Key commentators agree the NBN should be broken up, sold off
Several influential commentators on the National Broadband Network have publicly agreed over the past several days with Infrastructure Australia's recommendation that the NBN company should be broken up into chunks along technological lines and privatised.
NBN HFC trial achieves 84Mbps/33Mbps average speeds
The NBN company today revealed it had completed its HFC cable in the Queensland region of Redcliffe and was on track for a June commercial launch of the technology, with users on the trial achieving average downlaod speeds of 84Mbps and average upload speeds of 33Mbps.
Conroy bushwhacks Fifield with NBN transparency reform
Former Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has blindsided the Government in the Senate, successfully passing an amendment to an otherwise innocuous piece of NBN legislation that will enforce a degree of radical transparency on the NBN company.
NBN gridlock resolved: FTTN congestion fixed for some
Some of the early adopters of the Government's preferred Fibre to the Node NBN rollout model have now resolved their problems and are achieving the speeds they were promised on the service, following pressure on the issue from Delimiter and the Opposition.
Watch: Conroy’s NBN transparency reform a “legislative stunt”, says Fifield
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has labelled Stephen Conroy's successful amendments to force a radical degree of transparency on the NBN company as being a "legislative stunt" from the Labor Senator he said was still serving as the defacto Shadow Communications Minister.
Watch: TPP makes a “farce” of democracy, says Greens Senator
Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson has labelled the democratic process around the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty as being a "farce", with the Government having failed to conduct a detailed public interest analysis into the treaty, and Federal Parliament blocked from modifying the agreement at all.
Vodafone grows customer numbers by 135,000, revenue by 4.5 percent
Vodafone has announced its Australian growth figures for 2015, saying that its customer base increased by 135,000 customer – a 2.5% year-on-year increase to 5,437 million.
Tyreright chooses Rackspace for cloud and hosting services
Automotive e-commerce site Tyreright has moved to Rackspace for its cloud and hosting services.
Consumer group ACCAN outlines telecoms priorities at Parliament House
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) held its Meet the People Forum at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday to lay out its telecoms priorities for 2016.
IBM, VMware sign strategic cloud partnership
IBM and VMware have agreed a strategic partnership aimed to make it easier for businesses to advantage of the cloud’s speed and economic factors.
Qantas to use NBN, ViaSat to deliver in-flight Wi-Fi from 2017
Qantas is set to introduce inflight Wi-Fi from next year under a partnership with international broadband services provider ViaSat and the NBN network.
Foxtel launches unlimited broadband plans
Pay TV giant Foxtel today launched a set of broadband plans offering unlimited download quota, although customers will need to be signed up to its subscription television offering to get the full benefits.
18 months later … WA Health finally advertises for CIO
18 months after a state parliamentary committee ordered it to, Western Australia’s Department of Health has finally advertised for a permanent chief information officer to end years of bungled major IT projects.
New Microsoft Surface + Lumia devices to hit Australia before Christmas
Microsoft’s new range of Surface convertible table devices will launch in Australia in mid-November, the global technology giant announced this week, as well as a clutch of new Lumia-branded handsets to keep Windows mobile enthusiasts happy.
Manly Council CIO on board with Microsoft Internet of Things
Microsoft has revealed that Sydney’s Manly Council is using its ‘Internet of Things’ software to significantly enhance its capabilities for operating infrastructure such as the council’s parking metres and CCTV cameras, in one of the first known deployments of this kind of environment for Microsoft in Australia.
Now David Jones gets hacked
news David Jones today notified customers that it had become the latest casualty in a hacking spree which appears to be targeting Australian retailers.
The...
Kmart calls police to investigate IT security breach
National retailer Kmart has called in the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to investigate an IT security breach which it has confirmed saw customers’ data accessed by unknown parties.
Five months after deleting it, AGL reinstates CIO role
Utility AGL Energy this week revealed it had hired a new permanent chief information officer, pinching a senior Commonwealth Bank IT executive to fill the role it had deleted from its executive roster only five months ago.
WA appoints first whole of government CIO
Western Australia has appointed its first permanent whole of government chief information officer, with acting CIO Giles Nunis taking on the role on an ongoing basis to help the state cut its costs, develop an overarching IT strategy and build the capacity of WA’s growing ICT sector.
Macquarie Uni dumps Gmail for Office 365 for staff
Macquarie University yesterday revealed it had decided to ditch Google’s hosted email and calendaring platform and would migrate its staff to Microsoft’s rival Office 365 platform, in the wake of a controversial decision by Google to shift the university’s data from its previous datacentre location in Europe and move it to the United States.
Technology One making inroads into Federal Govt
Home-grown Australian software firm Technology One appears to be making significant inroads into the Federal Government, with a $5.8 million deal with the Federal Department of the Treasury reportedly building on existing success the company is having selling its software into major institutions.
Qantas Credit Union deploys Infosys Finacle’s ‘core banking as a service’
One of Australia’s largest credit unions, the Qantas Credit Union, has revealed it will deploy a new core banking platform from Infosys’ Finacle division (EdgeVerve Systems(, as well as a host of other related services, in a move that the bank says will see it transition to a ‘core banking as a service’ model.
Watch out, CIOs — CMOs are stealing chunks of your IT spend
Chief marketing officers are increasingly making technology decisions for their organisations, according to a new study published today by technology analyst firm Telsyte.
Microsoft’s giant Aussie Office 365 migration has started
Software and services giant Microsoft last week revealed it had started migrating the data of its Australian customers onto datacentres based locally, in a move that will affect customers in Australia, Fiji and New Zealand.
DHS finally goes to market to replace 30-year-old payments IT system
30 years after it was first developed, the Department of Human Services has finally gone to market to replace its ageing welfare payments system, in a move that will formally kick off the Federal Government’s latest massive IT transformation initiative.
NSW Police deploys on-body Fujitsu camera solution
The NSW Police Force last week revealed it would start deploying an on-body camera solution from Japanese vendor Fujitsu to frontline police, as part of a global trend which is seeing the technology increasingly adopted by law enforcement authorities around the world.
Is HP currently cutting Australian jobs?
Global technology giant HP has refused to say whether or not the 25,000 to 30,000 job cuts it is making globally will have an impact on the company’s extensive Australian workforce, although speculation flying around Australia’s IT industry this afternoon and the company’s past history suggests Australia will not be spared.
ASD adds ‘little clouds’ to list of Govt-approved cloud computing platforms
The Australian Signals Directorate appears to have added two smaller providers to its list of approved cloud computing services for use by Federal Government departments and agencies, with small local suppliers Sliced Tech and Vault Systems taking pride of place alongside major multinational vendors.
NSW Dept of Finance seeks group CIO
The New South Wales Department of Finance, Services & Innovation (DFSI) has advertised for a new group chief information officer, with its longstanding incumbent CIO Malcolm Freame reportedly shifting into a different role inside the state’s public sector.
Qld Health outlines $1.2 billion IT modernisation strategy, seeks CIO to lead it
Queensland’s Department of Health has kicked off one of the largest IT modernisation projects in the state’s history, outlining a solid $1.26 billion in planned investment to bring its IT systems into the modern age and advertising for a chief information officer to lead the ’20-year’ strategy.
Cartridges retailer dumps Microsoft, Salesforce, Magento for NetSuite whole-of-business ecommerce platform
Australian online printer cartridge retailer CartridgesDirect will shortly replace its existing Magenta-based web platform with a whole of business ecommerce solution from NetSuite, as the US software as a service firm continued to pick up mid-sized customer wins in Australia.
NT Police rapidly expanding use of facial recognition technology
news The Northern Territory Police Force has revealed it is rapidly expanding its use of facial recognition technology it has purchased from Japanese vendor...
ANZ Bank inks $450m deal with IBM
ANZ Bank this morning revealed it had signed a $450 million deal with global technology firm IBM that would allow the bank to access all of IBM’s technology and feature an ‘Innovation Lab’ to more rapidly bring new products and services to market.
Digital Transformation Office adds Sydney digs as formal hiring campaign kicks off
The Federal Government’s Digital Transformation Office has revealed plans to locate a small office on-campus at the University of Technology Sydney, as well as embarking on a rapid hiring campaign in which it will seek the best Australian technologists to help deliver lasting changing in government IT service delivery.
NSW Police wants fingerprint scanners for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4
The New South Wales police force has gone to market for fingerprint scanners to add to its fleet of existing Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphones, as part of a national trend that is increasingly allowing law enforcement authorities to examine biometric data to verify identities in the field.
Brookfield deploys Windows 10 instead of “old” 7 or “jarring” 8.1
Australian company Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions has revealed it is in the throes of a major deployment of Microsoft’s new Windows 10 operating system, taking the opportunity offered by corporate restructuring to go ahead with the upgrade.
Sayonara Fujitsu: NEC wins $37m DFAT deal
The local arm of NEC today revealed it had picked up a $36.6 million contract to operate the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s ICT support desk, in a deal which would appear to knock incumbent supplier and fellow Japanese technology giant Fujitsu off its perch.
Makita Australia tried to “break” Windows 10 and failed, so deployed it instead
The IT department at the Australian office of Japanese power tool maker Makita tried to “break” Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 operating system and failed to do so, so ended up deciding to deploy the software throughout its operations to staff, the company revealed last week.
