siemens upgrades Aurora backbone
Would-be NBN Tasmania joint-owner Aurora Energy has completed an upgrade to its own TasGovNet fibre-optic backbone, used to supply services to key towns in the state.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN legislation 'deeply worrying': Optus
Optus has taken a sledgehammer to the Federal Government's proposed National Broadband Network legislation in a flaming hot submission to the Senate NBN committee, describing the option for the NBN Company to provide retail services as "deeply worrying".
Source: ZDNet Australia
Sky-high internet bills prompt TIO adjustment
The Telecommunications Ombudsman has tripled the monetary limit of disputes it can make legally binding determinations for after receiving complaints of excess internet usage bills as high as $215,000.
Source: iTnews Australia
Test customers set to pay $50 a month
Households could pay as little as $50 a month for super-fast broadband when retail providers flick the "on" switch for the fibre-optic cable being laid across Tasmania.
Source: SMH
NBN bid to stretch China ties
Australia is facing another test in its relationship with China, as the country's largest technology group, Huawei Technologies, makes a bid for a piece of the $43 billion Australian National Broadband Network.
Source: The Australian
Optus sides with Telstra on NBN
Optus has joined Telstra in baulking at a deal with the government over the national broadband network, with the No 2 carrier saying drastic changes were needed to draft legislation before it will sign up to the $43 billion project.
Source: The Australian
Wed, 07th Apr 2010
Web filter splits opposition
The federal opposition is yet to formulate a position on the proposed internet filter despite Labor flagging its intention to introduce the measure before the last election.
Source: SMH
Government touts NBN progress
The Federal government is using the first-year anniversary of the NBN announcement to tout the progress of the $43 billion mega-project.
Source: Computerworld
More ISP rationalisation expected, at the top end
iiNet's acquisition of Netspace is being tipped as the first of several in a major rationalisation of top end ISPs, but there is likely to be little impact on almost 400 smaller ISPs serving mostly regional customers, according to wholesale provider IspONE that serves many of these.
Source: iTWire