NBN: Does Telstra’s copper have any value?
Malcolm Turnbull reckons that in the context of the Coalition FTTN NBN plan, Telstra’s copper has no economic value. Hang on… isn’t it meant to be the last 600 metres or so of the entire network? Josh...
View ArticleNBN: iiNet drops top-tier satellite plan
There’s only a small proportion of Australians who sit under the satellite part of the current (and any future) NBN, and their plan options just got a little bit worse. Over at Gizmodo (where I’m guest...
View ArticleNBN 101: What you should know
There’s still a solid quantity of misunderstanding, misinformation and vitriol regarding the competing FTTP and FTTN proposals that form part of the current election campaign. Which factors are really...
View ArticleNBN: To have… or have not?
One of the key planks of a national broadband network should be implicit in the name — that it’s national. It looks like that’s not the way things are headed. One factor that’s bothered me about an...
View ArticleWill the NBN take another 20 years to complete?
Tony Abbott contends that the NBN in its current form will take 20 years to complete. How accurate is that? “At the current rate of roll-out, the National Broadband Network (NBN) won’t cover the whole...
View ArticleNBN: Is the copper busted?
The recent election result means that the NBN plan shifts to a copper-based FTTN solution. That relies on the copper as the last 500m or so of connectivity — but how good is that copper? It’s a very...
View ArticleTurnbull’s ‘agnostic’ approach could restore faith in the NBN
Will Malcolm Turnbull’s professed technology agnosticism equate to a better NBN? Yesterday, the new Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull, announced he had asked for the resignations of the...
View ArticleWhat do online speedtests really mean?
Pay for an internet service, and you’ll get a quote of speeds, typically up to an impressive sounding number. But what do those numbers mean? Over at the ABC’s Technology+Games portal, I’ve taken an...
View ArticleAre Dodo’s NBN plans good value?
Dodo’s pushed its beak into the NBN space, offering “unlimited” plans at low prices. But is there a catch? Unlimited NBN has for a while been something of a holy grail for broadband consumers. Not...
View ArticleNBN: Fibre zones slashed back
NBN Co has made sweeping changes to its rollout maps, removing a lot of information relating to future plans. In a lot of ways that’s no great surprise, given the change of government and proposed...
View ArticleNBN: FTTN will go slow, make less, be inadequate
The government FTTN plan for broadband is cited as “inadequate” and “unlikely to be completed on time” according to internal NBN Co reports. Image: Gavin St. Ours David Braue over at the SMH has a...
View ArticleNBN: No guarantee of 50Mbps services
The alternative touted to a full FTTP connection has been to use VDSL2 to deliver similar speeds. An internal NBN Co report suggests, however, that even half the current top FTTP tier couldn’t be...
View ArticleNBN: LTE-A is a friend, not a foe
There’s a lot being written right now about Telstra’s announcements that it’s hit 300Mbps with trials of LTE-A. It’s great from a mobile broadband perspective, but once again, hardly a death knell for...
View ArticleNBN: Now the National Broken Network
The strategic review into the operations of the NBN has delivered a number of surprises today, as well as painting an extremely bleak picture of the nation’s broadband future. Image: G Meyer In many...
View ArticleNBN: How will HFC work?
When the government announced its highly expensive revised NBN plan, there was a huge question mark over the use of HFC networks. Some of those questions have now been answered, at least in part....
View ArticleNBN strategic review and Microsoft tablets: Vertical Hold – Episode 3, 2013
Vertical Hold tackles the contentious NBN Strategic review and ponders why people aren’t buying Windows 8 tablets in droves. Vertical Hold is the joint effort of Australian technology journalists Alex...
View ArticleNBN: Turnbull fights back against “Twitter Outrage”
Malcolm Turnbull has struck back at the backlash against comments he made on Twitter, accusing social media of “craziness” surrounding broadband issues. The response from the instigator of this mess...
View ArticleThe NBN Is Dead: Vertical Hold – Episode 11 2014
A special on the future of the NBN — not that there seems to be much of a future for the NBN to speak of — in the latest episode of Vertical Hold. Vertical Hold is the joint effort of Australian...
View ArticleNBN: The CBA continues the game of political football
The long-awaited Cost Benefit Analysis into the NBN is out, and to no great surprise it’s rather solidly in favour of the Coalition MTM model. There are problems with some Continue Reading → The post...
View ArticleNBN benefits regional centres, but rural Australia is still left wanting
What are the experiences of users in the fixed wireless and satellite areas of the NBN? Are they being adequately provided for? Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull reiterated the importance of...
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