DTO plucks teen coding genius from UK
The Federal Government’s fledgling Digital Transformation Office has hired a trio of high-profile digital government service delivery experts, including a 19 year-old hailed as one of the young guns of the UK’s equivalent agency on which the DTO was based, as it rapidly bulks up in the first few months of its existence.
Logistics group Mainfreight deploys 1,500 Android devices
Tech vendor Zebra Technologies late last week revealed that global logistics provider Mainfreight would deploy some 1,500 Android-based handheld units across Australia and New Zealand, in one of the largest known corporate deployments of the Google technology down under so far.
ANZ Bank appoints board-level tech advisory panel
ANZ Bank today revealed it had appointed what it described as “an international panel of technology experts” which it said would advise its board on the strategic application of new and emerging technologies and technological trends that could affect the bank’s strategy.
Microsoft expects rapid Australian adoption of Windows 10
Microsoft this week said it expects Australian organisations to deploy its new operating system Windows 10 quite rapidly, on the basis of independent research showing that almost two in three local groups expect to adopt Windows 10 within the first 12 months of its release.
Russian hacker manipulated Australian stockmarket
Police and the national markets regulator yesterday revealed that a Russian hacker had last year broken into IT systems in major Australian financial institutions and manipulated penny stocks for a profit.
Govt blows $14.4m on Windows XP, Server 2003 support
The Federal Government has paid Microsoft more than $14.4 million for custom support of the outdated Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 operating systems, in a costly move which further demonstrates the extreme cost of running operating systems which are no longer formally supported by their vendors.
Labor reshuffle sees Husic take on startups, Rowland lose Communications
A portfolio reshuffle announced by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten this afternoon has brought both good and bad news for Australia’s technology community, with tech-focused MP Ed Husic taking on additional responsibilities for digital innovation and startups, but Michelle Rowland losing her Assistant Minister role in the Communications portfolio.
Analysts expect ‘unchained’ Turnbull to return NBN to FTTP model
Several of Australia’s telecommunications analysts have published statements noting they expect Malcolm Turnbull to reveal his ‘real’ views about the National Broadband Network project after taking the Prime Ministership and perhaps even return the project to a footing more based on its previous Fibre to the Premises technology.
Poll: Support for Labor’s NBN dives as Turnbull seen as strong Minister
New polling data released over the past several weeks has shown that national support for Labor’s version of the National Broadband Network is weakening, in the context that Australians appear to strongly approve of the job that Malcolm Turnbull is doing as Communications Minister.
Turnbull requests Labor’s secret NBN docs
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has written to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten requesting the Labor leader release cabinet documents from the previous Labor administration relating to the National Broadband Network, despite the fact that Turnbull himself is holding back similar material from the Coalition's period in power.
‘No apology, no explanation’: Residents want FTTP back, says Labor
The Opposition today claimed it was being inundated by "countless" complaints by Australians alarmed after the new Coalition Government 'wiped them off the NBN rollout map' with "no apology and no real explanation".
Quigley releases detailed evidence showing MTM NBN cost blowout
The former chief executive of the NBN company has released an extraordinarily detailed and highly referenced document analysing the company's costs, to back his claim that the up-to-$15 billion blowout in the cost of the NBN was due to the Multi-Technology Mix imposed by Malcolm Turnbull.
TPG’s FTTB rollout still progressing extremely slowly
news Retail broadband provider AusBBS has released new statistics showing that the Fibre to the Basement network which Australia's third-largest telco TPG is deploying...
Watch: 1800km of new copper ‘simply part of NBN architecture’, says Turnbull
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has defended the NBN company’s purchase of 1800km of brand new copper from repeated attacks by the Opposition in Question Time, telling the Parliament yesterday that the copper cable was “simply part of the architecture” of the NBN company’s new Multi-Technology Mix approach.
NBN Co rolling out “kilometres” of brand new copper to ensure FTTN actually works
The NBN company is deploying many “kilometres” of brand new copper in some areas to ensure that the Coalition’s Fibre to the Node model functions correctly, the Opposition said today, with Telstra’s copper network in such bad condition that up to “90 percent” of the copper needed to be repaired or replaced in some areas.
NBN HFC trial to start in November
The NBN company has revealed it will conduct a pilot trial of HFC cable technology on the National Broadband Network starting in November this year and lasting until March 2016, in a move which appears set to finally provide some hard data around the performance of the HFC networks the company is buying from Telstra and Optus.
Two years later, NBN Co finally launches FTTN
The NBN company today took a major step towards its goal of implementing the Multi-Technology Mix approach which Malcolm Turnbull has brought to the project, formally launching its Fibre to the Node product as an option to retail broadband providers some two years after the 2013 Federal Election.
Turnbull starts his pitch: ‘The Prime Minister for Innovation’
Malcolm Turnbull has used his first brief comments as Australia’s 29th Prime Minister to emphasise that Australia is facing disruption driven by technology, and that the nation needs to work to take advantage of that trend rather than rejecting it.
You’re wrong, NBN Co tells Rod Tucker — Turnbull’s MTM is a “game-changer”
The NBN company has furiously rejected the claim by telco academic Rod Tucker that Malcolm Turnbull’s Multi-Technology Mix approach will turn Australia into an “internet backwater”, arguing instead that the controversial network model will be a “game-changer for the Australian economy”.
Turnbull’s NBN “fundamentally unfair”, says Michelle Rowland
Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland has delivered a speech criticising the Coalition’s version of the National Broadband Network for not being “fair”, highlighting among other factors the fact that premises with inferior technologies such as Fibre to the Node will pay the same access charges as those on full fibre.
Turnbull ‘has no clue what he is doing’, says Paul Budde
Veteran telecommunications analyst Paul Budde has accused Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull of having “no clue what he was doing” with the National Broadband Network project, in the wake of news that the Coalition’s Multi-Technology Mix approach to the NBN has blown out in cost by up to $15 billion.
NBN Co dumps FTTP plan for another half a million premises
The National Broadband Network Company this afternoon revealed up to 550,000 less Australian premises would receive the full Fibre to the Premises rollout than had been previously been planned under the Coalition’s Multi-Technology Mix, with the project’s funding requirement also blowing out by between $5 billion and $15 billion.
Turnbull rejects MyRepublic’s “confounding” NBN critique
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has rejected what he described as MyRepublic’s “confounding” comments on the Coalition’s Multi-Technology version of the NBN, among other arguments reminding the Singaporean company of cost differences when deploying fibre in Australia.
NBN company defends “excellent” FTTN network
The NBN company has rejected claims by Singaporean telco MyRepublic that the fledgling Fibre to the Node component of its network rollout is “shit”, stating instead that the rollout mechanism delivers “excellent” speeds to Australians.
Turnbull defends Geelong MP from FTTN critics
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull this morning travelled to Geelong to spruik the benefits of its looming Fibre to the Node deployment, braving the ire of local residents and Labor politicians, who are increasingly demanding local Liberal MP Sarah Henderson support the technically superior Fibre to the Premises version of the NBN instead.
nbn meets Turnbull’s June 30 rollout targets
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull today confirmed nbn would meet its rollout targets for the start of the 2015/2016 financial year, although the success appeared to be based almost entirely upon the continual deployment of Labor’s previous Fibre to the Premises model, and not the Coalition’s technically inferior multi-technology alternative.
ACMA outlines management strategy for mobile broadband spectrum
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has outlined its strategy for addressing growth in mobile broadband traffic and its latest work plan in a package released yesterday.
Telstra chair Catherine Livingstone resigns
Telstra Chairman Catherine Livingstone has announced she is resigning from her position on the board of directors at Australia's largest telecommunications company.
Turnbull establishes advisory panel to boost Australian FinTech
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has established an expert advisory group aimed at making Australia the leading FinTech market in the Asia-Pacific region.
Labor, Coalition vote against strong encryption in Senate
Both of Australia's major political parties have explicitly rejected a Senate motion calling on the Government to support public use of strong encryption technologies, in a move that comes in the wake of the US Government's demand that Apple provide it with a backdoor for open access to its iPhone handset.
NBN Co estimates up to $10.5k for 300m of fibre in Newcastle CBD
The NBN company has given a Newcastle business an estimate ranging up to $9,500 to extend fibre cables 300 metres from the local streetside 'node' through existing Telstra pipes to their facility in the Newcastle CBD, as signals continue to grow that the Coalition's election estimates on fibre on demand costs were inaccurate.
Senate committee recommends ‘take down’ legislation over revenge porn
A new report from the Senate's Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee has recommended that government be given powers to take down 'non-consensual sharing of intimate images', otherwise known as 'revenge porn'.
Most remaining Dick Smith stores to close
With the exception of airport locations, all remaining Dick Smith and Move stores across Australia and New Zealand are to close, according to the receiving company Ferrier Hodgson.
EFA ‘concerned’ about Nikolic Security appointment, Senate encryption motion
Electric Frontiers Australia (EFA) has said it is "concerned" about the recent appointment of Tasmanian MP Andrew Nikolic as Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
Not today, Conroy: House of Reps rejects NBN transparency reform
The Government has used its dominance of the House of Representatives to reject amendments successfully moved by Labor Senator Stephen Conroy in the Senate which would enforce a degree of radical transparency on the NBN company.
