Broadband News

Thu, 07th May 2009

Aussie Windows 7 internet traffic "as big as Obama"?

Akamai has confirmed that internet traffic on its Aussie network yesterday sustained levels between nine and 12 per cent higher than normal, caused by an "event" it said was either as big - or bigger - than the Obama inauguration.

Source: iTnews Australia

Turnbull slams 'dangerous NBN delusion'

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull yesterday slammed the $43 billion National Broadband Network project, saying that if any business person behaved in the way Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had, he'd find himself in hot water with the nation's financial regulator.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 06th May 2009

NBN Expert Panel united on Ruddstra, not "weird" RFP

Professor Reginald Coutts says the Government's U-turn on the National Broadband Network is very much in the spirit of the recommendations the expert panel made in its report.

Source: iTnews Australia

Windows 7 fuels internet traffic, slows Tassie links

Australian ISPs have reported Akamai server traffic spikes of up to 50 percent as Windows 7 RC was released to the public, while Internode has blamed it for congestion on fibre links into Tasmania.

Source: iTnews Australia

Sony to sell movies, TV shows via PS3

Sony Australia plans to begin selling high-definition movies and TV shows via its PlayStation 3 as early as this year, hammering another nail in the coffin of the rigid free-to-air TV networks.

Source: SMH

Auditor-General to probe NBN decision

Federal Auditor-General Ian McPhee has revealed he will conduct a preliminary review of Labor's terminated National Broadband Network tender process.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Tue, 05th May 2009

Ruddnet divides a nation

The visionary thrust of Kevin Rudd's high-speed national broadband strategy focuses on providing a state-of-the-art, world's-best, communications platform for Australia. But there is a real political danger for the Rudd Government.

Source: Australian IT

Telstra up for sale - again

On the day the Federal Government announced it was going into the broadband cable business at a wild guesstimate of a headline-grabbing price, I heard a radio interview with an Optus spokesman memorable for the question not asked.

Source: SMH

Exetel says no to internet filtering

Exetel chief John Linton has ruled out selling an opt-in "clean feed" internet service to users as a result of last week's trial because the technology can be too easily bypassed.

Source: iTnews Australia

Mon, 04th May 2009

Telstra wants control of 3 joint venture

Telstra's battle against 3 was heard again in the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday, with the bigger telco reportedly attempting to win control of the carriers' two jointly owned mobile network.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Exetel trial records 20,000 hits on filtered URLs

Mandatory ISP filtering would cost internet users about $6 a year to implement, according to the results of a five-day trial of the technology by ISP Exetel.

Source: iTnews Australia

Prepaid wireless mobile broadband: Optus, Telstra, Three and Vodafone compared

Vodafone has joined its rivals in offering 3G wireless broadband to prepaid customers. So which telco offers the best value for your "pay as you go" mobile broadband buck?

Source: APC Magazine

Sat, 02nd May 2009

Telstra misused Optus long-distance traffic stats

The Federal Court has ruled in favour of Optus in a long-running dispute with Telstra, finding the incumbent misused Optus traffic information to set its own marketing, promotion and sales strategies in the 1990s.

Source: iTnews Australia

Vodafone launches prepaid wireless broadband

Vodafone has followed Three and Optus by launching a prepaid 3G wireless broadband service, with pricing almost identical to that charged by Optus, and rather higher than Three's pricing.

Source: iTWire

Fri, 01st May 2009

AAPT to join unlimited ADSL2+ bandwagon

AAPT has confirmed plans to uncap off-peak downloads on its ADSL2+ products as part of an unlimited broadband offering.

Source: iTnews Australia

Queensland, South Australia irate at NBN favouritism

Kevin Rudd faces a revolt among the states and territories over alleged special treatment for Tasmania in the roll-out of the new super-fast broadband network.

Source: The Australian

Thu, 30th Apr 2009

Formal name for NBN company in months

The formal name of the $43 billion National Broadband Network company (NBNCo) could be unveiled in a few months, the federal Government said.

Source: Australian IT

Vodafone 3G hits 80 per cent

Vodafone today said it would hit its deadline of turning on 3G mobile services in regional areas by the first week of May.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Pipe cable hits sea bed

Pipe Networks has started unrolling Australia's first international undersea cable link to be owned wholly independently from large local telcos such as Telstra and Optus.

Source: Australian IT

$700m broadband log-in

Tasmania is expected to take delivery of $700 million today to start the Federal Government's broadband network.

Source: The Mercury

Wed, 29th Apr 2009

ACCC rejects Telstra pricing again

Australia's competition regulator has again issued a final decision to reject what it described as an "unreasonable" Telstra proposal to charge other telcos $30 per month to use its copper loop for certain broadband services in metro areas.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Chris Anderson in running for NBN project chairman

One-time Optus chief executive and Packer family adviser Chris Anderson and former Telstra executive Doug Campbell are being considered by the federal Government to chair its $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) company.

Source: Australian IT

Tue, 28th Apr 2009

Territory blackout 'safeguard'

Telstra is building a third safeguard to protect Territorians from future communications blackouts.

Source: Northern Territory News

Broadband plan more than pipedream

The recession will not stop the Federal Government building the $43 billion national broadband network, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said yesterday.

Source: Herald Sun

Exetel trials content filtering technology

Exetel will begin a surprise trial of "whitebox" filtering technology today to prepare for the federal government's proposed internet filtering regime.

Source: Whirlpool

Mon, 27th Apr 2009

Broadband's losers could vote Labor out

The political debate surrounding Kevin Rudd's nationalised broadband plan so far has centred largely on its financial viability in times of stressed budgets and mounting public debt.

Source: The Australian

It's folly to replace one telco behemoth with another

With the Government's game-changing promise to introduce a new gorilla into the marketplace, telecommunications in Australia will never be the same again. And nor should it.

Source: The Australian

Basslink partially operational

After years of delay, Basslink said today that it had made its first connection over the new fibre-optic cable between Tasmania and the mainland a few days ago.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Internode adds 3G wireless data to its broadband menu

The popular ISP's new NodeMobile Data plans repackage Optus 3G from $15 per month for 250MB, with excess usage blocks starting at $10 for 250MB.

Source: APC Magazine

Sat, 25th Apr 2009

Govt details NBN advisor needs

The Federal Government yesterday kicked off its search for a lead adviser to deliver the nine-month implementation study that will map out the future of of its $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

Source: ZDNet Australia