Broadband Guide

Vodafone Mobile Broadband Plans now listed on Broadband Guide

Ronnie — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:43:00 GMT

Broadband Guide is pleased to announce the inclusion of Australian Mobile Broadband giant 'Vodafone' to their list of Mobile Broadband Providers. Not only does Vodafone offer a huge range of competitive Mobile Phone Plans, but they're also a leading force behind Australian Mobile Internet Services.

Now you can compare Vodafone Mobile Broadband Plans against other leading Australian Mobile Internet Service Providers and find a Mobile Broadband deal that's right for you! Included in the Vodafone Plan range is their extremely popular 'Heavy use 5GB Mobile Broadband Plan' which starts at $49 and boasts 'No Set Up Fees' and a 'Free' Mobile Internet Stick or 'FREE' Mobile Data Card!

See this Vodafone Mobile Broadband Plan, and others just like it, right here! http://broadbandguide.com.au/vodafone/mobile-broadband/plans

Unwired National Network Next Year

Ronnie — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:56:00 GMT

Wireless internet company 'Unwired' plans of deploying a national WiMax network in all metropolitan areas have taken a nose dive as parent company, the 'Seven Group', stated that commercial services might be still up to one year away.

After two delays already, Unwired is now aiming on expanding their WiMax infrastructure beyond Melbourne and Sydney into other capitals but maintain they wish to roll out the new wireless network 'right' opposed to 'rushed'. It's believed the WiMax network improvements have been now set back to late 2008 or early 2009.

The wireless internet company's media parent, Seven Group, said it had begun testing the new network but commercial services might still be up to a year away. A Seven Group spokesman said trials currently under way would enable the company to build a financial structure for the project that was expected to proceed "in the current financial year".

"We're very pleased with the technology and the opportunities with Unwired. We'll do it right, not rushed," the spokesman said.

source: australianit.com.au

ACCAN - New Voice for Telecommunication Complaints

Ronnie — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:21:00 GMT

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) - That's a name you just might need to remember, as the chances are you may need it at some point! The Telecommunications Industry, namely that of Broadband, is the most complained about sector of Australian Business and with a new national broadband network around the corner an agency such as this will be a much needed resource and voice for Australian consumers.

The Federal Government established the new group under growing concerns that consumers were not being given a satisfactory platform in which to voice their discontent. If the unacceptable amount of complaints within the associated industry wasn't enough to provoke the formation of such a group, the future NBN and all it's issues leading up to the transition will certainly warrant the ACCAN's inception.

"What we need is an effective voice for residential and small business consumers, particularly in light of NBN migration, choice and complexity issues," Ms Sinclair said.

“The selection of ACCAN’s founding board members will provide a driving force for the establishment of a more powerful voice in the development of telecommunications policy and industry processes,” Senator Conroy said.

source: New body for telco complaints

"It's TV, Jim, but not as we know it"

Ronnie — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:01:00 GMT

Prepare yourself for the 'TV Wars', and the new content delivery methods which are rapidly emerging with it. That's right, your good 'ol beaut TV set and the way in which your favourite shows are transmitted to you could soon become obsolete as new content devices and technologies appear on the horizon.

Channel Seven's today tonight recently aired a segment that was meant to showcase Kerry Stoke's latest marvel - TiVo. At the same time it appeared to take a swipe at FOXTEL's Pay TV services by educating the masses on where to watch much of the content that currently appears on Pay TV. If you guessed WWW, your exactly right! Much of the content that's currently airing on FOXTEL and AUSTAR can be viewed on the Internet, and for free! Seek and ye shall find.

Terms such as IPTV, TiVo and VOD have, uptil recently, only been used by the internet savvy and broadband enthusiast alike. However this is all about to change as the mainstream gets a taste of things to come in the realm of Broadcast TV content and delivery.

Internet TV is just that. TV content that is stored online and of which can be streamed (downloaded) from the Internet to you. The ABC's new iView service acts as an Internet TV library that allows you to watch anything that was aired on the ABC/ABC 2 over the past 30 days. The service if completely free, all you have to pay for is the data usage.

TiVo is a device which has been pretty much over marketed as a Pay TV competitor, although it's more of an indirect alternative to such. It's a brand of digital video recorder that basically gives a user the ability to capture TV shows (with time shift recording) onto a hard drive. There is also an electronic TV Guide which many people will find quite useful along with many other flexible and helpful features. Perhaps the biggest draw card for TiVo over that of Pay TV is it's future potential with Internet compatibilities. This can be best described by it's ability to connect to a local area network and download content from the internet. The TiVo device is set to become an extremely popular content media portal down the track.

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) uses the Internet to transmit digital television telecasts (opposed to radio waves). Television content is delivered through network infrastructure often using broadband connections. Many people nowdays use media centres and LCD/Plasma TV's to watch content downloaded from the Internet. IPTV is becoming very popular in countries such as the United States and is usually packaged within broadband type services.

VOD (Video on Demand) services can either stream content (for real time 'live' viewing) through a set-top-box, or allow content to be downloaded to a device such as a PC or Digital Video Recorder (e.g. TiVo). It appears to be a very practical method for watching content on demand such as new release movies and live entertainment/sporting events.

Pay TV in Australia has been around for quite a number of years and has enjoyed growing popularity more recently. These other services are relatively new to the scene and still play second fiddle to Pay TV. There is an enormous 'X' factor here that is bound to effect the respective industry in the not so distant future. This factor plays a huge role in the prospects and protocols of many of the services discussed in this article. It's called Broadband, more importantly 'Bandwidth'.

With a new national network just around the corner which is expected to bring robust broadband speeds and capabilities, a flourishing broadcast industry will be sure to follow. So expect these services, and more like them, to bob up and down from time to time, and once the NBN kicks in over the next couple of years, it will be "beam me up Scottie!"

ISP Content Filtering Tests - Results Flawed

Ronnie — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:07:00 GMT

The Government's proposed ISP filters which are meant to safeguard young probing eyes from illicit content found on the web have come up thumbs down after initial test results showed shortcomings. The findings have suggested that the products tested could in fact filter websites that produce illegal content or block peer-to-peer networks, however they could not identify content that is being shared across the P2P networks such as BitTorrent.

The report, released today by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, showed ISP filtering technologies were improving, however it also highlighted significant holes in current technologies to automatically filter content shared over peer-to-peer networks.

source: zdnet.com.au

ABC iView - Video On Demand

Ronnie — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:23:00 GMT

The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) has unveiled their new iView service which gives users the ability to watch ABC1 and ABC2 programs online for free and up to 30 days after appearing on TV.

iView is a free service that requires nothing more than a high speed internet connection (ABC recommends 11Mbps for optimal viewing) and audio. Despite streaming a resolution that appears to be below that of standard television, even though the ABC has advertised it as 'high definition', iView still transmits a very good quality picture and has a great potential as a free resource nonetheless.

What I would like to point out and make clear to unsuspecting users is, that although the service may be free to use it's still going to guzzle through your usage limit. So unless you're with a provider such as iiNet who doesn't count download usage from the ABC, you could incur a very hefty monthly bill from your ISP if you're not careful.

For example, watching an average iView program could use approximately 300MB per hour (or per episode). For users who are on a basic broadband plan, even one episode could blow your monthly limit. What's worse, if you with a provider who charges (opposed to shapes) your broadband internet connection after you exceed your limit, the charges could be severe.

E.g. Watching 3 x 1 hour iView programs online whilst on a 500MB limit that charges 10c per MB for excess use, could end up and cost you an additional $50 for that month!

The ABC's iView service is very convenient and a leap in the right direction toward IPTV, however, if you intend of using this service be absolutely sure you know how much data you're going to go through! More importantly, know what you're excess usage conditions and limitations are with your Broadband plan otherwise you could be watching nothing online for sometime to come!

source: http://www.abc.net.au/iview

Broadband Internet Access for Cars

Ronnie — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:12:00 GMT

Car manufacturers in Europe and the United States are scrambling to equip new model vehicles with internet access. Although raising grave concerns over safety issues from driver distraction, it's expected that the option of having fast broadband in fast cars will be very enticing.