“A whole mess of garbage”: Ludlam blasts Turnbull’s “mongrel” NBN
Greens Senator Scott Ludlam has given a fiery speech to Parliament this week damning the Coalition's version of the National Broadband Network as instigated by Malcolm Turnbull, labelling it as a "whole mess of garbage" and as being held together with "gaffer tape and plastic bags".
Govt releases geocoded national address and boundaries datasets
The Federal Government has released PSMA Australia’s Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) and associated Administrative Boundaries dataset to the public.
British Airways workers to rally against Tata outsourcing of IT jobs
British Airways workers are to protest against the outsourcing of IT jobs to foreign workers employed by Tata Consultancy Services at a rally organised by general workers' union, the GMB.
“Cheap buy”: Budde and Ludlam believe the NBN will be sold to Telstra
Senior figures Paul Budde and Senator Scott Ludlam this week said they expected that the only company likely to buy a privatised National Broadband Network would be Telstra, as speculation continues to mount about a sale of Australia's largest ever infrastructure project before it is even finished.
NBN Senate Committee will hold hearings next week … without NBN Co
The Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network has resolved to hold hearings in Parliament House in Canberra next Friday 4 March, but has opted to hear from a diverse range of witnesses in academia and industry, without the presence of its usual target, the NBN company.
Shanghai to host latest tech startup ‘landing pad’
The Federal Government had announced that the host city for the latest startup 'landing pad' will be Shanghai, China's largest city
Doubts remain about NBN Gigabit HFC upgrade
Questions have continued to arise about whether nbn’s planned Gigabit upgrade of the HFC cable networks it is acquiring from Telstra and Optus will be able to deliver on its speed promises, with a number of telecommunications industry sources pouring cold water on the long-term capacity of the ageing networks.
“Liar!” Rowland demands Turnbull tell NBN truth
Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland has accused Malcolm Turnbull of being a "liar" and failing to "tell the truth", with respect to the Communications Minister's ongoing false statements about the cost of Labor's National Broadband Network policy.
Turnbull insists MTM CBN not “old technology”
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has issued a statement insisting that the Coalition's new "Multi-Technology Mix" approach to its Coalition's Broadband Network (CBN) project is "NOT" "old technology", despite that several of its constituent parts -- the existing copper and HFC cable networks -- 15 years to many decades old.
Coalition MTM model a ‘$40bn fraud’, says Conroy in epic Senate rant
Stephen Conroy has accused the Coalition of perpetuating an "absolute fraud" on the Australian public through its drastic reworking of Labor's NBN project, with the former Communications Minister pointing out that the Coalition could not guarantee speeds on its planned infrastructure, and that no other country globally was buying back its incumbent telco's copper network.
4G networks to match NBN, claims Liberal MP
A Queensland Liberal MP who has been described as a “Malcolm Turnbull lieutenant” and a long-time critic of Labor’s popular National Broadband Network has made a number of inaccurate statements in Federal Parliament about the project, claiming it could be matched by 4G and 5G mobile networks without spending "some $90 billion of taxpayers' money".
Turnbull taints Budget with NBN cost lie
Malcolm Turnbull late yesterday used the Federal Budget announcements process to again erroneously claim that the Coalition's technically inferior version of Labor's National Broadband Network project would be $32 billion cheaper, despite the fact that the Communications Minister is aware this claim is not true.
Turnbull repeats Triple J lie to Alan Jones
Malcolm Turnbull earlier this week made several statements on Alan Jones' breakfast show on 2GB radio which the Communications Minister is aware are false, repeating incorrect information he had previously broadcast on the ABC's Triple J several weeks ago and failing to correct incorrect information broadcast by Jones himself.
CBN FTTN test shows speeds of 105Mbps
The National Broadband Network Company today revealed it had successfully conducted early trials of the Fibre to the Node (FTTN) rollout model mandated by the Coalition Federal Government, with the trials delivering "raw" download speeds of 105Mbps over a distance of 100m from a local test 'node'.
Clare tables NBN petition in Parliament
Shadow Minister for Communications Jason Clare yesterday presented to Federal Parliament the signatures of 272,000 Australians who want the new Coalition Government to build Labor’s all-fibre version of the National Broadband Network instead of the technically inferior version which is currently being proposed.
Get on with FTTN job, Quigley tells NBN Co
NBN Co founding chief executive Mike Quigley has advised the company's new management to get on with the job of fulfilling the Coalition's Fibre to the Node vision for the project and not to politicise it further, in his first public appearance since retiring several months ago.
Pro-NBN National Day of Action is tomorrow
Supporters of Labor's all-fibre vision for the National Broadband Network project have organised a national day of action for Tuesday 26 November, which will see thousands of Australians physically present Members of Parliament with copies of a 270,000-strong petition on the issue.
Turnbull approves 150k more FTTP premises
The National Broadband Network Company has confirmed that Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has approved a further 150,000 premises to receive a full Fibre to the Premises network deployment, on top of the 300,000 premises where construction firms have already received deployment instructions.
Rethinking the NBN: Hackett’s just getting started
Internode founder Simon Hackett has declared that the innovative ideas he has put forward over the past several years with respect to reforming the NBN are "just the tip of the iceberg" in terms of potential improvements and cost reductions to the project, as debate continues about its future under the new Coalition Government.
Policy reversal: Turnbull now ‘thoroughly’ open to FTTP
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull appears to have drastically modified the Coalition's policy stance on the National Broadband Network just weeks after the Federal Election, declaring the Coalition was not wedded to its fibre to the node model and was "thoroughly open-minded" about the technology to be used in the network.
You’re wrong, critics tell Turnbull: Australia voted for NBN
An analysis of Senate voting patterns put together by supporters of Labor's all-fibre NBN policy has shown parties supporting the fibre to the premises model received more support in the Federal Election than the Coalition's alternative, calling into question Malcolm Turnbull's claim to have a mandate to change the NBN rollout to fibre to the node.
‘You’re a disgrace’: Turnbull slams lecturer’s accurate NBN analysis
Communications Minister-elect Malcolm Turnbull has savagely attacked a University of Queensland lecturer for a seemingly innocuous article analysing rising online dissent towards the Coalition's NBN policy, inaccurately labelling the academic's article as "false" and "misleading", and claiming that it was "a disgrace".
Back off, Turnbull tells FTTP petitioners: You’ve had your “democracy”
Malcolm Turnbull has sternly rejected an online petition which has so far garnered more than 200,000 signatures calling for the Coalition to support Labor's all-fibre NBN policy, with the Communications Minister-elect claiming it wouldn't be "democracy" for the new Coalition Government to reverse the rival NBN policy it took to the election.
The shape of things to come: FTTN criticism will not die
The creation of a fast-growing petition and the publication of a landmark article by the ABC on the issue are among growing signs that a powerful level of dissent about the Coalition's unpopular fibre to the node-based National Broadband Network policy will come to dog the incoming Abbott government on an ongoing basis.
The FTTP dream is over: Coalition victory kills Labor’s NBN
The long-held vision dreamt up by senior Labor politicians Stephen Conroy and Kevin Rudd in 2009 of a universal fibre broadband network covering Australia is officially dead, with a solid election victory set to sweep the Coalition into power and a technically inferior fibre to the node plan into Australia’s streets.
BT’s FTTN has passed 16m since 2009
British incumbent telco BT revealed overnight that its fibre to the node network has passed more than 16 million premises since the network rollout was commenced in 2009, with more than 1.7 million customers having signed up for active connections to the infrastructure.
FTTN or FTTH? It doesn’t matter, says Vodafone
The chief executive of ailing national mobile player Vodafone stated over the weekend that it wasn’t “important” whether Australia’s National Broadband Network policy pursued a fibre to the home or fibre to the node approach, with only “minor nuances” between the two platforms proposed separately by the Government and the Opposition.
Litany of problems: Internal NBN doc warns of FTTN failures
The NBN company is reportedly suffering a litany of issues with respect to Malcolm Turnbull's preferred Fibre to the Node technology, with an internal document warning the company's management that its FTTN rollout has gone badly off track due to a "plethora of faults".
Report outlines the digitalisation ‘megatrends’ shaping Australia’s employment future
A new report has outlined the "megatrends" shaping the future of employment in Australia and highlighted the importance of education across the jobs spectrum.
Adelaide Festival Centre deploys Red Hat Linux on Azure cloud
Adelaide Festival Centre has chosen to shift its Red Hat Enterprise Linux system from physical servers to Microsoft’s Azure could computing platform.
Turnbull’s MTM NBN plan “in crisis” says Jason Clare
The Opposition today said the Multi-Technology Mix plan which Malcolm Turnbull imposed on the National Broadband Network project was "in crisis", following revelations published over the weekend that its Fibre to the Node centrepiece was substantially behind projections and suffering a litany of issues.
Most Qld Govt cloud data is going straight offshore
Queensland's Auditor-General has revealed that the State Government's 'cloud-first' policy has resulted in three quarters of the government data placed into cloud computing platforms going offshore, despite the availability of Australia-based cloud computing solutions.
Monash University invests $4.1m in supercomputer project
Monash University has announced it has invested $4.1m in a high-performance computing facility with plans to build a new supercomputer.
Watch: Labor ‘fooling itself’ on NBN “copper” delays, claims Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull yesterday accused the Opposition of 'fooling itself' with relation to significant delays revealed in the rollout of the Prime Minister's preferred Fibre to the Node technology, in a fraught Question Time in which Labor pursued Turnbull relentlessly on the National Broadband Network issue.
