Broadband News

Wed, 28th Oct 2009

Cheaper broadband on the way: Telstra

Telstra has revealed that price changes to its fixed-line broadband products were "imminent" after new customer sign-ups fell for the first time in four years.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra: Separation can be win-win

Telstra chief financial officer John Stanhope has said, subject to three key conditions, structural separation could benefit shareholders.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra may sell assets elsewhere: Analyst

Telstra is almost certainly looking for potential buyers of its network assets outside of the NBN Company in a structurally separated scenario that would work against Government’s objectives for the telecommunications sector, analysts say.

Source: iTWire

Telstra coy on "real value" of its network

Telstra has assured investors it will only sell assets into the NBN if it receives "real value" for them but dodged questions on what it deemed to be fair.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra flags broadband price cuts

Telstra will soon chop its broadband prices as it reacts to falling customer takeup of its fixed line broadband services.

Source: Australian IT

Independent user poll endorses NBN

Most Australians want what the National Broadband Network (NBN) promises to offer, according to an independent survey.

Source: ARN

myONE blocks peer-to-peer on "unlimited" broadband

myONE has become the latest ISP to offer "unlimited" broadband services in Australia but it will block peer-to-peer, IRC and newsgroup access across all plans.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra talks tough on NBN stake

Telstra says it does not want a stake in national broadband network if there are no guarantees of returns to shareholders.

Source: Australian IT

Obama telecommunications advisor keen on NBN detail

The Obama administration's interest in the National Broadband Network continues, with the US president's key telecommunications advisor meeting an Australian analyst earlier this month to discuss the $43 billion plan.

Source: Computerworld

Telstra spends $1.5bn more on IT in transformation

Telstra deliberately spent $1.5 billion more on IT than planned as part of its $11.9 billion IT systems transformation project but saved $1.3 billion in other areas, leading to an overspend of "around two percent", the telco said today.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra: Open to asset sale to NBNCo

Telstra says it is open to selling assets to the government's national broadband network but it needs a guarantee on returns.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra charts steady path

Chief executive David Thodey said Australia's biggest phone company would take advantage of recent network and technology upgrades to "defend and grow" the core business.

Source: Australian IT

Tue, 27th Oct 2009

Conroy and Minchin spar over Telstra valuation blunder

In a rowdy sitting of the Senate communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy and his shadow, Senator Nick Minchin, have traded barbs over the erroneous tabling of an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) document containing a confidential valuation of Telstra's core network.

Source: Computerworld

Conroy calls ACCC doc release

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has taken the rap for mistakenly making public confidential information about the value of Telstra's copper network assets.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Vocus renews warning on IPv4 addresses

The call for ramping up the roll out of the IPv6 standard has been renewed with a warning the world could run out of IPv4 addresses by as early as 2011.

Source: Computerworld

Conroy blunder could damage Telstra

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has accidentally released a confidential report containing potentially damaging and embarrassing details about Telstra.

Source: Brisbane Times

Huge $25B gap between Govt and Telstra valuations

The existing Telstra copper network is worth between $8 billion and $33 billion – and the yawning gap is the difference between the buyer and seller.

Source: iTWire

The Greens divided on mandatory filtering

Mandatory filtering advocate, Dr. Clive Hamilton, has maintained his strong support for a clean feed despite joining the Australian Greens to become its candidate in the seat of Higgins.

Source: ARN

Nats to vote for deferral of Telstra vote

The federal government will have to rely on the support of the entire Senate crossbench if it wants parliament to approve its plan to restructure Telstra before the end of the year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Slip puts value on Telstra's network

Telstra's copper network is worth between $8billion and $33bn according to a confidential report accidentally released yesterday by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.

Source: The Australian

Minchin unloads on 'contempt' of majority report

Shadow communications spokesman Nick Minchin has lashed the majority membership of a Senate committee that recommended telecommunications reform legislation be passed, calling its report arrogant, hostile and unprecedented.

Source: iTWire

Senate report gives Telstra reform bill the thumbs up

A Senate Committee inquiry into a bill proposing a massive "shake up" of the telecommunications sector has recommended the bill be passed in full, despite Coalition concerns it should be delayed.

Source: iTnews Australia

Mon, 26th Oct 2009

Committee splits, but says yes to Telstra reform

The Senate committee investigating controversial regulatory reforms in the telecommunications sector has recommended the legislation be passed without delay, but not before Coalition senators put forward substantial objections in a dissenting report.

Source: iTWire

ASIC to investigate Future Fund's Telstra sell-down

The Senate has called on the market regulator to investigate whether the Future Fund was tipped off about impending regulatory changes in the communications sector just weeks before offloading huge numbers of Telstra shares.

Source: iTWire

Conroy tables 'confidential' NBN documents

Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy has released two key documents related to the first National Broadband Network process, which may clear the way for the Senate to debate the three key NBN Bills.

Source: ZDNet Australia

iiNet launches broadband over FTTH

iiNet has launched it first broadband over FTTH services, to residents of the Alamanda Estate at Point Cook in Victoria, where Internode is already offering services.

Source: iTWire

Business Council renews calls for NBN cost-benefit analysis

The Business Council of Australia has joined the Opposition in calling for a detailed cost-benefit analysis of the NBN, in part to ensure the project doesn't bleed money as a result of "scoping inadequacies".

Source: iTnews Australia

Your average broadband user: 11.4Gbps per month

According to data from Cisco, the average broadband connection, across the globe, now generates 11.4Gbytes of Internet traffic per month.

Source: iTWire

Better deal for Telstra

The Rudd government is likely to back away from its more extreme legislative threats to Telstra if a deal can be quickly reached with the company on the $43 billion national broadband network project.

Source: Australian IT

Telcos should compensate complainers, says watchdog

The Australian Competition and Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) wants telcos to pay consumers $50 if their complaint of poor customer service is proven valid.

Source: iTnews Australia