Australia's current highways and freeways are still a few miles off from having the 'superhighway' in their cars just yet, however it's believed that some Australian car makers are very interested in the possibility of including this feature into their designs.

Chrysler Australia spokesman Jerry Stamoulis said: "We're very interested in looking at it. With all types of new technology, we always push for them to come here."

Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy said he expected internet access would come to their cars "but there's no timetable as yet".

Source: News.com.au

Wireless Broadband Explained

Ronnie — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:28:00 GMT

We often receive enquiries from those who are new to broadband or don't fully understand how wireless broadband technology operates. In this short article, I'll endeavour to explain the fundamentals of wireless broadband in an attempt to help out novice users and in effect, assist them toward making an informed choice.

Let's start with a rundown on wireless broadband and the benefits and disadvantages of using this type of technology.

Benefits
If there's one word that best describes wireless broadband, it's 'convenience'. The mobility and flexibility that wireless broadband offers is perhaps the main reason behind most decisions for acquiring this type of service. What's more, wireless broadband access has the additional bonus of just that, a 'wire-less' environment. Assuming you have a laptop (notebook) which has a built in battery and are in your wireless broadband providers' coverage area, you will have the ability to use the internet almost anywhere. E.g. Cafés, Car, Bush, Park, Backyard.

Disadvantages
At this point in time fixed (cable) broadband internet technology types such as 'ADSL2+' and 'Cable' are still considered much faster than wireless here in Australia. For example, current accessible broadband speeds for fixed internet connections are up to 30Mbps which is near 20 times the speed of common wireless connectivity (1.5Mbps). Installation difficulties and especially unsecured network protection can act as a deterrent for some prospective broadband buyers. Maintaining a stable connection is also another area of concern, as drop outs or black spots (areas with with no coverage) can become extremely furstrating.

Pros
Wireless environment (absence of network leads)
Ability to roam around without limitations
Convenience of use anywhere and everywhere

Cons
Limited Speeds (considerable slower than fixed line broadband)
Stability/Black Spots (drop outs and areas with no coverage)
Value-for-money (can be considered expensive for a quality service)
Installation/Network Protection (difficulties to install and security/intrusion threat)

Understanding Wireless Broadband Options
There are many people who just want a 'wireless environment' at home so they can roam from room-to-room or relax by the pool whilst surfing the net on their laptop (sound like you?). From various enquiries that I receive here at Broadband Guide, it appears that a significant amount of people also think they need to acquire a 'wireless' broadband plan to have a wire-free environment. Well have I got news for you! A wireless home (house/backyard/back shed), or a small area such as this, can be made wireless by simply using a wireless modem. Yes, most of you know this, but some of you don't!

For example, users have the ability to join up on a Cable or ADSL2+ broadband plan and purchase a wireless modem and thus create a wireless home environment. Whereas true mobile wireless plans gives you the same ability, however, with the correct hardware such as a wireless PCI card or USB adapter/modem, this type of plan additionally gives you the ability to roam anywhere within your providers' coverage area with internet access.

Final Word
Wireless Broadband isn't for everyone. Sure it's can be very convenient, however do you really need it? When taking into consideration the disadvantages like slower speeds, expense or drop outs, and not making full use out of it's mobile nature, the novelty may soon wear off. On the other hand, if it's the freedom of internet access anywhere, for work or leisure, then wireless broadband could be the internet technology type for you.

Compare wireless broadband plans and bundles right here at Broadband Guide. http://broadbandguide.com.au/wireless

AAPT ADSL2+ Broadband Internet Plans now listed

Ronnie — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:16:00 GMT

Broadband Guide is pleased to announce the recent addition of AAPT to the comparison site. AAPT is one of Australia's leading Telecommunication providers who offers internet coverage to most regions of the nation. They are currently being represented on Broadband Guide by five ADSL2+ broadband plans with either a month-to-month contract or discounted 24 month option.

