Telstra testing in-flight 4G broadband
The nation's largest telco Telstra has built new mobile towers covering the airplane route between Sydney and Melbourne and tested mobile broadband speeds up to 15Mbps to planes in the air, in a pilot program which could one day see the telco finally solve the long-running problem of in-flight Internet access in Australia.
iiNet gives huge quota boost to ADSL2+ plans
Internet provider iiNet has updated its on-net ADSL2+ plans, giving all options hefty quota increases without additional conditions.
Telstra gets $150m for NBN FTTN trial
Remember how in early June, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull revealed that Telstra was working on a wide-scale trial of the Coalition’s preferred Fibre to the Node network rollout style that would encompass about a thousand nodes? Well, it looks like the pedal is about to hit the metal with the trial, with the Financial Review quoting Turnbull this week as stating that the two telcos had signed a deal which would see the trial go ahead.
Optus pays $51k fine over false claims broadband speeds are ‘NBN-like’
Optus has paid fines of $51,000 for making false claims about its broadband services, saying they were "NBN-like" in their speeds.
NBN no CommBank or Qantas, says Hockey
Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey has taken an axe to the Federal Government's budget treatment of its National Broadband Network project, arguing that NBN Co is not an asset like previous government-owned companies such as Qantas or the Commonwealth Bank, which were eventually successfully privatised.
Huawei & the NBN: Beware the CCP’s long arm
Huawei Australia’s local company men appear to have little idea of how China’s political economy, the Chinese telecommunications sector, or the Shenzhen-based parent company operates.
NBN Co’s constant network launches: Breaching the Caretaker Conventions?
Over the past week, the National Broadband Network Company has held no less than five launch events to mark the switch-on of its fibre network infrastructure in Queensland and Western Sydney, locations which will be critical to the Australian Labor Party if it is to retain power in the upcoming Federal Election. All of the events have been dominated by the attendance of Labor politicians, and have been broadly interpreted by the media as being election campaign events. NBN Co claims the events are just business as usual, but even if that's true, Labor is still using them to gain a massive election boost.
Correction: Cutting the NBN won’t save money
Yesterday Opposition Leader Tony Abbott stated in a high-profile speech at the National Press Club in Canberra that cutting Labor's National Broadband Network project would free up Federal Government money to be spent in other areas such as transport. It was a nice political soundbite. However, unfortunately, this statement was factually incorrect.
You heard it here first
Delimiter editor Renai LeMay has "jumped the shark", according to Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull
NBN Co chair quits, says AFR
Last night the Financial Review reported that NBN Co chairman Harrison Young (pictured) was planning to quit as the company's chairman, with current board member Siobhan McKenna to step into his place.
“Destructive forces” unravelling NBN, says Budde
"Destructive forces" at work in a "highly polarised political environment" are starting to "unravel" Labor's National Broadband Network project, veteran analyst Paul Budde said yesterday, with the new Coalition Government having boxed itself into a corner on the issue and end users set to suffer from a nightmarish situation akin to a "Pandora's Box" of problems.
‘It’s complicated’, but Vodafone losses are still accelerating
The rate of customer losses being suffered by Vodafone Australia has accelerated again over the three months to the end of September this year, with the company reporting overnight that it lost some 584,000 Australian customers that quarter. However, the troubled company's situation is a little more complex than it looks from the outside.
ACCC kills NBN/Telstra wireless clause
The Australian newspaper reported yesterday that the national competition regulator has killed a clause in Telstra's $11 billion deal with NBN Co which would have prohibited Telstra from marketing wireless broadband as an alternative to the NBN's fibre.
Further Liberal hypocrisy on the NBN
It seems Liberal MPs all around Australia just can't stop demanding that the National Broadband Network be rolled out in their area.
Telstra customers threaten desertion over P2P trial
Telstra's plans to kick off a trial that will see it throttle some peer to peer services on its ADSL broadband network have been met with an outraged reaction from its customers, with many instantly threatening to cancel their services and take their business elsewhere if the trial goes ahead.
Sydney to Melbourne cable turns 50 years old
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has highlighted the fact that yesterday, April 9, marked the 50th anniversary of the landmark opening of the coaxial telecommunications cable between Sydney and Melbourne, delivering a new era in telecommunications in Australia. Conroy has additionally likened the project's vision to that of the National Broadband Network.
NBN Co to deceive users on FTTN/FTTB speeds
The National Broadband Network Company has issued a product specification document in which it openly considers the possibility of allowing customers on its planned Fibre to the Node or Basement (FTTN/B) infrastructure to order speeds between 50Mbps and 100Mbps which their connections could not actually deliver.
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.
NBN Co secretly overbuilding Telstra’s South Brisbane fibre with … more fibre
The NBN company is secretly overbuilding portions of the Fibre to the Premises network which the nation’s biggest telco Telstra built in the several years up to 2013, in a move that calls into question whether the Telstra FTTP infrastructure will ever become part of the National Broadband Network.
Top cybercop had no idea about Telstra logging
Australia’s highest-ranking cybercrime police officer yesterday acknowledged he had not followed the controversial news which broke in June that the nation’s largest telco Telstra had been archiving the web browsing activity of its users, despite the fact that his organisation, the Australian Federal Police, received requests by concerned citizens to investigate the issue.
Vodafone buys TelstraClear for $660m
The nation's largest telco Telstra this morning confirmed it would walk away from its ill-fated venture into the New Zealand market, with rival Vodafone New Zealand to buy its Kiwi division TelstraClear for A$660 million.
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.
Quigley denies giving Labor free 1Gbps kick
NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley this afternoon denied his revelation today of National Broadband Network speeds up to 1Gbps had anything to do with supporting Labor’s election chances, in the face of a Coalition policy that would see his fledgling broadband company shut down.
NBN Co turfs CTO, CFO, head of commercial
Incoming National Broadband Network Company chief executive Bill Morrow has turfed at least three key executives at the company after just one week on the job, with long-time and respected NBN Co head of corporate and commercial Kevin Brown, chief financial officer Robin Payne and chief technology officer Gary McLaren (pictured in order above) to leave NBN Co pronto.
SkyMesh offers symmetric 100/100Mbps NBN
news SkyMesh has launched a set of broadband plans with symmetric speeds of 100/100Mbps over the National Broadband Network’s Fibre to the Premises infrastructure,...
‘ABC did not gag Nick Ross’: MD Mark Scott tells Senate (full video)
The managing director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has categorically denied that the broadcaster "gagged" its former technology editor Nick Ross from reporting on the National Broadband Network, stating that it merely wanted the journalist to comply with its editorial policies in doing so.
Huge 100Mbps demand: 44% of NBN users take top speed
44 percent of NBN customers signed up so far have opted for the company’s fasted 100Mbps speed tier, the National Broadband Network Company revealed this week, as evidence continues to accumulate that Australians will overwhelmingly pay for the fastest broadband speeds available if given the chance.
Second fatality mars NBN rollout
The National Broadband Network project has suffered what is believed to be its second fatality, with a contractor in the Blue Mountains town of Katoomba reported to have lost his life while working on NBN infrastructure on Friday.
The truth about NBN Co’s satellite needs
Does the National Broadband Network Company really need to launch two expensive new satellites to provide remote Australia with broadband? Setting the politics aside, from a technical perspective, it appears the answer is a clear: "Yes".
Slow progress: NBN Co releases Dec 2012 stats
The National Broadband Network Company overnight released hard statistics showing the progress of the rollout and uptake of its network infrastructure during the three months to the end of 2012, showing that the company is still making only slow progress in its construction effort and uptake of its services.
Turnbull revises history on NBN satellite demand
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused the Australian Labor Party of underestimating how much demand the National Broadband Network would see for its satellite service, without mentioning that he personally had stated in Opposition that sufficient capacity already existed, alleging there was no need to build more.
Rod Tucker’s right: Turnbull’s MTM model will leave Australia behind
University of Melbourne academic Rod Tucker attracted strident criticism this week for his claim that Malcolm Turnbull’s Multi-Technology Mix approach to the National Broadband Network will result in Australia remaining an “Internet backwater”. However, the unfortunate reality is that Tucker’s comments are all too accurate.
AFACT demands Govt action over iiTrial loss
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) today said its high-profile loss in its High Court case against ISP iiNet illustrated that Australia's Government needed to step in and take action on the issue of Internet piracy in Australia.
NBN take-up “a bitter jest”, says Turnbull
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has labelled news that NBN Co has signed up some 4,000 customers to its networks as "a bitter jest", pointing out that the company's own corporate plan planned for 35,000 customers to be using the infrastructure by June 2011, and 137,000 by June 2012.
Vodafone claims fastest 4G speeds in Sydney and Melbourne
National mobile carrier Vodafone has issued something of a public challenge to rivals Telstra and Optus, claiming that a clutch of recent speed tests had comprehensively shown its fledgling 4G network was the fastest such infrastructure in the major capital cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
Labor and Coalition broadband policies: What’s the difference?
The Coalition’s broadband policy offers a lower-cost network that will provide customers with modest improvements in broadband services in the shorter term; whereas the Coalition’s network will create a new digital divide and require major upgrades soon after it is completed. Labor promises a more future-proof solution that will cost more at the outset, but will stimulate broadband developments in government, business, and entertainment, and has potential to serve Australia beyond 2050.
