Broadband News

Mon, 08th Feb 2010

Industry: Conroy's urge for piracy code of conduct is premature

Broadband Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy's calls for the ISP and movie industry to formulate a bilateral code of conduct does not address the root cause of copyright disputes, according to industry watchers.

Source: ARN

Fee cuts to boost networks' revenues

Stephen Conroy has slashed licence fees in a deal ahead of the spectrum sale.

Source: Australian IT

Internet TV braces for Australian push

In the US it's often referred to as "over-the-top TV", but in Australia, it lurches along with the humble handle of internet protocol TV.

Source: Australian IT

ACCC trying to regulate the NBN, and much more, warns Telstra

Telstra has warned that rule changes proposed by the ACCC to 'declared' data transmission services could effectively extend regulation to "NBN Co's proposed new bitstream ethernet services...wholesale DSL, broadband cable Internet, IP-VPN, and VPLS services in the access network." Most of Telstra's competitors disagree.

Source: iTWire

INTERVIEW: Michael Malone still excited, after 16 years

We spoke to Michael Malone shortly after the iiNet court victory.

Source: APC Magazine

Will the AFACT v iiNet case help reduce the rate of online piracy?

A Federal Court judge last week through out a high-profile copyright infringement case against ISP, iiNet, brought by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT).

Source: Computerworld

Sat, 06th Feb 2010

Australian Democrats calls for radical overhaul of Internet legislation

The Australian Democrats says the current legislative framework for the Internet and related industries is "ill-fitting and ill-serving making it difficult and prohibitive for the Australian Industry to operate with certainty." The party is proposing a radical overhaul.

Source: iTWire

All you ever wanted to know about LTE but were afraid to ask

3G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the GSM family of technologies including LTE, has published what is says is a "highly anticipated resource report" on the evolution of mobile technologies to LTE and beyond and designed to be read by "interested members of the general public."

Source: iTWire

Ericsson readies demo of 84Mbit/s HSPA

Ericsson has announced that it will give the world's first demonstration of 84Mbit/s High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona later this month.

Source: iTnews Australia

Fri, 05th Feb 2010

Pipe shareholders to decide on TPG merger

Pipe Networks has scheduled a Scheme Meeting, set down for March 12, in which its shareholders will be able to vote on whether to proceed with a $373m takeover offer from TPG.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra separation announced next Thursday?

The eerie quiet that has descended over the once very public stoush between the Federal Government and Telstra (ASX:TLS) could be the clearest indication yet that a deal on the separation of the telco is close at hand.

Source: Computerworld

Optus buys more radio spectrum for mobile broadband

Optus has announced it has bought up all the remaining 2100MHz mobile spectrum to give its 3G/HSPA mobile services in metro areas a speed boost.

Source: APC Magazine

Net piracy fight takes body blow

Hollywood studios and record labels are being forced to go back to the drawing board to come up with a new way of combating online piracy after the Federal Court ruled that internet service providers are not required to police copyright infringement on their networks.

Source: SMH

Legal experts expect appeal in iiNet judgement

Lawyers have predicted that the film industry would appeal its Federal Court loss to ISP iiNet - if only to press the case for Government intervention in the battle against piracy.

Source: iTnews Australia

OECD queries cost of new broadband network

The OOECD has questioned Labor's $43 billion national broadband network as the Communications Minister Stephen Conroy fends off an Auditor-General's report that shows $30 million was lost after he ignored public service advice that his original scheme risked failure.

Source: The Australian

Fibre-optic network backbone begins

The federal government is a week away from seeing the first sod of soil turned in the construction of fibre-optic backbone links for its ambitious $43 billion national broadband network.

Source: The Australian

Thu, 04th Feb 2010

iiNet outcome an "application of common sense": EFF

Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFF) has hailed the outcome of the iiNet vs AFACT case in favour of iiNet, calling the decision an "application of common sense".

Source: Computerworld

All eyes on Conroy: iiNet ruling begs questions

The ruling in favour of the ISP iiNet in its long running court battle with Hollywood movie studios presents a whole new set of issues for Government on how to provide adequate protection for intellectual property in the emerging digital economy.

Source: iTWire

iiTrial verdict: Telstra applauds legal clarity over user piracy

Australia's largest telco has welcomed the Federal Court verdict against a consortium of film and TV studios that tried to sue iiNet.

Source: APC Magazine

Document: Judge's summary of iiNet trial

ZDNet.com.au has obtained Justice Dennis Cowdroy's summary that he read in the NSW Federal Court this morning.

Source: ZDNet Australia

AFACT demands Government curb online piracy

Representatives from the film industry have called on the Federal Government to step in to police online piracy after losing a vital civil battle with ISP iiNet in the Federal Court today.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet welcomes Federal Court decision

We have never supported or encouraged breaches of the law, including infringement of the Copyright Act of the Telecommunications Act. Today's judgment is a vindication of that and the allegations against us have been proven to be unfounded.

Source: Computerworld

Rudd backs Conroy on NBN tender costs

Kevin Rudd is standing by his communications minister despite an audit office report critical of the way the government handled the original NBN tender.

Source: Australian IT

Industry groups pop champagne over iiNet victory

Isps and industry groups have welcomed news of iiNet's victory against the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) in the Federal Court.

Source: ARN

iiNet slays Hollywood in landmark piracy case

The giants of the film industry have lost their case against ISP iiNet in a landmark judgement handed down in the Federal Court today.

Source: SMH

iiNet wins! Film industry's case torn to shreds

The Federal Court has dismissed the film industry's case against iiNet, finding that Australia's No.3 internet provider did not authorise copyright infringement on its network.

Source: iTnews Australia

Don't worry, we won't disconnect your internet: IIA

Microsoft has developed a plan of disconnecting people's internet if their PC is bot-infected, but the IIA says it won't support it.

Source: APC Magazine

Wed, 03rd Feb 2010

IIA to hold iiNet trial debrief

The Internet Industry Association (IIA) will be holding its own legal briefing to discuss the ramifications of the conclusion of the AFACT vs. iiNet trial, calling its judgement "one of the most significant for ISPs and intermediaries".

Source: ZDNet Australia

NewSat pushing its Jabiru satellite for NBN role

Australian satellite services provider NewSat (ASX: NWT) is ramping up efforts to secure a role in the provision of NBN services to those Australians beyond the reach of terrestrial networks, with a PR campaign for its planned Jabiru satellite.

Source: iTWire

EFA: Internet users would suffer under AFACT win

The Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) claims an Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) victory in the copyright court case against iiNet would have serious ramifications for Internet users.

Source: ARN