Offering broadband internet speeds of up to 20Mps down, and 1Mbps up, their plans also encompass data usage limits that range from 1GB to 50GB (with no excess usage charges), and also gives you the ability combine a home phone service at a discounted broadband rate.

You can view what AAPT has to offer by visiting here. http://aapt.broadbandguide.com.au/

Message Loud & Clear - Split Telstra!

Ronnie — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:25:00 GMT

The demand for the functional, or structural separation, of Telstra has been a very precariously debated and wide spread topic over recent months. If these calls weren't made loud and clear enough back then, you can bet you're bottom dollar that almost everyone who reads online technology news will know about them now as regulatory submissions for the new national broadband network have now been made public by the government.

These submissions came from a variety of sources ranging from internet service providers, individuals, business and corporate entities including the likes of Google and Intel, through to state government departments. Funnily enough, the majority of the submissions all shared a common theme (or should I say suggestion), separate Telstra either operationally or structurally. The respective submissions (including two from Telstra), will make for interesting reading, especially for those who wish to be further informed on the issues surrounding the national broadband network process and it's regulations.

Industry and public interest groups were invited to provide submissions on regulatory issues associated with the National Broadband Network process.

The Government has reserved the right to not publish submissions or parts of submissions where it considers it appropriate to do so for confidentiality or other reasons.

The views contained in the submissions are those of its authors, and may not represent the views of the Commonwealth or its officers. The Government continues to reserve all of its rights in respect of the Request for Proposals.

Read the Regulatory Submissions at the DBCE

iPrimus Broadband Plans now listed on Broadband Guide

Ronnie — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:12:00 GMT

Broadband Guide is pleased to announce the introduction of iPrimus broadband plans to the site. The new iPrimus Internet products deliver ADSL2+ speeds along with exceptional usage limits and value for money such as that witnessed with the iPrimus ADSL2+ Big Kahuna plan. This plan boasts a massive usage limit of 200GB and can be purchased at a low price of $69.95 when bundled with home phone and mobile services!

Browse and Compare this plan and more iPrimus Broadband 2+ plans right here http://iprimus.broadbandguide.com.au

iiNet Naked DSL Plans - Popularity Soars

Ronnie — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:09:00 GMT

Naked DSL Broadband Internet is a rapidly growing broadband alternative as it gives a user the ability to save extra money by ditching the traditional home phone service. It's popularity is growing so much that it's caused an unexpected profit for iiNet. Subscribers are now ridding themselves of a Telstra landline in favour of their mobile phone, or for those who used their home phone more frequently, a VoIP (Voice of Internet Protocol) Broadband Phone service.

iiNet's Managing Director 'Michael Malone' recently stated that the company is signing up around 1,000 Naked DSL subscribers per week. He also added that iiNet has been very surprised with the Naked DSL uptake as they thought the new service would only appeal to the tech savvy broadband enthusiast therefor remaining a niche product.

If you're interested in Naked DSL and considering an iiNet Naked DSL plan, click on the link below and compare iiNet Naked DSL Internet against other Naked DSL Providers right here at Broadband Guide.

http://iinet.broadbandguide.com.au/adsl/plans

Iinet is claiming Naked DSL subscriber numbers of "over 23,000" customers, from a total customer pool on iiNet DSLAMs of 170,209 customers. So, roughly thirteen percent of iiNet's customers are now living without a PSTN phone line.

"We initially saw Naked DSL as a very niche product", he said. "We expected that the tech geek crowd who loves broadband would go for it, along with Generation Y and their mobile phones. Instead, it's appealed to a much broader audience who don't want to pay line rentals. They see it as dead money. It's not so much to do with saving money as it is not wasting it."

source: iiNet profits bulge from unexpected naked growth

Japanese Satellite Broadband: Fast Broadband or Fastest Broadband?

Ronnie — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:37:00 GMT

High speed broadband internet has been heavily debated in Australia over recent times, especially in conjunction to the upcoming new National Broadband Network project. It's been established that super fast broadband internet will become a valuable and useful tool in the future for our individual needs and business prosperity. The question is, how fast is fast enough and what type of upgradeable, efficient and environmentally sound Broadband technology should we adopt?