Telstra switches on free public Wi-Fi across Tasmania
Telstra has switched on over 40 public Wi-Fi hotspots across Tasmania in a joint partnership with the Tasmanian Government.
Australia Post accelerates digital push with Data61 partnership
Australia Post has announced a new partnership with the country's largest data innovation group Data61 that is aimed to drive continued transformation into a digital services company.
Google’s Australian MD joins ANZ as head of digital banking
Google's regional Managing Director Maile Carnegie has joined ANZ bank as its new Group Executive of Digital Banking.
Senate Committee calls NBN Co for full day of hearings
The Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network has resolved to hold another full day of hearings in Canberra, with the date to be 15 March and the only witness to be called being the NBN company.
Fifield refuses to accept NBN Co’s own evidence of FTTN delays
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of evidence contained in leaked internal documentation, in which the NBN company's chief network engineering explicitly states that its Fibre to the Node rollout is categorically behind target.
Senate backs Greens motion for ‘refocus’ on electric cars in SA
The Senate has backed a motion from the Australian Greens calling on the government to "refocus" South Australia's car manufacturing industry on electric vehicles.
Australian video game industry now worth close to $3bn
The Australian video games industry grew significantly in 2015, resulting in overall sales of $2.83bn, according to figures from the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA).
CSC completes UXC acquisition
Multinational IT services corporation CSC has completed the acquisition of UXC, Australia’s largest independent and publicly owned IT services company for over $420m.
Screw you, Australia: We’ll get new Google gear late and pay more
US-headquartered technology giant Google has completely left Australia off the list of countries that will receive its new smartphones, tablet and other devices announced in the United States overnight, with countries like the UK, Korea, Japan and even Ireland getting the nod over the lucky country for access to the new kit and Australians to pay more when the devices do eventually launch
‘Unacceptable’: Cisco’s Chambers tells Obama re NSA interceptions
Long-time Cisco Systems chief executive John Chambers has written a strongly worded letter to US President Barack Obama stating that the company "simply cannot operate" if the National Security Agency continues intercepting its routers and injecting spyware onto them before they are delivered to customers.
Coalition front bench “technically illiterate”, says Ludlam
Greens Communications Spokesperson Scott Ludlam has described the Coalition's new front bench as "technically illiterate", in a wide-ranging speech in the Senate last week kicking off his campaign to be re-elected in the upcoming Senate by-election in Western Australia and attacking Prime Minister Tony Abbott over various tech-related issues, from Internet piracy to the National Broadband Network.
“Enormous damage”: Turnbull changes tune on Snowden
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull appears to have completely changed his view on the revelations by Edward Snowden about US spying activities, telling the ABC yesterday that the NSA whistleblower had caused "enormous damage", despite having only six months ago described some of Snowden's revelations as having "very significant" implications.
No back door, Microsoft tells Parliament
Global technology giant Microsoft has definitively told Australia's Federal Parliament that it does not have a back door in its software that would allow the company to provide access to the IT infrastructure of the Parliament, which would include private files and emails held by Members of Parliament, Senators and their staff.
NBN FTTN analysis “devastating” for Coalition
A "devastating" leaked internal NBN analysis partially published over the past week "pulls apart" the Coalition's Fibre to the Node plan for the National Broadband, the Opposition said this week, as pressure grows on Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull over the issue.
Senate to force TPP publication
The Greens and Labor teamed up in the Senate yesterday to successfully move a motion which would force the Coalition Government to table the text of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement before Australia signs the treaty.
Much ado about nothing: SMH FTTN ‘revelations’ spur NBN circus
The Sydney Morning Herald has published internal NBN Co information purporting to heavily criticise the Coalition's rival FTTN model for the National Broadband Network. However, the information may not reflect the current state of play with the network or the Coalition's plans.
Outrage after TPP leak reveals piracy criminalisation
Australian political parties and digital rights lobby groups today erupted in outrage after a Wikileaks leak of the intellectual property rights chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement revealed Australians could be slugged with new draconian measures if caught infringing copyright online.
DFAT blocks media from public TPP briefing
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has taken the extraordinary step of rescinding confirmations of attendance for journalists who had registered to attend a public briefing on the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in Sydney today, stating that the meeting is “off-the-record”, and that journalists are not welcome.”
Vic Govt kicks off CenITex outsourcing
Just several months after the plans leaked to the media, the Victorian Government has gone to market for IT outsourcing partners to replace large chunks of the service delivery functionality currently provided by its extremely troubled IT shared serices agency CenITex.
IT disaster waiting to happen: Qld Health to replace 22-year-old admin system
Queensland Health's beleaguered IT operation has turned its focus to a sizable IT replacement project slated to cost the state up to $438 million and see a 22-year-old patient administration program replaced, as the fallout from its billion-dollar botched payroll system upgrade continues to be felt in the state's public sector.
Victoria abandons IT shared services? Core CenITex services to be outsourced
Dramatic internal documents leaked from CenITex this week have revealed that the Victorian State Government plans to turn the IT shared services agency into a 'broker', rather than a provider of services, and that the Government is considering outsourcing massive chunks of CenITex's work.
Roxon just a front for department, says Newton
Prominent network engineer and commentator Mark Newton has accused the Federal Attorney-General's Department of using the Attorney-General of the day -- whether Labor or Coalition -- as a front for its long-running data retention and surveillance plans, which he said dated back to the Howard Government.
Australians unsure on Assange Govt support
Most Australians are unsure whether the Federal Government has provided enough support to Australian citizen and Internet activist Julian Assange during his ongoing legal battles in Europe, a new poll has shown, as the Greens continue to call for further assistance for the Wikileaks founder.
Australian protests erupt over Wikileaks’ Assange
A series of protests will be held around the nation this afternoon to demand the Federal Government protect Wikileaks founder Julian Assange from potential extradition to the United States, despite statements by Foreign Minister Bob Carr to the effect that the Australian Government has done his utmost for the Australian citizen.
Data retention proposal still hazy, even within Govt
The Federal Government's data retention proposal was still largely incomplete and being internally evaluated as of late 2011, new documents released under Freedom of Information laws have shown, despite the fact that the controversial plan is several years old and has become part of a concrete package of reforms aimed at increasing surveillance powers.
Dick Smith in new offer after game sale fiasco
Electronics retailer Dick Smith has kicked off a new sale on video games and accessories, to mollify customers miffed by a poorly handled sale last week which saw thousands of customers lining up in front of stores for deals, only to walk away empty-handed.
Pirate Party slams extreme govt secrecy
Pirate Party Australia has condemned the actions of Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, whose department has refused to release documents regarding closed door discussions on the issue of Internet copyright infringement under Freedom of Information laws.
Greens demand Govt protect Assange
The Government and the Opposition took squirming to new heights recently while handling — or rather not handling — the threat of prosecution faced by Australian citizen and WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange in the USA, a media release put out by the Australian Greens yesterday.
Pirate Party demands Australia reject ACTA treaty
The Pirate Party of Australia has made a submission to the Federal Government recommending it reject the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) signed this week by the European Union, despite the fact that Australia actually signed the deal in September last year.
ISP data retention still an issue, Ludlam warns
Greens Senator Scott Ludlam has warned that a secretive proposal -- known as 'data retention -- by the Attorney-General's Department to force internet service providers to store a wealth of information pertaining to Australians' emails and telephone calls is still an issue, with the public needing to remain vigilant on how the Government handles Internet surveillance.
Wikileaks cable outs secret iiTrial background
A document published by Wikileaks appearing to be a US diplomatic cable appears to have revealed much of the previously hidden background behind the iiNet/AFACT court case, including the Motion Picture Association of America's prime mover role and US Embassy fears the trial could become portrayed as "giant American bullies versus little Aussie battlers".
Voluntary ISP filter attracts global attention
The continued support by several of Australia's largest internet service providers for a voluntary version of the Federal Government's mandatory ISP filtering scheme has attracted the ire of the world's largest digital rights group, the Electronic Frontiers Foundation.
Aussie piracy report a “farce”, says Pirate Party
The Australian Pirate Party has attacked a study commissioned by the Australian Content Industry Group (ACIG) and put together by research group Sphere Analysis, calling it “a farce”.
Will HP’s TouchPad launch in Australia?
Overnight in the US, HP unveiled its answer to Apple's iPad; a new tablet based on the WebOS operating system it acquired with Palm. But it remains unclear whether the device will launch in Australia -- with its WebOS predecessors never having made it down under, and no details on local availability having been confirmed as yet.
The big update: Telco networks in Queensland
Telecommunication companies are currently struggling to restore their services in flooded Queensland territory, as access to damaged exchange sites is still denied and power outages prevent networks from operating.
Samsung Galaxy Tab pricing: What we know
Today sees the Australian launch of the tablet device which global gadget blog Engadget has labelled "the first true competitor to Apple's iPad" -- Samsung's Galaxy Tab. But what information is currently available about how much the Android tablet will cost Australians? The answer: Not much.
ACTA hits Australia to Pirate Party derision
Depending on who you ask, a draft of the global Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) released by the Federal Government in Australia today is either a welcome measure which will benefit the the nation’s creative industries — or a draconian control proposal which will cut down our civil liberties.