Pirate Party opposes anti-piracy warning scheme
The Pirate Party Australia has objected strongly to the recent proposal issued by major Australian ISPs entitled “A Scheme to Address Online Copyright Infringement”.
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.
Evidence: Rural Australia is demanding the NBN
An analysis of rural coverage following the announcement of the three-year rollout plan for the National Broadband Network has shown overwhelming demand for the infrastructure from a large number of rural and regional Australian communities, with many expressing disappointment that they had been left off the list for the NBN's first few years.
AT&T expands gigabit business fibre at cities across US
AT&T is giving a speed boost to its Business Fiber internet services in a long list of US markets, including San Francisco, Miami and Dallas.
Scott misleads Senate about Q&A’s NBN coverage
Mark Scott appears to have unintentionally misled the Federal Senate about the degree to which the broadcaster's Q&A program covers the National Broadband Network issue, with the ABC managing director yesterday erroneously claiming that Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull had faced "many questions" about the issue on the show.
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.
iiNet launches unlimited data plans
Unlimited data broadband plans are the new black, it seems. Just a day after Westnet announced its range of unlimited data deals, so too does iiNet, with spookily similar pricing and nomenclature, to boot.
Coalition NBN policy launch Q+A: Full video
Yesterday we posted the full presentation given by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Sydney as they outlined the core tenets of the Coalition's rival National Broadband Network policy. And this morning we've got more; if you're interested in watching the full question and answer session which the pair conducted with assembled journalists (including yours truly), the videos are below.
BT announces huge FTTP rollout to 2 million premises
BT today announced an investment in the UK's broadband infrastructure that will see a major rollout of fibre to the premises (FTTP) alongside other initiatives the firm said will help the country remain "the leading digital nation in the G20".
Telstra trialling 450Mbps 4G, says AFR
It’s only been a couple of months since mobile carrier Vodafone started claiming it’s got Australia’s fastest mobile broadband network, and although our tests show it has some basis to the claim, it appears it’s not a claim Telstra is going to take sitting down. The Financial Review newspaper reports this morning that the big T is testing mobile broadband speeds up to 450Mbps.
Telstra still working with Conroy on filter
Telstra is continuing to work with the Federal Government to filter a blacklist of child abuse sites developed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, despite the fact that the telco and rival Optus have already implemented a similar scheme with the cooperation of the Australian Federal Police and international policing agency Interpol.
Patently Australian: CSIRO settles suits over Wi-Fi
Australia’s national science agency will receive $220m after settling litigation against three US companies to license the wireless local area network (WLAN) technology it invented in the early 1990s.
NBN Co “misleading” FTTN/FTTB users, says ACCC
The head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission this morning said NBN Co would be "misleading" consumers on its planned Fibre to the Node or Basement (FTTN/B) infrastructure if it went through with its decision to allow them to order speeds between 50Mbps and 100Mbps which their connections could not actually deliver.
Internode revamps estates fibre plans
National broadband provider Internode has released a new series of plans for residents of new housing estates which have their fibre infrastructure operated by independent fibre specialists Opticomm and OPENetworks, harmonising the plans with its existing National Broadband Network pricing.
Optus buys Vividwireless for $230m
Australia's number two telco Optus this morning revealed it would buy wireless broadband player Vividwireless from its parent the Seven Group, for a total cost of $230 million, in a move which Optus said will birth a new 4G mobile broadband network in Australia.
Angry iiNet roars dissent at FOXTEL/Austar merger
National broadband provider iiNet has fired off a sternly worded missive to the national competition regulator arguing that a proposed undertaking by FOXTEL to mitigate anti-competitive outcomes in the subscription television space was wholly unsatisfactory and may allow FOXTEL part-owner Telstra to extend its broadband dominance in regional areas.
Chaos: Coalition a total shambles on NBN policy
Up until now, I've been willing to give the Coalition the benefit of the doubt when it comes to national broadband policy, due primarily to the intelligence and experience of its Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull. But events last week starkly demonstrated the Coalition is currently a complete mess when it comes to this critical portfolio.
Brumby wants Huawei to list on the ASX
Former Victorian Premier John Brumby's suggestion that Huawei list in Australia is mere parochialism, in my opinion.
Copper maintenance cost not an issue, says Turnbull
Upgrading Telstra’s copper network to fibre to the node was the “quickest and easiest” way to get better broadband for Australians, the office of Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said this week, highlighting a study which had shown that the cost of maintaining the decades-old infrastructure was not significant compared with the overall investment required for universal fibre.
FttX chaos: NBN Co won’t be able to price everything the same
If the Coalition orders NBN Co to pursue a heterogenuous National Broadband Network rollout which features different rollout styles from Fibre to the Premises, to the Node and to the Basement, the company will face a fundamentally new challenge: How to fairly set wholesale prices on technologies which are fundamentally different?
When NBN installs go wrong: A nightmare tale
Turn the lights down low and prepare to be frightened by just how bad the National Broadband Network install process can be. Self-described "IT guy, husband and father", Andrew Devenish-Mear, has penned an extensive blog post on the horrors of trying to get your NBN connection running even when you're in one of the early fibre roll-out zones.
NBN Co deploys solar arrays across network
NBN Co has deployed solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays across its network in an effort to reduce its environmental impact.
Talent forgotten: Lundy, Husic left off front bench
The Federal Labor Party has left two of its most qualified and experienced candidates for the post of Shadow Communications Minister off the front bench representing its Shadow Cabinet team, as speculation firms that former Communications Minister Stephen Conroy may return to the portfolio in Opposition.
Can Australia afford the Coalition’s NBN?
At a whopping two-thirds of the cost of the vastly-superior FTTP NBN, the Coalition’s NBN stacks up as waste of money.
First Vodafone 4G tests: It’s fast, but patchy
Due to its spectrum supremacy and the fact that there aren't many people using the network yet, Vodafone's 4G infrastructure does offer speeds that can in places be faster than those offered by Telstra or Optus. However, the telco is still lagging behind when it comes to the breadth of its network coverage.
Bugger off, content industry tells ISPs on piracy plan
Well, that was short-lived. The anti-piracy plan mooted by many of Australia's ISPs last week has already been reportedly knocked back by several major organisations representing the content industries.
FTTP NBN “wacko”, claims Mad Monk PM
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described the previous Labor Federal Government’s attempt to extend fibre broadband to most Australian homes and businesses as “wacko”, despite the fact that Labor’s Fibre to the Premises model is seen as the long-term future of most fixed telecommunications networks globally.
Ziggy Switkowski appointed NBN Co exec chair
As expected, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull this afternoon confirmed former Telstra and Optus chief executive Ziggy Switkowski had been appointed as executive chairman of NBN Co, with most of the company's board departing and NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley to leave the company.
No minutes taken at secret BitTorrent meeting
The Federal Attorney-General’s Department has declined a Freedom of Information request for the minutes of a recent meeting behind closed doors between ISPs and the entertainment industry over illegal online file sharing, stating that no minutes of the event exist.
Russell’s return: Optus COO post beckons
One of Optus chief executive Paul O'Sullivan's bitterest telecommunications industry rivals has returned from a stint working overseas to become his chief lieutenant at SingTel Optus.
NBN on Media Watch tonight
Just a brief note to let everyone know that media coverage of the National Broadband Network is expected to be featured on Media Watch tonight, with a focus on the recent articles of ABC Technology + Games Editor Nick Ross and the controversy last week surrounding them. I would encourage all readers who have a view of this issue to contact Media Watch directly and make their opinion or analysis of the situation known.
NBN Co and Telstra: History repeating?
We couldn't help but laugh at this photo sent in by a reader this week. Apparently NBN Co has decided to locate one of its facilities (we're not actually sure which one) inside a building owned by Telstra. The whole thing has a whole 'future repeating' feel about it. Is this NBN Co brought to you by Telstra? Or Telstra brought to you by NBN Co? It's like one of those Russian Matryoshka dolls; the further you go inside the wormhole, the more you find smaller iterations of the same thing. Crazy.
ISPs will take coordinated approach to site blocking
A number of internet service providers (ISPs) have agreed to take a coordinated response to orders requesting website blocking over copyright infringement.
Tabcorp continues Telstra love affair
Wagering giant Tabcorp revealed this week that it had signed a new comprehensive telecommunications services deal with Telstra, in the latest contract the pair have inked in an extensive relationship dating back at least half a decade and covering a wide range of technology services.
Turnbull avoids Treasury costing question
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has avoided directly answering the question of whether the Coalition will submit its alternative National Broadband Network policy to the Treasury or any other organisation for costing purposes, instead accusing the Labor Government of not being transparent about its own numbers.
iiNet’s piracy stance attracts global praise
A decision by Australia's third-largest ISP to pull out of controversial secret talks with the content industry over Internet piracy issues has attracted international attention, with global commentators and readers highlighting the ISP's approach as a sensible one to dealing with litigious film and TV studios.
NBN Co to pay Telstra to fix its own copper network
The NBN company today announced it had signed or was working on deals with Telstra and Optus that would see the pair continue to fix, maintain and operate the legacy copper and HFC cable networks which they have already sold to the NBN company.
‘Parochial’: Turnbull slams ‘NBN cheerleader’ media
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has again heavily criticised Australia’s technology media for what he described as its “cheerleader” approach to the Government’s National Broadband Network, saying the nation was “let down by the so-called technology media” as it did not examine local events closely enough with reference to the global telecommunications sector.
Telstra has 2.1 million 4G customers
This morning the telco’s deputy chief financial officer Mark Hall casually told Macquarie Bank’s Equities Conference that Telstra already has 2.1 million customers on its 4G network.
Spectacularly shortsighted: Debating 2012 NBN take-up rates
Reality check: The National Broadband Network is a project which will continue to serve Australia's telecommunications needs for at least the next fifty years. Debating take-up rates in the first year of its existence is nothing short of incredibly short-sighted and trivial.
“Truth”: Kogan wins ispONE fight
If you were watching Ruslan Kogan’s Twitter feed closely this afternoon, you would have seen the Kogan chief claim victory in his company’s contentious court battle against mobile wholesaler ispONE.
Hypocrisy: Turnbull approves MTM NBN without cost/benefit analysis
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ordered the National Broadband Network Company to go ahead with the controversial 'Multi-Technology Mix' option for its broadband rollout, despite the fact that the cost/benefit analysis being conducted into the project will not be completed until the middle of 2014.
Shorten won’t release Lazard NBN report
The Opposition has confirmed it will not consent to key Labor cabinet documents related to the National Broadband Network being publicly released, in comments which let Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull off the hook from doing the same.
Internode streams music festival Australia-wide
Internet service provider Internode has introduced a public high definition video stream of the first Gorgeous Festival, which features rock icon band Icehouse backed by supporting acts Josh Pyke and Emma Louise, showcasing the newest enhancements of its Content Delivery Network (CDN).
Optus to refund $2.4m over mobile insurance breaches
Optus is being forced to refund around $2.4 million to around 175,000 of its mobile customers following the Australian Securities & Investments Commission's (ASIC's) concerns about the telco's compliance with financial services laws.
Two thirds of Australians support the NBN
A new study has found that two thirds of Australians support the Federal Government’s National Broadband Network project, with most planning to connect to the network when it’s connected to their premises, as the project continues to experience high levels of popularity on a sustained basis over several years.
Optus targets renters with 50GB 4G wireless broadband plan
Australia’s second-largest telecommunications company, Optus, has announced a new 50GB 4G wireless broadband plan it says is perfect for renters or students who need to quickly set up a reliable Internet connection or those living in areas with no access to cable broadband.
Telstra signs NBN Co wholesale deal
The nation's biggest telco Telstra this morning confirmed it had signed the wholesale services agreement with the National Broadband Network Company which the industry has been negotiating with NBN Co for the past 15 months, in a move which paves the way for Telstra to finally release its commercial retail NBN prices.
Virgin Media announces “largest” UK FTTP rollout ever
Virgin Media has committed to what it called the "largest UK fibre broadband rollout", that will bring fibre optic services directly to domestic and business premises.
This is what the NBN debate has come to
If you had any shred of belief that Australia's debate over the National Broadband Network had further depths to sink to, let that belief be laid aside. Today, News Ltd published an article attacking the amount of money which NBN Co spends on ... coffee. That's right; coffee.
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.
NBN media criticism highly politicised, says Budde
Telecommunications analyst Paul Budde has sharply criticised Australia's media for not levelling the same "malice" and "vicious media attacks" at the Coalition's National Broadband Network policy as it has with Labor's NBN vision, despite the fact that the two policies share a great deal of similarity.
Switkowski makes ex-Labor NBN exec redundant
Ziggy Switkowski has made the position of a senior NBN Co executive with a Labor political history redundant and allocated his responsibilities to a former Telstra executive with close links to Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in one of the NBN Co executive chairman’s first moves since taking the company’s reins.
Which Australian ISPs throttle BitTorrent the most?
New research published this week purports to reveal which Australian ISPs are throttling their customers' BitTorrent downloads the most -- as well as how they compare with their international counterparts. And perhaps surprisingly, the nation's largest telco Telstra has emerged as the nation's best performer.
Clare bemoans Coalition’s 500k NBN “victims”
Shadow Communications Minister Jason Clare has issued a statement claiming that half a million homes and businesses have become the first “victims” of the Coalition’s revised NBN policy and that the new Coalition Government is not sticking to its promise of honouring existing NBN fibre contracts.
Coalition to answer all NBN policy questions
The Coalition has published an extensive document with which it appears to be hoping to answer all of the 'frequently asked questions' regarding its rival National Broadband Network policy, including points of contention such as its cost, technical aspects when compared to Labor's existing fibre solution, and future telecommunications industry structure.
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.
Optus regulatory chief quits
The nation's number two telco Optus has suffered a blow in the middle of ongoing talks with the competition regulator about the future of access to Telstra's infrastructure over the next decade, with its director of government and corporate affairs Maha Krishnapillai announcing his departure.
Telstra wants to buy Leighton assets
According to the Financial Review, Telstra's going after some of the telco-related assets which Leighton Holdings recently put on the block.
Ireland subsidises FttX to rural areas
If all you know about Ireland is sourced from St Patrick's Day festivities, then you might be surprised to learn that internationally the country is considered a centre for technology innovation, largely because its Government has continually invested in the industry through favourable taxation laws and investment. In the newest move to come from this island nation, broadband is the focus.
Cashed-up Telstra abandoning Aussie workforce, says union
One of Telstra's main unions has heavily criticised the company for a reported plan to send as many as 1,000 jobs offshore in yet another round of offshoring at the telco, stating that Telstra isn't treating its Australian workforce fairly in the context of its ongoing profit growth.
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.
NBN kicks off FTTN roll out in new areas of Tasmania
The NBN has commenced construction work in Tasmania that will use fibre to the node (FTTN) technology to connect several new communities.
Turnbull inaccurate on internet filter details
Malcolm Turnbull has appeared to make a number of incorrect statements over the past week regarding the Federal Government's now defunct mandatory Internet filtering policy, as the Shadow Communications Minister and other senior Coalition figures continues to make inaccurate statements in the communications portfolio.
“Fictitious”: Turnbull rejects every Senate NBN allegation
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has published an extensive, 33 page Coalition rebuttal of specific allegations raised by the Opposition in late March claiming that evidence shows NBN Co’s Strategic Review published last year is based on “flawed and unreliable” premises and was in fact designed by Turnbull to constitute a “pre-ordained political outcome”.
Govt delays multiple tech FOI requests
Three major Federal Government departments and agencies have delayed the release of sensitive information relating to controversial technology sector issues under Freedom of Information legislation, citing the need to closely examine the documents and consult with third parties before the information is released.
Wireless could beat NBN’s fibre, claims AFR
In its main masthead editorial, The Financial Review newspaper this morning published a number of heavily disputed statements regarding the Federal Government's National Broadband Network project, including backing the controversial claim that a new generation of wireless technologies could make the NBN's fibre rollout obsolete.
Telstra 100Mbps HFC cable goes national
Australia's largest telco Telstra late yesterday confirmed it would roll out 100Mbps speeds on its HFC cable nationally, following a pilot of the enabling DOCSIS 3.0 technology in Melbourne from 2009 and a similar rollout by arch-rival Optus.
“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.
iiNet, Internode, Primus discuss filter with AFP
Australian ISPs iiNet, Internode and Primus are preparing to implement the limited Internet filtering scheme promulgated in Australia by the Australian Federal Police in cooperation with international policing agency Interpol, the AFP stated in documents revealed this week.
NBN chair seeks Quigley replacement?
Indications continue to firm up that NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley is not long for the position, despite the pivotal role he has played in getting the NBN -- Australia's largest-ever infrastructure project -- off the ground.
NBN Co “in crisis”, Turnbull tells Albanese: Answers needed immediately
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has issued a backhanded welcome message to his new opposite, Communications Minister Anthony Albanese, accusing the NBN of being "in crisis" and of being infected by "the dysfunctional revolving door culture of NSW Labor".
Telstra cancels covert filter testing
The nation's largest telco Telstra today announced it had stopped archiving the web browsing activity of its users for the purpose of implementing a new voluntary Internet filter product, following widespread concern expressed this week after the test was revealed by a savvy group of network administrators.
Experts agree: Labor’s NBN ads are false
A trio of Australia's most prominent telecommunications analysts have reportedly backed complaints by the Coalition that much of Labor's election campaign material about the National Broadband Network contains outright lies or otherwise misleading material.
ABC actively censors NBN issue on Q&A
The ABC's flagship panel discussion program Q&A last night appeared to actively censor the National Broadband Network issue from being discussed on an episode featuring Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull; ignoring a flood of questions from viewers prior to its filming, leaving the issue out of pre-show briefing documents and shutting down discussion on air.
Now Jason Clare writes to ABC over Nick Ross ‘gag’
Shadow Communications Minister Jason Clare has stated that he is "very concerned" about claims that the ABC gagged its former technology editor from reporting on the NBN, and has joined his Victorian counterpart Philip Dalidakis in demanding answers from ABC managing director Mark.
NBN calls for ‘experienced technicians’ to help with Tassie rollout
The NBN company has called for experienced telecoms technicians and workers to assist the network rollout in Tasmania during 2016 and beyond.