Internet speed and technology leaders, on a global scale, appear to have always emerged from Asia, such as Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Other countries currently researching potential broadband technologies for future use could possibly look toward these respective nations for the lead . After all it's these countries who, for years, have previously developed and utilised the likes of FTTN & FTTH broadband networks over a national coverage to achieve speeds in excess of 100Mbps.

One of these technological leaders, Japan, is reaching for the stars by currently trying to harness the potential of satellite broadband technology and is making substantial progress. Forget about wired, fixed or wireless internet because according to the Japan Exploration Agency and the National Institute of Information, a 1.2 gigabits per second satellite speed was achieved in a recent test which is believed to be a record for satellite communications.

In the test conducted back in May this year, a combined up and down satellite speed transmission was recorded at 1.2Gbps (1244Mbps)! In actual terms this figure equates to a whopping 622Mbps each way! Although speeds of this magnitude might not be available to us mere peasants anytime soon, Japan, nonetheless, is intending to offer satellite broadband services to homes and businesses in remote areas (in the event of disaster) along with providing satellite broadband speeds up to 155Mbps by this coming July. This invigorating news makes Australia's plans for a FTTN network already look outdated. A satellite network of this type appears to have the potential which would be ideal for Australia's conditions and it's vast regions whilst providing an 'environmentally friendlier' and 'wire free' environment that would sufficiently meet all our personal and business requirements. However the underlying issue here could revolve around network (load) sustainability. Could the future mean satellite broadband? Didn't we kind of already envisage this the whole time?

In the tests done on May 2, data was transmitted on two 622 Mbps channels, both up to the satellite and down to a receiving antenna. Together, the combined data transmission speed was 1.2 Gbps, according to PC World. Japan launched the Kizuna satellite in February and plans to use it to offer broadband services to homes and businesses in remote areas in the event of disaster. The aerospace agency said it should be able to provide homes with speeds up to 155 Mbps by July.

source: Japan tests super fast satellite broadband

VDSL2 Broadband Technology looking likely for NBN

Ronnie — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:35:00 GMT

With some Telcos already marketing VDSL2 roll outs, it's only a matter of time until we witness the emergence of VDSL2 plans, VDSL2 speeds and further VDSL2 providers offering respective services. Australia's two leading Telecommunication Operators, Optus and Telstra, are also conducting their own research and tests on prospective Broadband technologies such as VDSL2 (very fast digital subscriber line) and BPL (Broadband over Power Lines), the latter being considered as inappropriate at this point in time.

VDSL2 on the other hand is an upgradable DSL transmission technology which has superseded ADSL2+ and one that can also make use of the current copper line infrastructure. Visiting Ericsson telecommunication executive 'Martin Mellor' suggests that there's alot to like about VDSL2 as new technologies will be able to take advantage of the existing copper lines and states that Ericsson's latest dynamic spectrum management technology could theoretically increase maximum VDSL2+ speeds to 250 megabits (250Mbps) when it becomes available in two or three years time.

It's becoming more and more likely from all the relevant information surfacing on VDSL2 that this type of Broadband technology will in fact become the preferred technology for delivering Broadband Internet over the new proposed national network. I would be very surprised if ISP's that I previously mentioned were not particpating in VDSL2 tests and that this type of technology be overlooked. The question now is, not about which type of Broadband technology will be used such as FTTN, FTTH, WiMAX or VDSL2, it's who will win the NBN bid and manage the new national broadband network.

"We think VDSL2 [transmission technology] is a great step forward from ADSL2+ but we don't think that's the end of the life for copper," said Mr Mellor, who visited Australia last week. "There's too much copper buried in the ground, and operators want to make that sweat, and there's always new technologies that are looking to take advantage of that."