Conroy to receive secret filter forum report
The Greens have dug up a handful of further details about Labor's controversial mandatory filter project through the questions on notice procedure, including the fact that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy will shortly receive a report on a confidential online forum held by his department on the topic in April this year.
Office 2010 to hit Australia in June
Microsoft has confirmed it will launch its latest office suite in Australia to the general public in June, with businesses to get the software from May 12 and local pricing to be announced for the products later this week.
“Desperate” Labor misrepresenting FTTP cost, says Fifield
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield this morning said an increasingly "desperate" Opposition was "misrepresenting" the cost of the NBN company deploying Labor's preferred Fibre to the Premises model, in response to new documents leaked from the NBN company this morning.
TransGrid: Dumping Oracle support for Rimini Street slashed fees by half
Electricity utility TransGrid has said dumping Oracle as the provider of annual maintenance and support for its own database product brought significant savings.
‘Significant’ bidder interest for Sydney’s White Bay tech hub project
The transformation of Sydney’s iconic White Bay Power Station into a hub for tech startups has received 'significant interest' from a range of Australian and international contenders, according to the managers of the project.
Fletcher praises Turnbull’s “very competent” NBN stewardship
Government frontbencher Paul Fletcher has praised Malcolm Turnbull's stewardship of the National Broadband Network project in response to sustained criticism from the Opposition, stating yesterday that the project was on track and that Turnbull had done a "very competent" job of reforming it.
Leaking NBN Co staff in “rebellion” against MTM, says Husic
The NBN company's staff is leaking internal documents because they are in a "rebellion" against the Multi-Technology Mix model which is being foisted against them, Labor MP Ed Husic said yesterday, in a fiery speech which also touched upon the lack of suitability of HFC cable for the NBN network.
NEC enters ‘smart cities’ partnership with University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide and technology company NEC Australia have signed a new agreement that will see them collaborate on a so-called 'smart cities' project aimed to help urban areas become more dynamic and sustainable.
Watch: Angry Labor shouts down Fifield in Senate over NBN leaks
An outraged Opposition shouted down Mitch Fifield in Senate Question Time today over the latest set of National Broadband Network leaked documents, accusing the Communications Minister of not knowing that the Coalition's election costing on the NBN was a "lie".
US tech visionary Harper Reed to keynote Cisco Live
Technology giant Cisco has unveiled the line-up for its Cisco Live confab in Melbourne next week, with US-based technology evangelist Harper Reed to feature as one of the main keynotes, alongside several senior global Cisco executives.
FTTN congestion often ‘user error’, says Turnbull
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has dismissed widespread complaints from early adopters of the Government's preferred Fibre to the Node rollout model that the technology is slower than ADSL, attributing many of the issues to end users' home setups, including their computers and Wi-Fi routers.
NBN supports Coalition MPs as election campaign escalates
The NBN company has taken minor steps to support two Coalition MPs this week in promoting their work bringing broadband to their local areas, in moves that call into question the company's independence in the pre-election period before the national poll expected to be held later this year.
Updated Amaysim deals include 9GB of data for under $50 a month
Australian telecoms provider Amaysim has announced improved data and international inclusions on all its Unlimited mobile plans, including a 9GB package for less than $50.
NSW drive to cut costs opens up ride-sharing for public servants
Transport options for public servants in NSW will now include ride-sharing services, as part of the state government's push to reduce overall travel expenditure.
ICAC finds training institute IT manager guilty of corruption
An investigation by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has found a former IT manager at the TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute (SWSI) guilty of corruption in his official role at the training organisation.
Movie effects firm Animal Logic deploys Brocade network switches
Digital animation and visual effects studio Animal Logic has announced it will deploy network switches from Brocade in order to cope with the data demands of the next generation of 3D movies.
Govt CIOs focusing on analytics, cloud, infrastructure
A new survey has revealed that analytics, infrastructure and cloud computing are the top three technology priorities for government CIOs, with digital transformation still lagging behind.
Union talks to Telstra, NBN over 457 visa workers, training issues
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has been in talks with both NBN and Telstra in recent days to discuss a range of issues including concerns over the use of 457 visa workers and funding for a proposed training scheme.
My Health Record trial criticised over opt out, privacy
The new system is already under criticism for failing to explain how or why users would opt out, enabling automatic enrolment, and glossing over the potential for user information to be accessed by non-medical government agencies.
ABC ignores damaging NBN leaks in lengthy Fifield interview
The ABC's political flagship Insiders failed to ask Communications Minister Mitch Fifield a single question about the National Broadband Network in an extensive interview yesterday, despite several damaging leaks regarding the project which dominated parliamentary debate over the past week.
Square’s low-cost credit card reader launches in Australia
Global payments technology provider Square has announced that its low cost 'Square Reader' credit and debit card reader is now available in Australia.
Survey startup Culture Amp closes A$13.5 million funding round
Australia-based survey tool and analytics platform Culture Amp has raised US$10m from a number of notable US and Australian VC firms as it continues to expand internationally.
Telstra, Cisco team up for Software-Defined Networking products
Telstra has joined forces with Cisco to launch a suite of software-defined networking products that are aimed to enable Australian businesses to quickly deploy and configure services over its networks.
Foxtel and Stan agree: Peak hour broadband congestion real, significant
Senior executives from two of Australia's largest online content providers have provided testimony to the Senate that peak hour and weekend broadband congestion is a real phenomenon that is significantly affecting broadband users around Australia.
NZ brings FTTP costs down to FTTN levels
The telco deploying New Zealand's own version of the National Broadband Network has revealed that it was able to cut the cost of deploying its Fibre to the Premises model by 29 percent in a single year in 2015 and will cut it evern further this year, bringing the overall cost down to a comparable level with rival mdoels such as Fibre to the Node.
4G “far superior” to the NBN, claims Joe Hockey
Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey has inaccurately claimed that 4G mobile broadband has the potential to be "far superior" to the fibre technology which Labor's National Broadband Network policy features, in a controversial interview in which he also claimed that it could cost Australians up to $1,000 to connect to the NBN.
PM Turnbull using Netregistry email for official business
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has acknowledged he is using a private email platform hosted by a non-government provider for official business relating to his ministerial roles, in a revelation which has already reminded commentators of the hot water which US presidential candidate Hilary Clinton found herself in for the same behaviour.
Turnbull resigns as Communications Minister to challenge Abbott
Malcolm Turnbull has reportedly resigned his post as Communications Minister and from Federal Cabinet to challenge Tony Abbott for the Prime Ministership, in a move that has the potential to result in a dramatic shake-up of the way the National Broadband Network project is run.
“They’ve completely stuffed it”: MyRepublic slams Turnbull’s “shit” NBN
Pioneering Singaporean broadband provider MyRepublic has reportedly damned Malcolm Turnbull’s Multi-Technology Mix vision as “shit” on the eve of launching predominantly fibre-based broadband services with unlimited quotas in Australia.
Telstra integrates Netflix, Stan, Presto into re-badged Roku box
The nation’s largest telco Telstra today revealed it will launch a Telstra-branded version of the popular Roku TV streaming device to Australians, as the telco struggles to ensure its over-the-top services remain relevant in a next-generation viewing world which increasingly appears to be dominated by the likes of US giant Netflix.
Amazon’s virtual desktop hits Australia
Cloud computing giant Amazon Web Services today announced that its WorkSpaces virtual desktop platform was available to be delivered from its Sydney datacentre, in a move which may accelerate the adoption of virtual desktop infrastructure in Australia in general.
Microsoft confirms shrunken TechEd Australia
Microsoft has confirmed it will radically overhaul its giant TechEd conference in Australia in a way that will essentially spell the end of the iconic conference in its traditional mega-format, with the company confirming it will hold smaller TechEd conferences in Sydney and Melbourne in October and additional dates and cities in planning for early 2015.
AT&T to deploy Gigabit fibre to 100 US cities
US telco giant AT&T overnight revealed it would deploy Fibre to the Premises infrastructure in 100 major US cities in the United States, delivering gigabit broadband speeds in a model which directly contradicts statements by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull that the telco is focusing on the Coalition's preferred Fibre to the Node model.
Turnbull lies on NBN to Triple J listeners
Malcolm Turnbull yesterday made several statements on the ABC's Triple J radio station regarding financial projections for Labor's National Broadband Network project which the Communications Minister is aware are false, with the former investment banker inaccurately conflating investment capital and government expenses for the project as well as exaggerating financial figures.
NBN Co to kill TPG rollout while Minister dithers
The National Broadband Network Company has decided to take action into its own hands to deal with TPG's plans to deploy competitive broadband infrastructure in Australia's cities, revealing plans this morning to accelerate its own rollout to compete with TPG ahead of any expected decision on the issue by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Unlimited 100Mbps for $89.99: TPG equals top NBN plan
TPG has launched a new plan on the National Broadband Network fibre infrastructure which appears to match the existing best option on the market from rival Exetel, with the national broadband provider also now offering an unlimited option at speeds of 100Mbps for just $89.99 per month.
NBN Co updates rollout maps with new premises
The National Broadband Network Company has updated its dynamic rollout map with details of thousands of new premises where construction contracts have been signed, giving Australians a great deal more certainty about whether their premise will be included in the company's next round of Fibre to the Premises broadband deployment.