Gigabit for 3.5m residents: Los Angeles wants FTTP
The City of Los Angeles has reportedly revealed plans to embark on a massive Fibre to the Premises city-wide deployment of fibre broadband, in a model that may deliver gigabit broadband speeds to the city's 3.5 million residents and all businesses and vault it into the next-generation of technology enablement.
NBN: Sorry Mr Hockey, you’re still wrong
Yesterday Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey issued an extensive statement attempting to show that comments he had made about 4G mobile broadband having the potential to be "far superior" to the National Broadband Network's fibre had been taken out of context. Unfortunately, he only succeeded in digging himself a bigger hole.
Help crowdsource an NBN implementation study
The Register has posted an entry on local crowdsourcing site Pozible inviting Australians to help it fund a detailed implementation study into the NBN, sourcing quotes for such a study from veteran analyst houses IBRS and Market Clarity.
“Stopping surveillance overreach”: Greens unveil digital privacy policy
The Australian Greens has unveiled a broad digital rights and privacy policy aimed at stopping what the party this week week described as "surveillance overreach" by Australian and international law enforcement initiatives, as both Labor and the Coalition continue to ignore the area, refusing to release policies to deal with digital rights.
“Get a warrant”: Ludlam net privacy bill lands in Senate
Greens Communications Spokesperson Scott Ludlam has introduced legislation that would see Australian law enforcement agencies blocked from obtaining access to telecommunications records without a warrant; but it is not immediately clear if either of the major parties are prepared to support the bill.
Abbott, Turnbull: No NBN talks with Murdoch
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull both deny they've held discussions with News Corp chief executive Rupert Murdoch over the National Broadband Network.
Telstra and NBN Co haven’t started talks yet
Telstra yesterday confirmed it had not yet kicked off renewed negotiations with NBN Co over access to its HFC cable and copper networks, as concerns continue to grow that the Coalition's Broadband Network Project, which has several components highly dependent on the talks succeeding, is likely to be significantly delayed.
NBN policy spurred Internode buyout, says Hackett
Internode's inability to gain sufficient scale to compete in a National Broadband Network world was a core reason why he decided to sell the company to rival Internet service provider iiNet, Internode supremo Simon Hackett said this afternoon.
Senate blocks release of secret piracy docs
The Federal Government and Opposition have teamed up to block a motion put by the Greens in the Senate which would have forced the Attorney-General's Department to produce a series of documents regarding its closed-door meetings on Internet piracy in February this year.
AFR leaves crucial info out of NBN cost story
The Financial Review newspaper has published a story claiming that the Federal Government's National Broadband Network project won't recover its costs by the year 2040, despite the fact that NBN Co explicitly stated in the same document reported by the AFR that there were several potential scenarios where it would recover the costs by that date.
High Court iiTrial verdict set for 20 April
iiNet has revealed that Australia's High Court will lay down its verdict in the national broadband provider's high-profile legal battle with a coalition of film and TV studios next Friday 20 April at 10AM, in a move which will finally provide closure to the long-running online copyright infringement case.
Telstra boosts 4G capacity in some areas
Telstra has expanded its 4G mobile capacity in North Queensland and South Australia, with "up to 200 sites receiving up to 50% more capacity", the firm said.
Telstra kicks off recruitment program to deal with NBN HFC contract
Telstra has launched an internal recruitment programme aimed to fulfil workforce needs as the firm prepares to design and manage the upgrade of its former hybrid-fibre coaxial (HFC) cable TV network as part of the NBN roll-out.
Turnbull’s NBN hiring spree is pure election fodder
Like the fictional Frank Underwood’s ‘America Works’ program, the massive nbn hiring spree unveiled by Malcolm Turnbull in the wee hours of this morning is pure election fodder — a beguiling program designed to demonstrate to the electorate that the reigning Government is instantly responsible for thousands of new jobs.
Turnbull slams ‘pro-NBN zealot journalists’
Specialist technology journalists are fanning a pro-NBN zealotry among tech-savvy citizens, according to Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Oh, dear.
“Half true”: Politifact partially backs Turnbull’s $94bn NBN figure
Fact-checking media outlet Politifact has rated the controversial claim by the Coalition that Labor’s National Broadband Network could cost as much as $94 billion as “half-true”, as debate continues to swirl around the veracity of the Coalition’s own figures.
Hackett hammers iiNode critics
Internode managing director Simon Hackett has strongly defended the pre-Christmas deal in which rival iiNet bought out his company Internode, stressing the strength and duration of his long-term relationship with iiNet's management team in two outspoken forum posts published last week.
Attorney-General’s Department misled Parliament on data retention bill
The Federal Attorney-General's Department has been forced to admit that statements it made in May in a Senate Estimates committee hearing that it had not drafted any legislation around the contentious issue of data retention were untrue, in a move which adds to existing questions about the department's integrity and transparency.
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.
Senate order: Greens demand secret piracy docs
The Australian Greens have filed a motion in the Senate requesting that the Government release documents regarding its closed door meetings on Internet piracy which the Attorney-General's Department has blocked from being released under Freedom of Information laws.
NBN Co replaces respected COO with Turnbull Telstra contact
NBN Co today announced that its chief operating officer Ralph Steffens, one of the company's most qualified and experienced international fibre rollout experts, would be replaced with a Telstra executive who appears to have little direct last mile construction experience but does have a pre-election connection with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
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.
Filter gaffe says more about Fletcher than the Coalition
The botched resurrection of Labor's mandatory Internet filtering policy late yesterday afternoon would appear to be more the work of one continually inept Liberal MP than a grand conspiracy by the Coalition to hoodwink the Australian public into generating a false mandate for Internet censorship.
Some useful US context on mass piracy lawsuits
One of the most striking things about the move by new company Movie Rights Group to start targeting thousands of Australians for allegedly illegally downloading copyrighted films is that it came out of the blue. Many people won't know what to make of the issue, given that Australia doesn't have a history of this kind of behaviour. But the United States does.
Satellite NBN a “great opportunity”, West Tasmanian MP claims
Tasmanian MP Brett Whiteley has told residents and businesses unhappy with the satellite broadband the NBN company is planning to deploy in his electorate in Western Tasmania that the infrastructure represents a "great opportunity" and they should stop pining for a Fibre to the Premise instead.
“Next item”: LNP mayor gives NBN Co just 8min
The Liberal/National Party-backed Mayor of the Gold Coast Council this week dramatically cut short a presentation by the National Broadband Network Company to the council, according to multiple reports, calling time on the company's comments just eight minutes into a scheduled half-hour briefing.
AFACT locked on iiTrial; won’t discuss piracy plan
The principal organisation representing content owners such as film and TV studios in Australia has declined to express an opinion on a plan unveiled last week by the ISP industry to deal with Internet piracy, stating that it was focused on its piracy lawsuit against ISP iiNet due to kick off next week.
Turnbull openly “lying” about NBN, says Conroy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has accused his opposite Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of openly "lying" to exaggerate the key differences between the two sides of politics' National Broadband Network policies, using a number of concrete recent examples to demonstrate his point.
NBN commences real-world FTTN, FTTB trials
The National Broadband Network Company today confirmed it would shortly kick off real-world trials in several locations in major Australian cities of the Fibre to the Node and Fibre to the Basement technologies which the Coalition plans to use as key parts of its own Broadband Network project, which is seeing Labor's all-fibre NBN vision heavily modified.
NBN Co renews Service Stream greenfields deal
National construction firm Service Stream this morning revealed the National Broadband Network Company had renewed its contract to design and deploy NBN Co's fibre network to greenfield developments (usually housing estates), in a deal which could eventually be worth some $140 million.
War of NBN words: Turnbull clashes with Pesce again
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has again engaged in a highly public clash of wills with technology innovator and futurist Mark Pesce, over whether Labor's flagship National Broadband Network policy is the right way forward for Australia's telecommunications industry.
Poison words: Turnbull + NBN board go to war
The fraught relationship between the board of the National Broadband Network Company and Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has spilled into the public, with a series of sharply antagonistic letters between the two parties being published that highlight the depth of the antagonism felt on each side.
Govt releases assurance policy for migration to NBN
The government has released a Migration Assurance Policy (MAP) that sets out its plans to limit disruption during the switch-over to the National Broadband Network.
Telstra still abusing monopoly powers, warns ACCC
The nation's incumbent telco and industry-described 800 pound gorilla Telstra is still abusing its quasi-monopoly powers and not treating its wholesale broadband customers the same as its retail customers, the national competition regulator has warned, as debate continues to swirl about the telco's role in the future National Broadband Network rollout.
Turnbull again misleads public on NBN
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has this week made a number of misleading and factually inaccurate statements in a series of interviews and comments about the Government's National Broadband Network project, on topics ranging from the technology used in the project to its cost and retail broadband prices.
iiNet to blanket Canberra with free Wi-Fi
National broadband provider iiNet today revealed that it had been selected by the nation’s capital to build Australia’s largest free Wi-Fi network, blanketing 12 business districts across Canberra during the coming year.
Fibre on demand could cost $50k, claims Albo
Communications Minister Anthony Albanese has controversially claimed that the Coalition's fibre on demand service could cost end customers as much as $50,000, as the debate escalates about which major side of politics is presenting a more accurate picture of National Broadband Network finances going into the Federal Election.
Fairfax columnist prints blatant NBN falsehoods
A senior columnist writing for Melbourne newspaper The Age has falsely claimed that the fibre technology used in Labor's NBN project had a life of only 25 years and that it could be made obsolete by "low earth orbiting satellites", in an article riddled with inaccurate and highly disputed claims regarding the project.
NBN Co already acting like a monopoly, says Optus
Optus chief executive Paul O'Sullivan has accused NBN Co of attempts to cement its monopoly over the telco sector that "would make a Telstra executive blush", in a fiery speech in Sydney this afternoon in which he also opened fire on traditional Optus target Telstra and even the Federal Opposition.
Visionstream secures $250M Telstra ‘wideband’ contract
Visionstream, a services provider to the telecoms industry, has inked a new deal with Telstra to extend its delivery of 'wideband' services across Australia.
Spirit deploys 200Mbps FTTB to Southbank
It’s only a very limited rollout so far, but Melbourne residents might be interested to know that local telco Spirit Telecom has deployed what appears to be a Fibre to the Basement broadband rollout in the Triptych apartment facility in the Southbank area. It appears that Spirit has been able to achieve speeds of up to 200Mbps by using Fibre to the Basement and then deploying its own in-building network to extend broadband to each apartment — skipping the existing in-building copper infrastructure.
Internode directly matches ADSL broadband plans to iiNet
National broadband player Internode has updated its broadband plans to almost precisely match those of its parent iiNet, as the two companies continue their drive to harmonise their operations almost precisely following their acquisition by TPG.
Qld towns build their own goddamn NBN
They weren't getting much joy from the Federal Government's National Broadband Network and were only slated to receive satellite services under the plan, so half a dozen Queensland towns have reportedly decided to build their own fibre backhaul network connecting the region to the main NBN infrastructure.
Leighton confirms telco business sale
You may recall that diversified contract and industrial group Leighton Holdings has been looking to sell its NextGen, Metronode and Infoplex telecommunications and technology businesses for some time. At one stage interested bidders apparently included Telstra, but as it turns out, a somewhat different organisation has bought them.
NBN raises possibility of multi-gigabit symmetric HFC speeds
NBN could soon roll out symmetric multi-gigabit broadband via the HFC network following developments announced by CableLabs, the US consortium that sets standards for cable technology.
Optus revamps plans with easier data sharing
The nations number two telco Optus has revamped its mobile phone plans, allowing customers to pay only a once-off setup fee of $5 to share data between devices with different SIM cards, launching SIM-only plans, bolstering voice and data value and setting excess data fees at $10 per gigabyte per month.
Huawei thaws Coalition’s Chinese freeze
Huawei appears to have become increasingly successful at collaborating with senior figures in the Coalition, as the party gradually warms up to the Chinese manufacturer’s advances.
TPG reveals pricey South Brisbane plans
National broadband provider TPG has revealed the prices it will charge for access to fibre broadband infrastructure rolled out by Telstra in the South Brisbane exchange area.
Victorian Govt still disappointed in NBN
The Coalition-led Victorian State Government has again sharply criticised the Labor Federal Government's National Broadband Network project for not adequately meeting the needs of residents of the state.
Telstra pledges strong NBN asbestos controls
The nation's biggest telco Telstra has announced a wide raft of new measures designed to ensure safety around the handling of dangerous asbestos materials in its pits and pipes, as concern continues to grow regarding the issue unearthed by the rollout of the National broadband Network.
When academics perpetuate NBN ignorance
Professor Zumbo, we humbly submit that it might be wise for you take another look at the fundamental premises contained in your NBN article in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning. We humbly suggest that the degree of academic rigour contained within is sadly ... inferior.
Optus, Huawei achieve 1.41Gbps speeds in 4.5G wireless trial
Optus and Huawei late last week said a live trial of 4.5G technology has produced mobile download speeds of 1.41Gbps.
Turnbull reportedly hires Henry Ergas for NBN cost/benefit analysis
If you were seeking to hire independent experts to conduct a cost/benefit analysis on an important piece of national infrastructure, you would probably seek to hire, well, experts who were independent, right? Experts who hadn't previously formed a fixed view on what would be the best way to deploy that infrastructure? Wrong, at least if you're Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
NBN Co’s Quigley to retire
The National Broadband Network Company's founding chief executive, Mike Quigley, announced today that he would retire from the company and from corporate life, after four years of tumultuous life setting up NBN Co and initiating the construction of the NBN.
NBN: Can’t we all just get along?
So far the National Broadband Network debate over the past several years since Malcolm Turnbull became Shadow Communications Minister has been broadly polite, with both sides rationally examining and critiquing each other’s policies in a calm manner, while engaging in a friendly rivalry about who has the best polic. Oh, wait, I’m wrong. It’s actually become a a bile-filled cesspit of misleading statements, public slander, irrelevancy and flat-out lies. How could I forget?
iiNet taking lion’s share of NBN customers
National broadband provider iiNet has revealed it is taking the lion's share of customers who have connected to the National Broadband Network so far, with other large ISPs such as TPG lagging behind due to their unwillingness to engage with the new national network.
Back off, AFACT: Changing the law is not the answer
The Federal Government should ignore the pathetic demands of the film and TV industry for new legislation to "exterminate" Internet piracy and fix the blatantly obvious problems with its commercial model, following its latest loss in Australia's High Court. Australia's copyright law works well as it stands, and does not need changing.
Fifield gets serious about VDSL cross-talk issue
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has registered a new regulation which will force Australia's broadband industry to develop its own industry code dealing with the thorny issue of cross-talk interference in the new generation of Fibre to the Node and Basement technologies.
ACCC moves to regulate ‘superfast’ broadband networks
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a draft decision proposing regulation via a Superfast Broadband Access Service (SBAS) in order to prevent local monopolies by service providers.
Telstra plans 5G trial with Ericsson tech
Telstra has announced it will soon be testing 5G with Ericsson's radio test bed to examine the potential of the technology.
Australia Post wants to be a major telco …
Industry newsletter Communications Day this morning revealed that Australia Post was planning a major push into telecommunications services, with Optus regulatory chief Maha Krishnapillai (who recently quit the company) joining to spearhead the effort.
NBN satellite gateway for Merimbula
Merimbula, on the NSW Far South Coast, is to be the site of the National Broadband Company’s first satellite ground station gateway. This facility will enable NBN’s Long Term Satellite Service (LTSS) to “transmit high-speed internet to homes, farms and businesses in remote parts of Australia,” a media release by NBN Co issued last week said.
Telstra apologises for further network disruption
Telstra has apologised to customers for disruptions to broadband services in recent days, and offered advice to those still suffering issues.
Team Conroy clocks off … Dalek and all
At least we now know where Conroy has drawn his 'take no prisoners' approach from. "EXTERMINATE!" might just be the right attitude to take into Australian politics these days.
Correction: NBN wireless isn’t ‘replacing’ ADSL
Calm down, everyone. The fact that the National Broadband Network is rolling out wireless broadband services in your area doesn't mean that your existing ADSL broadband service will be shut down. You won't be left in the lurch with inferior speeds and latency.
A deep investigation into Telstra’s copper
Over at the ABC, technology + games editor Nick Ross (he of the 11,000 word articles on the subject and of the Media Watch coverage) has continued his deep investigation into the dynamics of the National Broadband Network under the Coalition, with a pair of articles published this week into the question of whether Telstra’s copper network can actually be used for fibre to the node, as the Coalition is planning to use it.
TPG reveals $69.99 unlimited NBN plan
National provider broadband provider TPG has revealed it is planning to offer at least one plan on the National Broadband Network's fibre infrastructure featuring the same unlimited downloads it offers on ADSL networks, with speeds of 12Mbps and a monthly charge of $69.99 including a home telephone line.
Telstra adds 900Mhz 4G band, trials LTE-A
Right now, Telstra's greatest issue with its mobile infrastructure as a whole might just be keeping ahead of customer demand for it. With this in mind, this morning the telco revealed it would add a second spectrum band, 900Mhz, to its existing 1800Mhz 4G infrastructure, as well as undertake a variety of other initiatives to keep its mobile network on track.
Shocker: Scott Ludlam is a reader
The Murdoch-owned Herald Sun newspaper has uncovered a shocking fact about Greens Communications spokesperson Scott Ludlam: He's a reader.
We must determine how the $15bn NBN cost blow-out occurred
The full resources of the Federal Parliament and other Government accountability mechanisms must be deployed to determine how a cost blowout of between $5 billion and $15 billion was allowed to occur in the National Broadband Network, and how to stop a similar situation from occurring again in future.
Telstra to roll out ‘small cell’ 4G coverage in over 130 areas
The Federal Government and Telstra have announced the telco is to roll out small cell mobile technology to boost data coverage in more than 130 rural and regional communities.
ispONE sold … without Kogan Mobile
Those who’ve been following the Kogan Mobile saga will be interested to know that the wholesale company at the heart of all the controversy, ispONE, has been sold. However, Kogan has still not been able to negotiate arrangements for its affected customers.