Excerpt: Place for copper in network

Telstra back flip on wholesale ADSL2+

Ronnie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:25:00 GMT

In a contradictory announcement made by Telstra, the telecommunication giant revealed that it's now planning to offer wholesale ADSL2+ services to competitors. This statement comes only after several months of rolling out ADSL2+ services to over 900 new exchanges.

The remarkable turn-around of policy has left industry experts scratching their heads. Coincidently, Telstra has also simultaneously called on the government to end speculation over a possible structural separation split into retail and wholesale sectors.

Is it possible that Telstra is preparing a contingency plan with this latest ADSL2+ wholesale announcement on the chance that it doesn't win the NBN or is structurally separated? Perhaps this latest ADSL2+ wholesale policy back flip is part of a bigger picture such as a network upgrade? Afterall, its puzzling to witness a change of heart like this from telstra after such a short stint, and why at this particular point during the NBN process?

With increased conjecture mounting around a structural separation along with the additional pressure placed on the government by Telstra, its certainly leading to interesting times ahead.

source: Telstra tells govt: end speculation
source: Telstra's reversal: now it plans to wholesale ADSL2+

Structural Separation building momentum for Telstra Split

Ronnie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:47:00 GMT

The 2020 Summit was a success for many various reasons such as it raised concerns, sprouted ideas and addressed important issues challenging Australia and it's future prosperity. In the final report of the Summit, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was urged to split the wholesale and retail elements of Telstra in order to obtain a competitive market for the Broadband Industry.

It appears that Telstra has fallen heavily into the structural separation line of fire. What makes a possible separation more evident is the fact that not only are Telstra's competitors calling for a split, highly influential and prominent business people (some of which were in the Summit group) are now also urging the government to perform a structural severing.

The government should assess the case for vertical separation of the network owner from retail carriers and carriage service providers to promote access," the group's recommendation in the report said.

source: misaustralia.com

Australia's Economy worse under Telstra NBN

Ronnie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:33:00 GMT

In a damning report recently conducted by the Centre for International Economics it was revealed that a Telstra built and managed National Broadband Network would burden the economy by lowering wages, increasing inflation, reducing national growth and raising broadband prices by 15% in which our nation would be $897 million worse off.

Telstra was quick to reply by dismissing the report as 'bogus' although Telstra Wholesale managing director 'Kate McKenzie' failed to note a crucial sentence in the report that read "However, obtaining precision is not the main objective of this analysis. The main point is to show that it is likely that a significant margin exists between Telstra's required return from the FTTN network and the return that an alternative supplier would require for the same asset, and this margin will translate into hardship for the economy and the community."

Report Conclusions:
- Australian consumers and the economy would be $897 million worse off under a Telstra owned and operated National Broadband Network;
- Telstra's targeted return on its capital investment was relatively high and "may be consistent with the abuse of market or monopoly power";
- The build-cost scenarios for Telstra's broadband network would increase inflation, reduce national growth, lower wages and reduce national consumption;
- The impact of Telstra's network would "lead to a general contraction of the Australian economy."

source: itwire.com

Acacia joins race for National Broadband Network bid

Ronnie — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:03:00 GMT

Unveiled: Another consortium who coughed up the $5 million bond prescribed by the government and one that's been keeping a very low profile until now, has publicly raised it's hand in the battle for the upcoming national broadband network bid.

"Acacia", made up of prominent Melbourne businesses which include Doug Shears, Leon Kempler and Solomon Lew, says that their bid will alleviate government concerns by making the NBN open and competitive. The key factor residing in Acacia's proposal apparently suggests the network will ultimately be returned to public control (similar to the CityLink project after X amount of years), or possibly a similar role to that of Telstra's which it had once upon a time ago.

There's a "them and us" tussle going on at the top of Australia's IT industry over Telstra's power. The Acacia plans is proposing to return the new, improved part of the network to public hands, or the position Telstra once held. This could be along the lines o, say, Melbourne's CityLink road project, where fees gained over a two-year to 25-year period more than repay the original investment, plus making a tidy profit, before it reverts to public hands.

source: misaustralia.com

VDSL2 Broadband Technology - A FTTN Potential

Ronnie — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:25:00 GMT

Very high speed digital subscriber line, otherwise known as VDSL2, has been touted as the broadband technology type that will be used by the winning tender for the new national broadband network.