Switkowski in 2009: Fibre to make copper “obsolescent”
NBN Co executive chairman Ziggy Switkowski appears to have radically changed his views on the different merits of fibre and copper broadband technologies over the past few years, it has emerged, with a video interview having surfaced over the past few days showing the executive praising Labor's all-fibre NBN strategy and adding that it would make copper infrastructure "obsolescent".
NBN technology choice doesn’t matter, says Switkowski
NBN Co executive chairman Ziggy Switkowski has declared that the specific technology chosen by the company in its network rollout "does not matter", as long as that technology can deliver the "speeds" that Australians need today and that it can be upgraded as demand required, in a controversial statement which appears to fly against conventional wisdom in the telecommunications sector.
Melbourne CBD to get free Wi-Fi
The Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne today announced plans to source a provider from the private sector to provide free Wi-Fi access in the city's central business district, despite the fact that Australia's existing mobile broadband networks are already providing reliable wireless access, and despite the fact that similar projects have failed in other states.
Telstra tests 700MHz 4g on “advanced HTC smartphone”
The nation's biggest telco Telstra late last week revealed it had started testing the use of the 700MHz spectrum in its 4G mobile network, using equipment from Ericsson and "an advanced smartphone from HTC that will launch later this year".
Vodafone replaces Morrow with Romanian exec
Ailing national mobile telco Vodafone today revealed it would bring in Inaki Berroeta, chief executive of Vodafone Romania to replace its outgoing local leader Bill Morrow, who is set to take the reins of the National Broadband Network Company from March.
Turnbull Facebook Q+A backfires with NBN rage
An attempt by Malcolm Turnbull to leverage a visit to Facebook's headquarters in the US to communicate with Australians about the future of the digital economy via social media has backfired, with the Communications Minister's official Facebook filling up with hundreds of comments slamming the Coalition's inferior broadband policy.
Doctor supergroup calls for PCEHR overhaul
A super-group composed of six of Australia’s major medical and doctors’ associations has called for the new Coalition Federal Government to listen to significant concerns raised by general practitioner doctors about the previous Labor administration’s troubled Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) system.
‘Malcolm, you’re not listening’: Pro-fibre NBN ad unveiled
The group of pro-fibre National Broadband Network activists planning to publish advertisements in the local newspaper of Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull have revealed the creative they will use to target the Liberal MP, headlining their ads with the admonition: “Malcolm, perhaps you haven’t heard us clearly.”
Oops: Pro-NBN ad campaign raises $40k
A crowdfunding campaign which aimed to raise $15,000 to place pro-FTTP NBN ads Malcolm Turnbull’s local newspaper has massively blown its original target in a matter of days, with almost $40,000 being pledged to the cause so far.
Targeting Turnbull: $15k raised for pro-NBN ads
A crowdfunding campaign has raised $15,000 in a matter of days to place ads supporting an all-fibre National Broadband Network policy in a local newspaper in the electorate of Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, as evidence continues to grow of mass popular support for Labor's previous Fibre to the Premises policy.
800 pound gorilla: Telstra throws its 4G weight around
The nation's largest telco Telstra this morning revealed it had more than 3.2 million devices operating on its 4G mobile network and that its 4G coverage was slated to reach 85 percent of the population by Christmas, in a move which will further solidify the company's 4G lead over its rivals.
EFA wants public input in NBN review
Australia's premiere digital rights lobbying group Electronic Frontiers Australia has called for the Government to allow public input into the upcoming strategic review of the future of the National Broadband Network, as pressure intensifies upon Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to support the previous Labor administration's all-fibre NBN policy.
NBN should be top Abbott priority: Poll
An online poll taken by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation this week has shown Australians overwhelmingly believe focusing on the National Broadband Network should be Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott's highest priority in his first 100 days in office, eclipsing issues such as education, the carbon tax, border protection and the environment.
Dept of Defence extends Unisys IT support contract
The Department of Defence has announced it will extend its contract with Unisys that sees the US-based firm's local subsidiary provide IT support services at locations across Australia.
Microsoft’s Dynamics AX for Azure cloud to launch in Australia
Microsoft has announced that Dynamics AX, the latest version of its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software product, will soon be available in Australia and hosted in local data centres.
Victorian Govt continues to suffer major issues with ICT projects
A new report from Victoria's Acting Auditor-General Dr Peter Frost has criticised the state government over failed and badly planned ICT projects that he said were, in some cases, "not acceptable".
Business “translation” key for CIOs, says Melbourne Airport IT chief
The chief information officer of Melbourne Airport has told attendees at the Cisco Live conference in Melbourne this week that the ability to translate technical projects and language into business outcomes and concepts was still key for chief information officers.
Adecco dumps handsets for softphones with Optus, Cisco
news Human resources group Adecco yesterday revealed it had undertaken a substantial refresh of its internal telephony and Internet platform with the primary assistance...
NBN Co, Telstra help Greg Hunt out with election campaign event
The NBN company join Telstra at an election campaign event to be held by Environment Minister Greg Hunt in his electorate of Flinders in late March, Delimiter can reveal, in a move that further calls into question the NBN company's independence in the pre-election period.
Optus offers early phone upgrade option, new data deals
Optus has introduced a new offer that will give new customers the option to receive an early phone upgrade on its My Plan Plus deal.
Unisys launches IT support desk for NSW government agencies
Global IT provider Unisys has launched a new service desk that will provide centralised IT support services to NSW Government departments and agencies under the GovConnectNSW banner.
Optus rolls out guest Wi-Fi at Mirvac shopping centres
Optus Business is now providing Wi-Fi services for Australian property group Mirvac at two of the firm's flagship shopping centres.
Fifield says Shorten’s FTTP NBN promise is “flaky”, uncosted
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has labelled a pledge by Bill Shorten to bring a "greater role" for Fibre to the Premises technology in the NBN as "flaky", saying the Opposition Leader did not specify exactly what the promise would cost and what it meant.
Shorten promises “greater role” for FTTP in NBN if Labor wins election
Bill Shorten this week said Labor would make sure that there would be a "greater role" for Fibre to the Premises technology in the National Broadband Network if it won the upcoming Federal Election. However, the Opposition Leader also intimated Labor wouldn't be able to reverse the changes Malcolm Turnbull has made to the project.
Govt invites feedback on $8m startup incubator initiative
The Federal Government has called for comment on a new $8m initiative aimed to boost Australia’s next generation of startups.
MyNetFone demands NBN ‘level the playing field’ for mid-sized ISPs
MyNetFone has demanded that the NBN "level the playing field" for mid-size telcos in Australia by taking several measures it said would bring healthier competition in the telecoms industry.
Tassie Govt criticises TPG over Basslink Internet issues
The Tasmanian Government has expressed its disappointment over service interruptions for customers of TPG's Internet service provider brands following the cutting of the Basslink cable.
Human Services Dept renews $484m contract with IBM
The Department of Human Services (DHS) has renewed a contract with IBM for the delivery of new technology that is aimed to drive new products and services.
Success: “Skinny” fibre trial cut FTTP costs by $450, rollout time by 4 weeks
The NBN company this morning revealed that its trial of "skinny fibre" to some 4,500 homes in the Victorian towns of Ballarat and Karingal had been highly successful, cutting the cost per premise of a Fibre to the Premise rollout by $450 and the rollout time by four weeks.
“Simply incorrect”: Morrow refutes most NBN leaks with evidence
The CEO of the NBN company has delivered a strong rebuttal of negative conclusions which commentators had drawn from a recent spate of leaks, providing a Senate Committee hearing this morning with evidence that the NBN was ahead of its targets on all measures and that its technology was performing well.
Govt packs innovation and science panel with industry heavyweights
The government has strengthened the lineup of the new Innovation and Science Australia Board, adding a number of heavyweight members with a proven track record across science and industry.
Digital Rights Watch group launches to fight for “free and open Internet”
A new advocacy organisation called Digital Rights Watch has launched with the aim of protecting the rights of Australian Internet users.
Telstra: New Wi-Fi gateway is first with 4×4 Broadcom chipset
Telstra has launched a new Wi-Fi gateway for businesses, which it claims is the world’s first using Broadcom’s 4x4 Wi-Fi AC chipset.
GovCMS adoption ‘doubled expectations’ in first year
The government's web content management system GovCMS has reportedly seen more than twice the number of agencies and institutions adopting the service than initially estimated.
ACS report reveals “major skills shift” in Australian economy
The ACS – the professional association for Australia’s ICT sector – has published a report that revealing that "major shift" is underway in Australia's economy, as employers seek workers with digital and other skills.
Telstra hires Kevin Russell and … Stephen Elop?
Telstra has announced two notable executive hires in its retail and innovation divisions as it moves to simplify and strengthen its core business.
New tax incentives bill aimed to promote innovation and risk taking
The Federal Government introduced a new tax bill into Parliament yesterday that is aimed to drive investment, economic growth and job creation by "encouraging innovation, risk taking and an entrepreneurial culture".
NBN board, Govt blocking FTTdp despite FTTN-like cost
The NBN company yesterday revealed its board and the Federal Government were blocking a switch to a Fibre to the Distribution Point model, despite the fact that new revelations have shown the cost of the FTTdp option is coming very close to that of the technically inferior Fibre to the Node incumbent model.