NBN Co demotes master FTTP architect
NBN Co has removed network planning responsibilities from Peter Ferris, the highly experienced and respected network engineer who was responsible for the design of the company's previous Fibre to the Premises network, allocating the role to an executive who is qualified for the role but has not directly worked in the telecommunications sector since 2007.
Interpol filter scope creep: ASIC ordering unilateral website blocks
The Federal Government has confirmed its financial regulator has started requiring Australian Internet service providers to block websites suspected of providing fraudulent financial opportunities, in a move which appears to also open the door for other government agencies to unilaterally block sites they deem questionable in their own portfolios.
Court finds $29.99 unlimited TPG deal misleading
The Federal Court has reportedly ruled that TPG's prominent nationwide advertising campaign for $29.95 "unlimited" broadband plans was misleading because it didn't properly disclose additional line rental costs and setup fees.
“Get fucked”: Turnbull staffer turns on blogger
One of Malcolm Turnbull's senior staffers has sent a popular Australian technology blogger a caustic email telling him to "get fucked" and informing him that "nobody takes your psychotic rantings seriously", as the relationship between Turnbull and sections of Australia's technology community continues to sour.
Whinge: Telstra wants to stop NBN Co helping smaller ISPs at all
The nation's biggest telco Telstra has told the Federal Government that the NBN company must not be allowed to assist smaller ISPs to better compete for customers on the National Broadband Network, despite the fact that Telstra itself already has a 50 percent NBN market share.
Turnbull won’t disclose rival NBN policy details
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has repeatedly declined to be nailed down on the specific details of how much the Coalition’s rival National Broadband Network policy will cost taxpayers, what speeds it will provide or how many Australians its infrastructure will reach, in a wide-ranging television interview this week.
Aussie focus as NBN Co awards $635m in deals
The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) yesterday announced that it had awarded contracts worth up to $635 million over the next five years to six companies with a robust local presence.
Telstra suffers another data breach
It hasn’t been a good few years for the nation’s biggest telco Telstra when it comes to data breaches. It almost seems like every three to four months, there’s a new chunk of Telstra’s customer data leaked onto the public Internet, and the company has to make yet another apology to those affected, as well as kicking off another ‘review’ of its systems.
Telstra starts VDSL vectoring FTTN trial
The nation's largest telco Telstra has reportedly kicked off a trial of the Coalition's preferred fibre to the node, VDSL and vectoring technologies in an effort to show what they are capable of on its copper network, as the Coalition's plan to dial down Labor's more ambitious fibre to the premises NBN rollout gets into gear.
Delimiter endorses Greens based on tech policy
In an article on Delimiter 2.0 today (subscriber content), I argue that the Greens are the best option for technologists in the Federal Election, winning out over the Pirate Party by a nose.
Labor, Greens slam Turnbull hypocrisy: PM pumps innovation but ‘trashes’ NBN
Labor and Greens politicians have this week labelled Malcolm Turnbull a hypocrite for pushing Australia's innovation credentials in the United States while simultaneously having "trashed" the National Broadband Network, as debate grows about the infrastructure's significant to the Prime Minister's innovation vision.
Turnbull wants ‘user pays’ FTTH model
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has made some interesting comments backing BT’s ‘user pays’ fibre to the premise model in the UK, which sees the telco’s fibre to the node rollout extended upon user demand.
Optus loses networks chief Ottendorfer
Optus revealed last week that it's losing its highly regarded networks chief Günther Ottendorfer, who's been the driving force between the rapid rollout of its 4G network. To put it mildly, this is a huge loss for Optus
Defying the Senate: NBN Co refuses to disclose brand new copper needs past 1800km
The NBN company has flatly refused to say how much brand new copper it need beyond its existing reserves of 1800km to make its Fibre to the Node broadband rollout model function correctly, in response to a question by one of the most powerful Senators overseeing its operations.
Turnbull forces all Dept staff to re-apply for jobs
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ordered all 550 staff at his Department of Communications to re-apply for their jobs, according to the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), as part of a sizable cull that could see up to 125 jobs cut from the department.
The Coalition’s NBN policy is a triumph of short-termism over long-term vision
Malcolm Turnbull has moved the Coalition light years – or at least several million fibre optic kilometres – from the Luddite criticisms thrown up by the Opposition during the 2010 federal election campaign. That said, it was sad to see the number of debating tricks employed in launching his national broadband policy.
Quigley refutes “incorrect, misleading” AFR report
The chief executive of the National Broadband Network Company this afternoon strongly criticised the Australian Financial Review newspaper for what he said was a "disappointing", "incorrect and misleading" report that had "wrongly" claimed NBN Co would not recover its costs by its projected date.
Deep thoughts from Senator Ludlam on Julian Assange
The personal blog of Greens Communications Spokesperson Scott Ludlam continues to be excellent value. Last week the Western Australian Senator took some time out to pen more than 1,300 thoughtful words on the potential future of maverick WikiLeaks activist Julian Assange, whose fate is very much in the hands of several global legal systems.
Virgin ups quota on postpaid broadband
Optus subsidiary, Virgin Mobile, has announced it is refreshing its suite of Postpaid Mobile Broadband plans.
Coalition NBN policy shifts to fibre to the node
The Coalition appears to have evolved its alternative National Broadband Network policy over the past few weeks to focus squarely on the so-called fibre to the node network rollout style which was rejected by the Federal Government's expert NBN committee in early 2009.
Australia Post reveals digital mailbox plan
Australia Post has announced that what it has described as a "Digital Mailbox" will be offered free to every Australian this year.
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.
FTTN cabinets “hideous”, say designers
Not everyone is particularly enthused by the idea of placing tens of thousands of broadband cabinets around Australia to realise the Coalition's fibre to the node National Broadband Network vision. And one of those not happy with the idea is UNSW building academic Alec Tzannes.
Primus, Dodo owner M2 sacks 100
M2 Group has revealed plans to make about 100 staff redundant as it finishes digesting recent major Internet service provider acquisitions such as Dodo, Primus and Eftel, stating that the positions are not necessary in the newly merged business.
Greenfields lobbyist sees nine-figure windfall in Coalition NBN
blog The Coalition’s NBN policy launch may have been variously greeted with both strong derision and cautious support in varying measures, but with Labor’s...
An update on our iTNews fact-checking effort
I want to apologise to iTNews and to readers for not getting the time to pursue the fact-checking article I planned to.
Falling from the sky: How hubris brought down Kogan Mobile
Whose fault is the failure of Kogan Mobile, just nine months after it launched? Who should take responsibility for the fact that 120,000 Australians are about to have their prepaid mobile plans chopped off at the leg? Kogan itself? Its upstream partner ispONE? Telstra? Or should Kogan’s customers have expected all along that the offer the company took to the market was too good to be true? In this (subscriber only) piece for Delimiter 2.0, I argue every party to the process contributed to the fiasco.
We’re not shutting down T-Box, says Telstra
The nation's biggest telco Telstra has rejected a report by The Register that it is expected to shut down its T-Box IPTV streaming video platform and shift its 300,000-odd customers using the platform to the Foxtel pay TV company it part owns.
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.
The Department for ACTA
A key player in Australia’s negotiations to the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) revealed itself last Monday and surprisingly it wasn’t News Ltd, the US Embassy in Canberra or even a reigning political party. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade emerged as ACTA’s cheerleader-in-chief in Australia, trumpeting the benefits of the treaty before a rare open federal parliamentary committee.
NBN competition will rest almost solely on price
Retail competition on the National Broadband Network will rest almost solely on price, in my opinion, as the importance of other differentiating factors between telcos like Telstra, Optus, TPG and iiNet will diminish almost to zero. And here's why.
NBN + climate change deniers: A rebuttal
Remember those controversial comments by telecommunications analyst Paul Budde, comparing critics of Labor’s National Broadband Network project to “climate change deniers”? Sure you do. But what you may not have known is that Robert Kenny of UK communications consultancy Communications Chambers penned a rebuttal.
Copper network in shocking state: Union
Telstra's main union says its copper network is full of plastic bags to keep water out, amid other 'band-aid' solutions.
Coalition concerned Turnbull too close to NBN
Coalition MPs apparently concerned Turnbull is too close to Labor's National Broadband Network policy.
NBN corporate plan lands 2PM today
The National Broadband Network Company will release its latest corporate plan at 2PM today, with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley to host a press conference in Sydney this afternoon.
Global roaming stupidity
Like most people, when I travel overseas I make sure to avoid huge global roaming charges through the use of Wi-Fi networks, cheap local SIM cards, IP telephony and other measures. But apparently some of our nation's most venerable technologists and politicians are not capable of doing the same.
Huge surprise: FTTN trials already delayed
Well, we knew it was coming. The extensive delays suffered by NBN Co during its rollout under the previous Labor administration are starting to hit the project under the Coalition as well. Last week it was revealed that NBN Co's new deal with Telstra may not be inked until the end of 2014. And later on in the week ZDNet confirmed that NBN Co's trials of the Coalition's preferred Fibre to the Node technology have also been delayed. Surprise!
$1bn deal: TPG to shift all mobile customers to Vodafone, build dark fibre
As speculation increases about a possible merger, Vodafone and TPG this morning announced a $1 billion deal which will see the pair increasingly link their operations together, with TPG to shift its mobile customers to Vodafone’s mobile network and construct an extensive dark fibre network to support its partner’s mobile towers.