VDSL2 is capable of broadband speeds in excess of 100Mbps and similar to it's predecessor ADSL, will drop off over short distances. One exciting prospect of VDSL2 is the symmetrical rate that it offers which would make it highly sort after by peer-to-peer enthusiasts and the business sector alike.

With some ISPs either currently marketing VDSL2 as their next upcoming broadband product to be released, or conducting extensive research and testing, VDSL2 appears to be in the box seat as the technology type to be used for the upcoming NBN..... but by whom?

Read more about VDSL2 Broadband at Wikipedia

Australia lags World with 1.7Mbps average Broadband Speeds

Ronnie — Thu, 29 May 2008 02:48:00 GMT

The ITIF (Information Technology & Innovation Foundation) has recently released it's 2008 Broadband Rankings report which shows the average Broadband Internet download speed for Australians at a very slow 1.7Mbps!

The non-partisan research think tank ranked Australian Broadband in position 12 which is one in front of the UK (13th) and two in front of United States (14th) respectively. Although Australia's overall composite score is above the UK and US, it still lags those countries, and others, significantly in average Broadband Speed. South Korea is rated 1st with an average speed of 49.5Mbps followed by Japan with 63.6Mbps and Finland coming in 3rd with 21.7Mbps. Even countries ranked 27th (Czech Republic), 28th (Slovak Republic) and 29th (Turkey) from the top 30 list have faster average Broadband speeds than Australia!

Released within the new report, Explaining International Broadband Leadership, the 2008 ITIF Broadband Rankings are a composite measure of national broadband performance that represent the sum of standard deviation scores for three indicators: household broadband penetration, average speed weighted by percentage of subscribership (in megabits per second (Mbps)), and lowest available price per Mbps.

Source: ITIF.org
Top 30 List: PDF

Telstra Structural Separation looms

Ronnie — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT

Competition or no competition, that is the answer! The deconstruction of Telstra as a vertically integrated Telecommunication company could be nigh as the push for it's structural separation gains momentum. In a report released by 'Competition Economists Group', who were commissioned by Telstra's arch rival Optus, key findings suggested that Telstra (if not structurally separated) would have very powerful incentives to damage competition in the Telecommunication Industry if it were to win the National Broadband Network bid.

As reported back on April 1st, the Structural Separation of monolithic Telco companies in the UK, Europe and now New Zealand are solving anti competition dilemmas. But what about Telstra and it's shareholders? Well it seems that conjecture and speculation cause investors to be weary and that structurally separating Telstra into retail and wholesale divisions could actually ease the uncertainties behind Telstra's future and restore or even improve market confidence.

"This means that if the NBN is owned by a vertically integrated Telstra, then discrimination -- and damage to competition -- will be a much bigger problem under the NBN than today."

Today's report is expected to be the first step in a concerted campaign led by Optus to lobby the Government for a forced split of Telstra.

source: news.com.au

NBN RFP Deadline Extended

Ronnie — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:04:00 GMT

Due to delay from Telstra in releasing critical network information for all proponents of the FTTN NBN bid to examine, Senator Stephen Conroy was left with no alternative accept to extend the deadline for proposal submissions until 12 weeks after the information is released.

Telstra had recently provided some information on it's network, however it fell short of the comprehensive information needed. In response to Telstra's sluggish and uncooperative actions, the Government moved to introduce a bill into parliament which will force Telstra to disclose all the relevant network information that's required.

NBN bidders will have 12 weeks to examine network information

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced that parties participating in the National Broadband Network process will have 12 weeks to consider network information from the date all material is made available.

“In February, I wrote to carriers seeking the voluntary disclosure of network information. All carriers either have or are working towards providing this information in a timely manner and I welcome this cooperative approach,” Senator Conroy said.

“Telstra has provided some network information however despite its best efforts some information is not yet available.”

“The provision of network information is vital to allow potential proponents to build the network to compete on an equal basis.”