Telstra bets on Windows 10 solution to boost retail engagement
Telstra is rolling out Microsoft Windows 10 on Surface devices at its retail outlets in a move aimed to blur the line between in-store and online sales.
Digital Realty flags new datacentre construction in Melbourne
Global technology firm Digital Realty is to establish a new datacentre in Victoria that will create hundreds of new jobs in the state.
StartupAUS praises Govt’s tax incentives bill
Advocacy group StartupAUS has welcomed the government’s new tax legislation that will provide incentives for investors, saying the measures are arguably the "most generous startup investor scheme in the world".
NBN reveals new FTTdp trials, but says FTTN not ‘dead’
The NBN company today revealed it would undertake a new set of trials in Sydney and Melbourne of the Fibre to the Distribution Point technology which some believe represents a viable path forward for ditching the company's Fibre to the Node rollout style once and for all.
Labor teams up with Coalition again to support data retention
Australia's two major political parties teamed up again yesterday to block a Greens motion in the Senate which would have called upon the Government to repeal the data retention scheme, in a move which demonstrates enduring bipartisan support for the controversial policy.
Infrastructure Australia reveals almost no specific basis for NBN privatisation push
Infrastructure Australia has revealed it did not consult more than a handful of sources or organisations when making its recommendation in mid-February that the National Broadband Network be split up into pieces and sold off to the private sector.
NBN changes mind again: Some HFC suburbs to get FTTN after all
The NBN company last week reportedly said it would deploy its Fibre to the Node rollout model to some areas already covered by HFC cable networks, in a move which appears to represent the second time the company has changes its policy on the issue.
Telstra flags redundancies in Defence contract
The nation's largest telco has flagged a small redundancy and redeployment round as part of its huge $1.1 billion contract with the Department of Defence, in the latest set of job cuts that appear to be sweeping across Australia's technology and telecommunications industries.
Optus to cut “several hundred” jobs, union says
Australia's second-largest telco Optus is set to cut several hundred jobs, one of its main unions claimed last week, as part of a "company-wide restructure" that may involve outsourcing and offshoring some aspects of Optus' operations.
HPE may cut 200 Adelaide jobs, just months after hiring binge
Just months after flagging a sizable expansion of its business in South Australia, insiders have revealed Hewlett Packard Enterprise is actually in the throes of cutting several hundred staff from the state.
Govt open to NBN using skinny fibre, FTTdp, says Fifield
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has confirmed the Government is open to using 'skinny' fibre and Fibre to the Distribution Point models as part of the National Broadband Network, as speculation continues to mount the two technologies may form the basis of a new Coalition NBN policy to be released ahead of this year's Federal Election.
Huge mobile outage spurs second Telstra free data day on 3rd April
The nation's largest telco Telstra has offered mobile customers another free data day -- with mobile traffic not counting towards their quotas -- on April 3 in an effort to make up for another major nationwide outage last night.
Govt inquiry will investigate forcing business to open data to startups
The Federal Government has announced it will ask hold an inquiry into the potential costs and benefits of opening up more data to business, as well as review the uptake of the credit reporting framework.
Govt details FinTech support, action on GST treatment of cryptocurrencies
The Federal Government has released a statement that sets out its plans to support Australia's FinTech startups in order to boost jobs and economic growth, and includes measures to tackle the "double taxation" of digital currencies.
Optus, Cisco announce $12m innovation partnership
Optus and Cisco have announced a joint initiative to develop technologies that they anticipate will create "disruptive capabilities" for Australian businesses and government.
IBM Australia goes through redundancy round
Global technology giant IBM is cutting jobs in its Australian operations, Delimiter can reveal, in a move which appears to be part of a broad global cull by Big Blue.
Capgemini appoints new CEO for Australia and New Zealand
Global consulting, technology and outsourcing company Capgemini has announced the appointment of Nicolas Aidoud as its new Chief Executive Officer for Australia and New Zealand.
Vodafone offers free month for customers switching networks
Vodafone has announced it is offering a month of fee-free access for new customers who switch from another provider on any post-paid voice or mobile broadband plan.
ACCC green-lights ihail taxi booking app
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has given its approval for a new taxi app called ihail, a joint venture between taxi networks and other participants that the industry hopes will allow it to fight back against ride-sharing services like Uber.
Google Fiber shows people don’t want FTTP, says Morrow
The chief executive of the NBN company this week reportedly said briefings with the team behind the Google Fiber project showed broadband users didn't want Fibre to the Premise infrastructure or the gigabit speeds behind it, and that the NBN company was built to make money, not as a public service.
Budde says Turnbull may announce FTTdp as NBN election policy
Veteran telco analyst Paul Budde this week said it was his view that the speed and cost advantages of the NBN's new Fibre to the Distribution Point (FTTdp) model might lead Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to announce it as the Coalition's new NBN policy ahead of this year's Federal Election.
TPG releases unlimited NBN business plans
National broadband provider TPG has released a new range of National Broadband Network plans aimed at businesses, with the headline plan offering 100Mbps speeds and unlimited data and telephone usage for $120 per month.
Labor calls on Govt to bring forward tax incentives for investors
Labor has called on the government to bring forward the start date of its tax incentives for investors over its concerns about an "investor strike" affecting Australian startups.
Australia in huge slip down global broadband rankings
Australia has taken a substantial leap down the table of countries globally with good broadband, with the nation's poor average peak connection speeds seeing it slip 14 spots in just the past six months by one measurement, and other benchmarks also slipping slightly.
Google leaves Australia off cloud expansion list
Google has announced two new regions for its Cloud Platform network of datacentres, with more on the way, but it is still unclear if Australia will eventually be included in the list.
Digital Transformation Office unveils gov.au prototype
The Digital Transformation Office (DTO) has revealed the "Alpha" prototype of gov.au – the new governmental web platform that aims to present information and services based on usability, rather than the structures of government.
Queensland will be first to get NBN HFC cable, says Fifield
Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield has announced that residents in Queensland will be the first to experience the NBN's "superfast" HFC cable broadband service when the network goes live in June.
As NBN visits, Verizon insists FTTP is “superior” to HFC
One of the US telcos visited by the NBN management this month, Verizon, has deployed a new advertising campaign with the aim of 'making it clear' to Americans that "there is a difference" between the dominant HFC cable broadband service and Verizon's own "superior" FTTP-based 'Fios' offering.
BT follows NBN with ‘skinny’ fibre trials in UK
British telco BT has reportedly followed the NBN company in Australia and conducted trials of so-called 'skinny' fibre technology that could allow the telco to substantially cut the cost of deploying fibre throughout its network.
Industry group slams mandatory data breach bill
The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) has hit out at the government's mandatory data breach bill, airing concerns over its implementation and saying it will bring an "unreasonable" burden for businesses.
“No debate”: Australia needs “gigabit” fibre, says Atlassian co-founder
Billionaire software mogul Mike Cannon-Brookes last night stated that there was "no debate" about Australia's need for "gigabit fiber", in comments that come in direct contrast to controversial statements made on the topic last week by the chief executive of the National Broadband Network.
Q&A panellists agree: Politicians have completely screwed up the NBN
A trio of independent technology experts on the ABC's Q and A program last night heavily criticised Australia's political sector for politicising, lying about, and ultimately destroying the all-fibre National Broadband Network they agreed the country needed to progress its innovative future.
Basslink pinpoints cable fault but moves fix date to June
Basslink has announced that it has pinpointed and removed a fault in the telecoms cable linking to Tasmania and Victoria, but warned that the deadline for a resumption of normal services has been pushed back to June.
Federal Court finds Valve guilty of deception over Steam refunds
The Federal Court has found that the Valve Corporation misled Australian consumers over consumer guarantees via its online game distribution and social platform Steam and the Steam website.
Dell sells services business to Japan’s NTT Data
Computing giant Dell has announced that Japan-based NTT Data is to acquire its IT services consultation division, Dell Services.
Inside the NBN Co promotion track
NBN Co might have only been properly operating for less than a year -- with chief executive Mike Quigley stepping on board as its first employee in late July 2009 -- but a handful of promotions have already rippled through its ranks.
Filter bills on track for Feb/March
The legislation to introduce the Federal Government's controversial internet filtering scheme is on track to land in Parliament as early as late February or...
Delimiter has been approved to join the Press Gallery in Canberra
I just wanted to drop readers a brief note to let you know that yesterday I was approved to join the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery in Canberra.
Surface Pro 3 lands locally in August
US technology giant Microsoft announced this morning that its Surface Pro 3 tablet -- unveiled in New York overnight -- would start shipping in Australia from the end of August, with Microsoft itself, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi to sell the unit for prices starting from AU$979.
Greens claim NSW LMBR project turning into a disaster
The NSW Greens late last week claimed to have obtained documents showing that the NSW Department of Education and Communities' wide-ranging Learning Management and Business Reform program, which involves a number of rolling upgrades of business administration software, was deployed before it was ready, with "appalling consequences for administrative staff, principals, teachers and students".
“Simply wrong”: Hackett attacks NBN HFC critics
Internode founder and NBN Co board director Simon Hackett has strongly defended the company's proposal to cancel the rollout of fibre broadband to around a third of Australian premises and re-use existing HFC cable networks owned by Telstra and Optus instead, stating that some of those criticising the plan have gotten it "simply wrong".
