Broadband News

Wed, 15th Apr 2009

States vie to be broadband base

A three-way squabble over Kevin Rudd's broadband bonanza has erupted, with the Victorian and NSW governments yesterday countering Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's pitch that Brisbane is the best place to base the $43 billion cable rollout.

Source: Australian IT

No price hike for fast broadband

Consumers would pay about the same for the Government's proposed new super-fast broadband service as they do now for a much inferior product, the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, said.

Source: SMH

ISPs may be liable for illegal downloads

The NSW Federal Court has not ruled out the possibility that an ISP could be in direct breach of copyright laws if it provides internet service to individuals that illegally share files on peer-to-peer networks.

Source: Australian IT

3 begins Next G roaming

3 has begun to enable its new 3G roaming on Telstra's Next G network, but not all areas will get access to the alternative network.

Source: Whirlpool

Tasmania to hold NBN tender

Tasmanian carrier Aurora today confirmed it was planning to initiate a tender process to find vendors for goods and services associated with the roll-out of the $43 billion National Broadband Network in the state.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Tue, 14th Apr 2009

Telstra taskforce to deal with $43bn broadband plan

Telstra has formed a high-powered taskforce to manage negotiations with the Government over the planned $43 billion national broadband network (NBN).

Source: The Age

Telstra ploughs on with upgrade despite Rudd proposal

Telstra has no plans to delay the upgrade of its hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) cable in Melbourne, despite government broadband plans that may make such spending unnecessary.

Source: The Australian

Ruddnet is too good to be true

Kevin Rudd promised a broadband revolution if he became prime minister. A state-of-the-art, fibre-to-the-node broadband would reach 98 per cent of the population. It would be built by the private sector with a $4.7 billion investment from theGovernment.

Source: The Australian

Telstra open to break-up as broadband plan forces telecom to overhaul strategy

Telstra will consider a voluntary separation of its wholesale and retail arms as well as the sale of some assets to the federal Government's proposed $43 billion broadband network in a spectacular about-face that effectively dumps the aggressive four-year strategy championed by chairman Donald McGauchie and chief executive Sol Trujillo.

Source: The Australian

iiNet thumbs nose at AFACT

iiNet has not admitted that any particular users have been infringing copyright in the next step for the court case brought against it by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT).

Source: ZDNet Australia

Turnbull attacks 'Rudd Net' broadband

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says the Government's proposed $43 billion national broadband network will never be commercially viable and has demanded the Government show evidence of what its commercial return might be.

Source: ABC News

Mon, 13th Apr 2009

Push for bush broadband rollout

The Federal Government's $43billion national broadband network could hinge on work starting first in the bush, key cross-bench senators say.

Source: The Canberra Times

Telstra's $300m upgrade in doubt

Telstra faces having to ditch a much-touted $300 million upgrade of its cable network - a core part of its revised strategy revealed last month - because of the Federal Government's surprise broadband decision last week.

Source: SMH

Video to rule in new broadband network

rollout of the $43 billion national broadband network could spark a new wave of allegiances between broadcast TV networks and online portals as video becomes the predominant form of data sent online.

Source: Australian IT

Sun, 12th Apr 2009

Rural gaps in broadband network plan

Mt Isa will be one of the first cities to benefit from the new National Broadband Network, but almost 200 towns across the state could be left behind when the superfast service rolls out.

Source: The Courier-Mail

Sat, 11th Apr 2009

Australia's broadband goals may bring a web of hysteria

Cyber-phobia is reaching epic proportion.

Source: Sun Herald

Rudd's broadband network could worthwhile -- if it works

Until this week, planning for a national broadband network was based on "fibre to the node".

Source: Herald Sun

Node plan was wasteful, Kevin Rudd told

About 70 per cent of the $10billion-plus price tag for the Rudd Government's now abandoned plan for a fibre-to-the-node broadband network would have been wasted when a faster fibre-to-the-home network was built subsequently, the Government was advised.

Source: The Australian

Telstra faces tough choices on FTTH broadband plan

Despite the regulatory sword of Damocles hanging over Telstra, the market has adjudged that the telco's profits, earnings and share price will continue within guidance levels, at least for the near future.

Source: The Australian

Thu, 09th Apr 2009

Turbo-charged broadband hits Tasmania

The Hanlon family of Hobart are big fans of Kevin Rudd's new super-fast broadband.

Source: Australian IT

Australians may pay '$200 a month for broadband'

The Government's broadband network could end up costing Australians $200 a month for fast internet access, according to pessimistic predictions from the nation's third biggest telco.

Source: ABC News

Optus may swap fibre-optics for broadband stake

Optus is considering offering the Federal Government its fibre-optic network in return for a stake in the new national broadband company.

Source: ABC News

Bidders unwilling to release NBN docs

The bidders for the Federal Government's National Broadband Network will not be making the details of their bids public, despite the fact that the process has been terminated.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 08th Apr 2009

Super-fast trip to a world full of surprises

Now the Government has decided it won the tender for a next-generation broadband network, Australians are wondering what to expect over the next eight years.

Source: SMH

Consumers to pay a premium under NBN plan

If back-of-the-envelope sums are any guide, Australians would need to be paying at least $70-$80 per month for the high-speed national broadband network to be profitable for investors.

Source: iTnews Australia

Aurora Energy in the hot seat for Tassie NBN rollout

State-owned Aurora Energy is widely tipped to be the implementation partner of choice to deliver Fibre to the Home (FttH) in Tasmania in the wake of the Federal Government's NBN announcement yesterday.

Source: iTnews Australia

Home network 'future-proof', say analysts

The federal Government's plan to deploy a fibre-to-the-home network will future-proof Australia's broadband needs, industry analysts say.

Source: The Australian

Tue, 07th Apr 2009

Government to go it alone on FTTH NBN

Kevin Rudd has announced that the NBN tender process has been terminated, and that the government will go it alone on a new $43 billion broadband network.

Source: Whirlpool

NBN plan scrapped; govt seeks new partners

The federal Government has terminated the tender process for its national broadband network project and will instead look to partners to build a $43 billion fibre to the home network.

Source: Australian IT

Mon, 06th Apr 2009

Canberra considers playing a lone hand on broadband

The Government may have to go it alone and build its own national broadband network, industry sources say, ditching private bids to construct the multi-billion-dollar project.

Source: Australian IT