ISPs Doubt Impact of New Australia-US Fibre Link
ARNnet
Two ISPs have cast scepticism over claims a new Australia to US fibre cable system will significantly reduce the cost of purchasing international broadband capacity. Pacnet and Pacific Fibre have teamed up to build a $US400 million subsea optic fibre connection between Sydney, Auckland and Los Angeles. It will be up and running by 2013.
Report Bombs Aussie Broadband
Computerworld Australia
Australia has bombed out to 50th spot in global broadband speeds and clocked an average Internet connection of 2.6Mbps, according to a new report from global content provider, Akamai. Faster speeds were registered across the ditch with New Zealand tipping average speeds of 2.9Mbps to claim 42nd spot.
Telstra Boosts Smartphone Data
ZDNet, Australia
In a few hours, Apple’s hyped iPhone 4 handset will launch in Australia. But Telstra hasn’t yet finished tweaking its launch plans for the device and other smartphones.
Telstra Starts Dragging Itself Into an NBN World
Sydney Morning Herald
COULD the boss of Telstra, David Thodey, be contemplating sacking himself? Not likely. But he suggested yesterday that all jobs in the company were being assessed – even his. The most likely reason for this somewhat silly statement is that he was making the point that in the new competitive environment, the company has some adapting to do.
Conroy Promises “More of the Same” ICT Policy
The Australian
Topics: Australia, broadband, government, Melbourne, Stephen Conroy, telecom, telecommunicationsOptus Dissolves CIO Role in Restructure
ZDNet, Australia
Just after Telstra announced it was reworking the structure of its operations team, Optus has also come out with an internal reorganisation that will see the company’s CIO position discontinued.
TPG and iiNet Battle for AAPT
The Australian
IINET is locked in a battle with TPG Telecom to acquire Telecom New Zealand’s struggling AAPT unit. The outcome of the fight will determine which emerges as…
Telstra Fined $19m for Broadband Block
The Australian
TELSTRA has been slapped with an $18.5 million fine for blocking its rivals from installing broadband equipment at its telephone exchanges.
Pacnet, Pacific Fibre to Build US$400m Trans-Pacific Subsea Cable
Total Telecom
Hong Kong-based cable network operator and data services provider Pacnet Co. and New Zealand’s Pacific Fibre Ltd Wednesday announced plans to jointly build a high-speed, submarine, fiber cable linking New Zealand, Australia and the U.S. and said it is expected to come onstream in 2013.
Telstra Blunder Directs Twitter Users to Facebook Hate Page
Sydney Morning Herald
In an embarrasing blunder, a Telstra employee this morning directed Telstra’s official Twitter account followers to a Facebook page entitled “Telstra is pathetic”. At first, some users of the social networking website speculated the Telstra account had been hacked.
Governments Are Tapping Your 3G Calls
ZDNet Asia
An increasing number of governments around the world are using call interception devices to pick up both 2G and 3G mobile phone calls, according to Les Goldsmith, CEO of call interceptor distributor ESD Group. “What the interceptors do is, when you dial a number, join the call and act as a base station instead of Telstra or Optus or the carrier you’re with,” he said. “The interceptor will inform the phone that you cannot make a call using 3G–it will trick your phone into switching back to 2G instead of 3G.”
National Broadband Network Rollout Starts
Business Spectator
The rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) is under way, with residents in the New South Wales towns of Minnamurra and Kiama Downs, and South Australia’s Willunga today being urged to sign up and “prepare their properties” for high speed broadband.
Coalition Faces Massive Voter Backlash Over NBN Scrap Plan
The Australian
It is one thing to say that climate change is crap but quite another to threaten to scrap a popular $43 billion nation building project. That appears to be the corner that the leader of the opposition Tony Abbott has painted himself into with his announced intention for the National Broadband Network.
Australia’s NBN Now to Reach 93% of Population
ZDNet, Australia
The Federal Government will extend its planned fibre roll-out under the National Broadband Network (NBN) from 90 per cent of Australian premises to 93 per cent – covering an additional 1.6 million extra premises.
BigPond Price Cuts Anger Internode, iiNet
The Australian
National broadband providers Internode and iiNet have cried foul with regards to a massive price cut unveiled yesterday by Telstra’s BigPond internet service provider division on its broadband plans. BigPond slashed the price on its top-speed 200GB plan by half from $179.95 per month down to just $89.95.