“The National Broadband Network represents this nation's single largest investment in broadband infrastructure. It is important that interested parties have adequate time to make use of information about existing infrastructure,” Senator Conroy said.

For this reason the Government will ensure potential proponents will have 12 weeks to consider network information before being required to lodge their proposals. The Government will amend the Request for Proposals to reflect this timetable.

Further information on the National Broadband Network and how to make a submission is available at www.dbcde.gov.au/nationalbroadbandnetwork

source: minister.dbcde.gov.au

TERRiA Firma - G9 adopt new name

Ronnie — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:18:00 GMT

Although not made from earth, the name TERRiA is rock solid and has been adopted (less the Firma of course) as the new name for the group of carriers formerly known as the 'G9' (or should I say the G8).

The consortium is made up from Optus, AAPT, iiNet, Internode, Primus, Macquarie Telecom, SOUL and TransACT with the the ninth member 'PowerTel' now owned by AAPT, and to avoid further discrepencies down the track, it makes timely sense that the group come up with the new name of TERRiA.

Michael Egan recently announced the new name, which is a contraction of 'Terra Australis', and said that it also phonetically the same as a terrier which eludes to tenacity and energy. TERRiA also took the opportunity by saying they will develop a structurally separated model, however, had not yet responded to the current version of the NBN RFP.

"We ...like the fact that it's phonetically the same as terrier which hints at the energy and tenacity which will be needed to win the best communication outcome. In a word it sums up both our determination and the scale of the National Broadband Network with the commitment of coverage across the land."

source: itwire

Clearwire - Google Intel Comcast WIMAX Broadband

admin — Tue, 20 May 2008 01:02:00 GMT

If the U.S. is a yardstick for things to come in the Telecommunication sector, than XOHM WiMAX Wireless Broadband could be 'it' for Australian Mobile Networks down the track.

Comcast, Intel and Google recently contributed around $3 billion to deploy a WiMAX mobile Internet Network in Chicago among other regions, and for these 'big boys' to show this much commitment, theres obviously some kind of potential behind the technology.

WiMAX (or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is still currently a questionable standard of telecommunications technology that supposedly offers uninterrupted broadband wireless Internet access to subscribers anywhere in that respective area. Mobile Phones, Personal Computers and other forms of communication devices are all compatible with WiMAX and unlike the WiFi standard, it apparently offers greater coverage and quality of service.

For the time being though, all eyes will be on Chicago as it embraces WiMAX as a Broadband alternative, and although it mightn't be the preferred option for all Broadband users out there, it will certainly be closely monitored by many for it's potential as a mainstream Wireless alternative of the future.

Source: Suntime.com

Advance Broadband Fair

Ronnie — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:49:00 GMT

There appears to be no stopping the war over Broadband in Australia with a group of ten leading Australia ISP's taking out a full page newspaper advertisement to promote their new website 'fairgobroadband.com.au'. The new site basically takes a shot at potential Telstra pricing if it were to win the National Broadband Network bid.

AAPT, iiNet, Internode, Macquarie Telecom, Optus, PowerTel, Primus, Soul, Telarus and TransAct are the ISP's who are leading the charge against Telstra and the push on fair pricing for Broadband. Their new site has a very limited menu interface but does in fact have a petition form so that you can voice your concerns to the Government over pricing for the new NBN along with links to a coinciding PDF; a respective speech by Optus CEO Paul O'Sullivan; and a link to the 'Tell the Truth Telstra' site. It appears that these sites, and information on such, have been brought about and developed specifically to counteract in what's been described as the 'Telstra Propaganda' website 'Nowwearetalking.com.au'.

There is a clear and present danger that in its rush to roll out the National Broadband Network (NBN), the Government will give away critical competition and consumer safeguards. This would see Telstra regain its monopoly control of fixed line voice and broadband; drive much higher broadband prices; and in turn keep broadband usage well below its potential. Such an outcome would see Australia fail to secure the true benefits of broadband.

Visit or register your concern by visiting http://www.fairgobroadband.com.au/