Defying the Federal Police: iiNet refuses to implement Interpol filter
National broadband player iiNet today revealed it had not implemented the Federal Government’s limited mandatory ISP filtering scheme based on a list of offensive sites supplied by Interpol and had no immediate plans to do so, in a move which appears to represent a total reversal of the ISP's position on the matter and defiance of the Australian Federal Police's wishes.
Conflict of interest: Milne’s $1.5m in Telstra shares
If you had spent a decade in a high-profile role at Telstra that netted you $1.5 million worth of shares in the telco, would you consider it a good idea to sell those shares before taking a similarly high-profile role at NBN Co, which is engaged in billion-dollar negotiations with Telstra that could significantly affect Telstra's share price?
Copper good for 100 years, says Thodey
According to Telstra chief executive David Thodey, Telstra's copper network could last 100 years more.
The iiBorg are assimilating all NBN competition
You can easily imagine what coffee meetings with Michael Malone must be like these days. "Resistance is futile," the leader of the growing iiBorg empire would sternly tell anyone brave enough to enter his company's headquarters. "You will be assimilated. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own."
Morrow hints at long-term FTTP upgrade for MTM NBN
The chief executive of the NBN company has stated in a radio interview that the National Broadband Network will eventually go to "the same place" as Labor's original Fibre to the Premises model through continual upgrades to the network over time, in a move which appears to offer long-term hope for those displeased by the Government's controversial multi-technology model.
Dark day for the ACCC as it abandons competition
The Government and the NBN Co have decided to use our taxes to buy out Optus' competition just as they have done with Telstra’s HFC. A black day indeed for the ACCC and competition in Australia.
NodePony versus T-Pony: Fight!
What emerged this week was that NodePony apparently has a rival. Yes. Let us tremble with fear and loathing at the birth of what can only be a dark side rival ... the T-Pony.
Release your NBN plan already, Conroy tells Turnbull
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy this afternoon demanded his opposite Malcolm Turnbull release the Coalition's rival National Broadband Network policy, after the Liberal MP admitted to the Financial Review newspaper this morning that the policy was "ready".
Turnbull loose with facts on NBN finances
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has inaccurately claimed that the Federal Government is wasting tens of billions of dollars building its National Broadband Network project, despite the fact that the organisation’s business plan shows it will actually make a modest return on investment for the Government.
Redditor downloads 421GB on Telstra ‘free mobile data day’
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news A single individual Australian appears to have taken advantage of Telstra's 'free mobile data' day on Sunday to download...
Telstra launches new mobile broadband plans
Telstra has introduced new mobile broadband plans with what it calls its "most generous" data allowances to date.
Pristine Telstra network photos: We sourced our own
Following our publication of a photo gallery of "worst of the worst" photos of Telstra's copper network, the telco declined to provide photos of pristine, well-maintained infrastructure. So, we sourced our own photos anyway.
Watch: Turnbull implies he complained to ABC about “failed” NBN coverage
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appears to have implied that he made the same complaint to ABC management that he has previously made in public before the 2013 Federal Election, stating that the broadcaster had "failed" to provide balanced coverage of the competing National Broadband Network policies.
NewSat offers to buy NBN Co satellites
Pure play satellite company NewSat has made an offer to the buy the National Broadband Network Company's two satellites before they are even launched, as speculation continues to swirl around the potential privatisation of chunks of NBN Co's infrastructure under the new Coalition Federal Government.
Telstra may terminate 280k mobile services
Wholesale telco ispONE this morning issued a media release stating that it had filed an application with the Federal Court seeking to stop its own upstream provider, Telstra, from terminating the supply of prepaid mobile services to ispONE. Why is this an issue? Because if Telstra moves ahead with the move, it will result in some 280,000 customers losing their mobile access.
Reality check: AFACT is not planning mass lawsuits
Worried that AFACT will start suing individual users, now that it has lost its High Court case against iiNet? You needn't be. The organisation itself has denied any such plans, and even the legal case to identify Australian Internet pirates is on shaky ground at the moment.
Tasmanians have copper cut off before NBN connected
You would think ... you would really think, that there would be no possible way that NBN Co, Telstra and retail ISPs like Eftel could so badly coordinate the changeover process from Telstra's copper network to NBN Co's fibre network that any resident could be left without telecommunications access. You would think.
Telstra increases mobile, fixed phone costs
The nation's biggest telco Telstra has broadly increased its charges for fixed-line telephony services, a move that comes on the back of similar price increases unveiled at the beginning of this month for mobile customers.
Rumours place Rowland as Turnbull’s Shadow
Rumours flying around the telecommunications industry have named second-term MP and former corporate lawyer Michelle Rowland as having picked up the role of Shadow Communications Minister in Bill Shorten's new Labor Shadow Cabinet, leaving more high-profile candidates such as Kate Lundy and Ed Husic out of the running.
Google Fiber shows what the NBN is capable of
The argument that the construction of the NBN will engender great things for Australia has just been bolstered by closer examination of what's happening in the areas in the US where Google has already laid its own fibre to the premise network.
SA Premier gets US fast broadband tour
South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill has toured the high-tech city of Chattanooga, Tennessee in the United States, to survey the city’s revitalisation brought about with the use of high-speed broadband.
NBN a “financial disaster”, claims Andrew Bolt
Conservative commentator Andrew Bolt has published a series of strongly worded blog posts over the past week arguing that the "gold-plated" National Broadband Network project is turning into the Federal Government's "biggest financial disaster by far".
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.
Quigley’s right: Morrow says $15bn NBN blowout “mostly” relates to MTM
NBN chief executive Bill Morrow this morning broadly confirmed analysis by his predecessor Mike Quigley showing that the up to $15 billion blowout in the NBN company's costs was due to the Multi-Technology Mix imposed by Malcolm Turnbull, in a move that appears set to increase the pressure on the Government over the issue.
Why the NBN probably won’t kill Foxtel
The theory that the National Broadband Network is a threat to Foxtel's pay TV business doesn't really hold water.
ABC denies any NBN censorship deal with Turnbull
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has denied it censored the National Broadband Network issue from being discussed on its flagship panel discussion program Q&A this week due to any arrangement with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, stating that it merely ran out of time to air a question on the topic.
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.
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.
ACCC approves Optus’ $800m NBN deal
The national competition regulator has provisionally approved the $800 million deal under which the nation's number two telco Optus will shut down part of its HFC cable network and transfer its broadband customers onto the National Broadband Network infrastructure currently being rolled out around Australia.
Optus 4G trial blazes past 70Mbps
Australia’s number two telco Optus announced late last week that it had successfully completed what it said was the nation’s first 4G mobile broadband trial using 700MHz – a new mobile frequency providing wider coverage and faster speeds as compared to the existing 4G mobile services that used the 1800MHz spectrum.
McClelland, Carr exit technology-related portfolios
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has shifted Federal parliamentarians Kim Carr and Robert McLelland out of their respective industry and attorney-general ministerial portfolios, in shifts that will have a dramatic effect upon how the nation's technology sector will deal with the top levels of government over at least the next year.
NBN: Misleading parliament should be a crime
The Federal Government should follow Queensland and enact a law which makes it illegal for politicians to knowingly mislead Parliament with false information. This would immediately have a dramatic and positive impact on the quality of the debate around the National Broadband Network.
Correction: NBN prices will not be higher
In several radio interviews this week, Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull stated that the National Broadband Network project would cause consumer broadband prices to rise higher than those currently on the market. However, unfortunately this statement was factually incorrect.
‘Severe impact’: Rival FTTB plans worry NBN Co
If the Coalition had stuck with Labor's largely Fibre to the Premises NBN policy, of course, all this wouldn't be an issue. Talk about unintended consequences. Setting regulatory frameworks can often be like this; you need to think through several steps ahead, especially when it comes to a long-term project such as building a national broadband network.
NBN Review designed for “pre-ordained political outcome”
Senior figures in the Federal Labor Party have teamed up to deliver a broad swathe of evidence that they believe shows NBN Co's Strategic Review is based on "flawed and unreliable" premises and was in fact designed by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to constitute a "pre-ordained political outcome".
Our NBN debate: Where everyone is partly wrong
Like a blade out of the dark, this week ex-ACCC chief Graeme Samuel came from nowhere to drive a stake into the heart of the Coalition’s rival NBN policy, arguing that the FTTN technology it’s based on is “obsolete”. And just as viciously, Malcolm Turnbull fired back. But who is objectively on the side of truth in this storm in a teacup? As is so often in our flawed NBN debate, the answer is: ‘Nobody’.
‘National security’: NBN Co blocks Huawei FoI
The National Broadband Network Company, in consultation with associated Federal Government Departments have used a complex series of legal arguments, including national security grounds, to block the public Freedom of Information release of a series of documents relating to the decision to block Chinese vendor Huawei from tendering for NBN contracts.
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.
Critics “mistaken”, says NBN Co: We’re not going to “scrap” Optus HFC
The NBN company today said those who believed it was going to "scrap" Optus' HFC cable network were "mistaken", and that leaked documents published last week showing the network was not fit for use as part of the National Broadband Network were only a "hypothetical exercise".
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.
The Govt should hold a referendum on the NBN
The Federal Government should hold a non-constitutional referendum during the next Federal Election on whether Labor's National Broadband Network should go ahead, in order to settle the long-term fate of this important decade-long infrastructure project once and for all and end the incessant political bickering around it.
NBN proof is in the pudding, not in the promises
Watching last night's Lateline debate about the National Broadband Network, I have to say, I was really impressed with both sides. However, what concerns me at the moment is not what's being promised, but what may end up being delivered.
Coalition NBN plans lack detail, says iiNet
National broadband provider iiNet has published an extensive list of questions it still has regarding the Coalition's plans to alter Labor's National Broadband Network strategy, noting that details ranging from points of interconnect to who would build the network are still unknown, a month after the Federal Election.
Exceed your quota … somehow it’s the NBN’s fault?
Herald Sun columnist burns through her Telstra broadband quota on the NBN and has her connected slowed as a result, then blames the National Broadband Network infrastructure. Wonderful.
Telstra finishes South Brisbane fibre migration
The nation’s largest telco late yesterday revealed it had completed the project of migrating all 18,000-odd copper telecommunications services in the South Brisbane Exchange area to the telco’s new fibre network, with the finalisation of the controversial project just around the corner.
Cisco unveils DOCSIS design for massive HFC upload speeds
Cisco has unveiled a royalty-free design for a Full Duplex DOCSIS specification that it claims will produce upload speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
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.
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".
Hockey says Govt spending $70bn on NBN
Treasurer Joe Hockey has stated that the Government is spending about $70 billion building its version of the National Broadband Network, in comments which appear to run contrary to existing estimates about the Government’s investment in the project.
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.
NBN/Telstra deal could be six months late
It’s extremely hard to see this as a surprise, given the fact that NBN Co’s previous delay with Telstra was extensively delayed, and given that as late as mid-January the pair had not even begun talking, but the Financial Review reported today that NBN Co’s negotiations with the nation’s largest telco Telstra over access to its copper and HFC cable networks could run up to six months late. Yup.
Please explain Huawei ban, Greens tell Labor
The Greens have called on the Labor Federal Government to publicly disclose its reasons and associated evidence for blocking Chinese networking giant Huawei from tendering for National Broadband Network contracts, pointing out that the company has not been accused of breaking any laws.
Optus “increases focus” by sacking 290 staff
Over the past decade your writer has been a technology journalist, we've seen quite a few weasel-worded media releases, and this morning's emission from SingTel subsidiary Optus is a good example of the genre. Sacking some 290 staff? Why not apply a little of the old doublespeak treatment and label the initiative as "increasing focus"?
‘It wasn’t us’: AG’s Dept denies massive filter false positive
The Federal Attorney-General's Department has denied any involvement in a controversial event in April which saw some 1,200 websites wrongfully blocked by several of Australia's major Internet service providers, claiming that neither it nor the Australian Federal Police were involved, despite ISPs blaming the Government for the move.
Court rules Optus coverage ads misleading
There you have it, folks -- in black and white. A court has decided that Telstra's network covers a geographic area nearly two and a half times greater in land mass than that of Optus. That's a figure we'll be pulling up regularly in future as Optus makes claims about its coverage.
Emperor Turnbull has no clothes
In a new scathing commentary published this afternoon, ZDNet columnist David Braue rips the recent performance of Malcolm Turnbull as a flailing Shadow Communications Minister to shreds and leaves the mangled corpse behind in the dust.
NBN critics ‘like climate deniers’, says Budde
Telecommunications analyst Paul Budde has accused the harshest critics of Labor’s flagship National Broadband Network project as being similar to “climate change deniers” in their irrational opposition to the project, arguing that such critics are given undue prominence in the media, despite representing less than five percent of the population.
‘Bold & visionary’: UK MP loves Australia’s NBN
One of the UK Government’s up and coming technology-focused politicians, Chi Onwurah, has declared Australia’s National Broadband Network to be bold and visionary following a visit Down Under and asked her own country’s administration why it doesn’t have similar ambitions in its own, much more limited broadband policy.
Coalition’s FTTN NBN to cost $29.4bn
So today is the day we’ve all been waiting for. The day when the Coalition finally releases its rival telecommunications policy to go up against Labor’s flagship National Broadband Network project. Sadly, so far we still don’t have the actual policy documents which detail the Coalition’s plans; they’ll (presumably) be released later today.
Turnbull’s ‘agnostic’ approach could restore faith in the NBN
My frank assessment is that we will probably see a lot more fibre being delivered than we were expecting under the new government. DSL technologies on copper will be exploited where these can deliver a better connection than existing arrangements, even if it means these customers wait longer for their inevitable fibre connection.
US telco Verizon launches 300Mbps unlimited fibre
Giant US telco Verizon has launched a 300Mbps broadband service with unlimited data quota included that uses the same fibre to the home technology as the National Broadband Network, stating that homes with multiple devices using high-bandwidth applications simultaneously need the extra speeds.
Delimiter’s curious response to UK Superfast report
Delimiter has published a curious response to a UK House of Lords report on broadband policy released this week. Strange days indeed. Perhaps Delimiter read a different report to everyone else.
Labor demands Turnbull release NBN Strategic Review
The Opposition has demanded the Federal Government release the Strategic Review report which NBN Co has conducted into its operations and possible future plans. However, the report has not yet been delivered to the Government, even in draft form.
Screw the NBN, says TPG: We’ll do our own FTTB
National broadband company TPG has flagged plans to deploy so-called fibre to the basement infrastructure to some 500,000 apartments in major Australian capital cities, in a move which will compete directly with the new Coalition Government's plans to conduct similar rollouts under the National Broadband Network scheme.
Warning: Telstra is killing off Australia’s mobile competition
In five years' time, just how much market share will Telstra have in Australia's mobile phone industry? If it keeps on adding 900,000 new mobile connections every six months while its rivals do diddly squat, I would have to say the answer will be: Most of it.
Exetel launches off-peak unlimited NBN plans
National broadband provider Exetel has launched a dozen new pricing plans on the National Broadband Network's infrastructure which feature unlimited off-peak downloads between 1AM and 9AM in the morning.
Conroy staffer + Telstra PR enters Parliament
Stephen Conroy might no longer be Communications Minister, and his party might no longer be in power, but the Victorian Labor Senator has just gained a new ally in Parliament, courtesy of the election of his former policy advisor and current Telstra regulatory affairs manager Tim Watts to Nicola Roxon's seat of Gellibrand.
$90bn NBN? WRONG: Oakeshott tells Coalition
The independent MP who chaired the Federal Parliament's committee investigating the NBN has lambasted the Coalition for its claim that the real cost of Labor's National Broadband Network project was likely to be up to $90 billion, pointing out that the treasury and finance departments disagreed with the Coalition's estimate.
ASIC repeatedly delays S.313 FoI responses
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has on multiple occasions over the past month, involving multiple parties, delayed responding to Freedom of Information requests seeking documents relating to its controversial decision to start unilaterally blocking websites it suspects of fraudulent activity.
Turnbull slams Twitter’s NBN “craziness”
Malcolm Turnbull has accused users of social networking site Twitter of misrepresenting his position on the Coalition's broadband policy during a stoush with a small business operator unable to get broadband in a rural area, with the Communications Minister claiming the episode could be a case study "of the volatile and sometimes distorting character of social media".
Exetel reveals 300GB, 100Mbps NBN plan for $70
Second-tier Australian ISP Exetel has launched a 300GB National Broadband Network pricing plan at 100Mbps for just $70 a month just a week after being criticised for having low top-end plans and undercutting rivals such as iiNet and Internode in the process.
Vodafone’s 4G rollout starts in 2013
Vodafone has revealed it will start rolling out 4G speeds to its national mobile network from 2013 in a belated effort to catch up to its rivals Telstra and Optus, who will have started their own national 4G rollouts 18 months and almost a year previously at that stage.
Further evidence Turnbull’s MyBroadband tracker overestimates speeds
The Australian Labor Party has published what it claims is further evidence that the MyBroadband broadband availability site launched by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull in February is significantly inaccurate, with average broadband speeds in the Federal electorate of Perth universally below the data produced by the site.
Technical “dead-end”: Conroy smashes Turnbull’s NBN policy
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has taken an axe to the national broadband policy outlined by his Coalition counterpart over the past few months, arguing Malcolm Turnbull's vision for Australia's future telecommunications needs would end up with the nation stuck in "a dead end".
Multi-dwelling units a major issue for the NBN
The experiencein Hong Kong and Singapore suggests that NBN Co. in Australia will ultimately be able to gain access to most – but maybe not all – multi-dwelling units with recalcitrant owners to complete its network rollout, but doing so will require the patience of Job and might take a lot longer than anyone thought.
amaysim buys fellow mobile telco Vaya
Mobile telco amaysim this morning announced it had bought privately owned Vaya for $70 million, in a move that will add some 140,000 subscribers to amaysim's customer database and further consolidate the already tight mobile market.
Basslink completes cable repairs, enters final testing stage
The undersea power and telecoms cable linking Victoria to Tasmania has been repaired, according to its operator, Basslink.