Telstra shares millions with Box
The nation's largest telco Telstra has added to a recent splurge of funding on smaller companies, ploughing a reported $10 million into US-based corporate cloud file-sharing company and Dropbox competitor Box.
“On time and on budget”: NSW claims early victory in cloud ERP rollout
The NSW State Government has claimed initial success in its high-profile deployment of a cloud-based ERP consolidation project at the NSW agency of Trade and Investment, claiming that so far the project has been delivered "on time and on budget", but with a large chunk of the work still to go.
FTTN or FTTH? We’re “agnostic”, says Telstra
The nation's largest telco Telstra has declared itself "agnostic" as to whether Labor or the Coalition has the best method of deploying faster broadband under the National Broadband Network project, stating that it is "very happy" to work with either major side of politics.
Questions raised about Post IT transformation
Australia Post has issued a statement staunchly defending the progress of its IT transformation program, Building Future Ready IT, as questions are being raised about some aspects of the project's ability to meet its goals on time and while avoiding significant risks associated with any such corporate technology renewal effort.
Copper network not “rooted”, says Telstra
The nation's largest telco Telstra has rejected unsubstantiated claims that its copper network was suffering a fault rate of up to 30 percent, pointing out that in October this year, only about 1.3 percent of its telephone lines nationally suffered any kind of fault, and that it invests hundreds of millions of dollars each year keeping it that way.
Govt censors pre-prepared data retention bills
The Federal Attorney-General’s Department has rejected a request by the Pirate Party of Australia to release draft legislation associated with the Government’s controversial data retention and surveillance proposal, with the department stating that public interest factors did not outweigh the need to keep the material private as it was still being deliberated on.
NAB shifts UBank onto new core IT platform
The National Australia Bank today revealed it had migrated its UBank online brand onto its new Oracle-based core banking platform, in a move which is slated to deliver both the bank and its 300,000 UBank customers significant immediate benefits from the new technology.
End of an era: Greg Farr to leave Defence
The Department of Defence has advertised for a public sector executive to replace its long-serving and highly regarded chief information officer Greg Farr, whose departure will amount to the end of an era for the department.
Victoria dumps HealthSMART e-health project
The Victorian State Government has reportedly decided to walk away from its troubled central electronic health project HealthSMART, which has reached only a limited number of its goals over the past decade since it was initiated, despite soaking up several hundred million dollars worth of government funding.
Stevens back from the dead as Boreham quits
Global technology giant IBM this afternoon confirmed its Australia/New Zealand managing director Glenn Boreham had resigned and would be replaced by Andrew Stevens, a top-level executive who has maintained a low profile since his controversial days integrating the consulting business of PriceWaterhouseCoopers earlier last decade.
Android triples Aussie market share in 3 months
Just 12 months ago, Apple's burgeoning mobile phone business could do no wrong in Australia. Fresh from the local launch of the iPhone 3GS and with a market share ranking that was speedily catching up to the likes of Nokia and Research in Motion's BlackBerry in the smartphone market, Apple was on track to conquer the world. What a difference a year can make.
Telstra launches HD movies on demand
The nation’s biggest telco has thrown a spanner in the works for rivals hoping to compete with its BigPond Movies video on demand service, announcing today it had switched on high definition downloads on some platforms for some content.
Greens slam “extraordinary” OzLog secrecy
Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam has described as "extraordinary" a decision by the Federal Attorney-General's Department to black out the majority of its response to a freedom of information request filed by the Sydney Morning Herald on its controversial data retention proposal, known as 'OzLog'.
NBN Co nicks Westpac IT sourcing guru
The National Broadband Network Company has scored another hiring coup, nicking senior talent from Westpac to bulk out its skills in dealing with technology vendors.
How many staff have already left NBN Co?
As the sun rises, so must it also set. Just as promotions inside the ranks of the National Broadband Network Company have taken place speedily over the past year since it was formed, so have departures.
Trujillo speechwriter joins NBN Co
A speechwriter for Telstra's controversial American former chief executive Sol Trujillo has joined the company charged with building and operating the National Broadband Network.
Ludlam raises OzLog issue in Senate
Greens Communications Spokesperson Scott Ludlam has questioned the Federal Government in the Senate over a controversial new proposal that could see Australians’ web browsing, email and telephone records tracked by internet services providers.
‘Open letter’ galvanises marketing sector into NBN action
An 'open letter' from a senior figure in Australia's marketing and advertising sector calling for action to address the Coalition's "sub-standard" National Broadband Network has generated an instant and strong response from other high-profile industry figures.
AT&T, Google launch new 1Gbps FTTP networks in US
US technology giants AT&T and Google this week launched new Fibre to the Premises networks in several US cities, with the flagship feature of the networks being their ability to offer gigabit speeds (1Gbps) to residents and businesses in the areas they cover.
Sponsored post: Who is Integ?
Integ is an integrator of voice, communications and data network solutions for corporate and government in Australia. We've been in operation now for nine years, and have grown to a base of 165 people, spread across seven locations around the country -- servicing some 600 customers.
V8 Supercars deploys Office 365
Software giant Microsoft this morning revealed racing specialist V8 Supercars had adopted its Office 365 software as a service productivity suite, citing the fact that it had outgrown its previous IT platform and needed room for expansion.
Ads not misleading: Google wins High Court case
Search giant Google has won a High Court case against the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in which the regulator had alleged that Google breached the law by displaying misleading or deceptive advertisements on its search results pages.
Google to launch High Court ad challenge
The Australian newspaper has reported that Google will appeal in the High Court a ruling last week that the search giant had displayed misleading or deceptive advertisements on its search results pages.
Misleading ads: ACCC wins appeal against Google
The Full Federal Court of Australia has ruled that Google breached the law by displaying misleading or deceptive advertisements on its search results pages. The decision follows an appeal by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), following an earlier decision in favour of Google.
ACCC appeals Google misleading ad case
The national competition regulator has appealed a court case which it lost against Google last month, alleging that the judgement may have not taken into account the difference between print and online media.
Google beats ACCC in misleading ad case
Google has won a lawsuit in which Australia's national competition regulator had alleged the search giant wasn't adequately distinguishing paid advertisements displayed by its search engine from ordinary 'organic' search results.
Federal Govt to establish new telco services panel
The Federal Government has announced it will establish a new telecommunications services panel to replace three existing bodies that will expire this year.
Optus, Uber team up to trial in-car Wi-Fi
Optus has inked a deal with ride-sharing firm Uber that will see the two firms trial in-car Wi-Fi, as well as introduce Uber as a business travel option for Optus employees.
Redflow launches ZCell battery to rival Tesla Powerwall
Australian battery specialist Redflow has launched a residential energy storage solution called ZCell – a product that will rival Tesla's Powerwall, which launched in Australia in late January.
Adobe increases Australian Creative Cloud prices
Software giant Adobe has informed its users of its intention to substantially increase the price of accessing its Creative Cloud family of image and video editing products, in a move which appears set to cause frustration amongst the company's already tetchy local user base.
NBN election: Labor polling voters on Coalition’s NBN performance
The Australian Labor Party has started directly calling voters to ask whether the Abbott/Turnbull Government's handling of the National Broadband Network will influence how they vote at the upcoming Federal Election, in a sign Labor sees it as a key election issue.
CASA cuts red tape for drone operators
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has announced that regulatory requirements for operators of remotely piloted aircraft, or drones, are to be relaxed later this year.
SingTel, SubPartners, Telstra to build new Perth-Singapore fibre cable
Singtel, SubPartners, and Telstra have inked a deal to build a new international submarine cable that will carry data between Perth and Singapore.
Messaging startup Slack opens Melbourne HQ
Slack Technologies has opened a new regional headquarters in Melbourne that is expected to create 70 new jobs for Victoria’s growing tech sector.
HP Australia product revenues head south
The Australian operation of the formerly merged Hewlett Packard company has revealed that its local revenues sank by a whopping $271.5 million in 2015, with most of the decline attributable to its technology products business, as opposed to the IT services business it is splitting off into a separate company.
Suncorp CIO resigns for Commonwealth Bank role
Banking and insurance giant Suncorp this afternoon announced that its chief information officer Matt Pancino had resigned, with the executive to reportedly take up a senior role at the Commonwealth Bank.
Data retention secrecy: AFP unable to disclose journo, MP metadata requests
The Australian Federal Police has refused to answer questions from a Federal Senator about whether it has recently accessed the metadata of journalists, politicians or political staffers, on the basis that doing so would be illegal under new Data Retention legislation.
Internode sets up first ever offshore call centre
Adelaide-based ISP Internode this week revealed to staff that it would set up its first ever offshore call centre, in a move that represents a radical departure of the company's customer service and sales approach since its acquisition by iiNet and then TPG.
Redditor downloads 994GB on second Telstra ‘free mobile data day’
A single Australian who set records by downloading 421GB of data during Telstra's free mobile data day in February has more than doubled his previous record during the second such occasion yesterday, pulling down a total of 994GB of data during the 24 hour period.
New leaked docs appear to show further FTTN delays
The Coalition's controversial Multi-Technology Mix approach to the NBN has taken another body blow, with a fresh set of leaked documents from inside the NBN company reportedly showing that its Fibre to the Node rollout is comprehensively missing its targets.