Telephone companies have yet again announced inflation-busting increases in telephone line rental charges. Why, in a world that is increasingly mobile-first – or even mobile-only – are we still paying…
Telstra’s existing customers will be asked to help provide most of the new Wi-Fi hotspots.
AAP Image/Joel Carrett
Telstra’s plans to rollout Australia’s largest Wi-Fi network over the next five years involves asking existing customers to allow part of their broadband connection to be used as hotspots. More than two…
Is the government sending signals on the speed of broadband Australians should accept?
Steven Depolo/Flickr
In their cost-benefit analysis of the national broadband network, the Vertigan panel predicts that in 2023, an average Australian household will require a broadband download speed of 15 megabits per second…
Shifting from one policy to another has disrupted the NBN rollout, so how does NBN Co report its progress?
Floris van Lint/Flickr
NBN Co, tasked with building the National Broadband Network (NBN), yesterday released its 2014 Annual Report, showing a three-fold increase in activated premises (210,000 up from 70,000) and a doubling…
Australia has chosen not to rely on market forces for ubiquitous broadband.
Kirk Lau/Flickr
A recent piece in The Conversation suggested that for “top broadband policy” the Australian government should look to Canada. Many observers of the development of Canada’s broadband infrastructure would…
The Great White North is about as similar to Australia as any other country … so why don’t we follow their lead?
Winston Wong/Flickr
You might have seen communications minister Malcolm Turnbull raising the issue about Australian press not discussing policy problems and solutions from overseas, in a speech delivered at the Lowy Institute…
As important as gas, electricity and water.
Andrew Matthews/PA
Crumbling, outdated infrastructure means many British readers are likely to access this article through a decades-old copper wire. Given how much modern life – or economic activity, if you will – happens…
Private investment needed for future of highspeed broadband network.
AAP/Lukas Coch
The Abbott Government’s first federal budget has allocated funds for capital investment into the National Broadband Network (NBN) to continue up to 2017-18 but with a cap of A$29.5 billion. This falls…
Looking for fast broadband? Here, read this report.
Stefan Postles/AAP
Nobody can ever state with certainty how much it will cost or how long it will take to deliver broadband services to more than 22 million people spread out over 7.6 million square kilometres. Even more…
Malcolm Turnbull says Labor’s NBN would have cost $73 billion, but his version is also likely to be billions of dollars over budget.
Alan Porritt/AAP
With unwavering confidence Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull unveiled the consultants report showing Labor’s ambitious plan to provide fibre–to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband to the vast majority…
Businesses, government organisations and individuals are not currently well prepared to take advantage of faster broadband, according to the CSIRO.
Flickr/HD Zimmermann
Broadband access and coverage may have increased across the country, but businesses aren’t investing in the required skills to facilitate innovation, technology leaders heard today. The launch of the Australian…
New research from the Centre for Broadband Innovation explores what’s required to get more businesses online.
Lukas Coch/AAP
As the debate about the type of broadband infrastructure Australia is investing in rolls on, the really big question concerns the extent to which Australians will benefit from this investment. This is…
The BT van is taking its sweet time and some are tired of waiting.
Loopzilla
While broadband internet services get faster and faster for some, there are communities in the UK that are not fully benefiting from the technology. It has recently become clear that many communities in…
The vision of a fibre-to-the-home National Broadband Network continues for some.
J e n s
Australian social media users and civil society groups are mobilising against Coalition communications spokesperson Malcolm Turnbull’s implication today that democracy has spoken through the election process…
A disparity exists between media representations and public perceptions of the NBN.
Flood
It goes without saying that the National Broadband Network (NBN) – regardless of who steers the rest of the build – is a major infrastructure project for Australia. And we all know its cost, technical…
What good is a smoke alarm if it goes off when you’re not home?
Jenn Durfey
Ever been woken in the wee hours by the bip-bip-bip of a smoke alarm that wants its batteries changed? App developer Marcus Schappi had, and he saw a way to use broadband technology to fix it. “When smoke…
There are two visions for the National Broadband Network, but what are the long-term costs?
Lukas Coch/AAP
Consumers know well that buying a cheaper product often costs more in the long term when the cheaper product has to be replaced. This is true of the Coalition’s vision for the National Broadband Network…
Foxtel and the NBN … why all the noise of late?
Gaye Gerard/AAP
No-one would describe News Corp Australia’s view on the National Broadband Network (NBN) as rosy. But if it’s true the company has engaged in repeated attacks on the government because it “hates” its network…
We factcheck Malcolm Turnbull and Anthony Albanese on this week’s Q&A program.
UPDATED: We were inundated with ideas for statements to check from Monday night’s Q&A on ABC TV. Here, our experts tackle four claims on three of the most requested topics. 1. Anthony Albanese: claims…
Still waiting to load the hamster dance…
Scorpians and Centaurs
The National Audit Office has warned that the government is two years behind schedule in its plan to bring broadband to 44 rural areas by 2015. It now looks like only nine of these areas will be linked…
Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Deputy Dean Research at Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne