The long-awaited cost-benefit analysis of the National Broadband Network suggests the days of politicians shooting from the hip with taxpayer dollars are numbered. As Labor’s NBN unfolds amid reviews and…
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…
The NBN has never shifted far from its Canberra masters.
Lukas Coch/AAP
In his independent audit of the public policy process behind the national broadband network, former Telstra director Bill Scales suggests there was never an internal debate about different technology options…
NBN Co is digging itself into a deeper hole.
Shutterstock
Has there ever been a bigger policy mess than the NBN? The latest claims are that NBN Co risks breaching Australia’s consumer law on the grounds of misleading and deceptive conduct. So how did it get to…
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…
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…
Workers install a fibre optic cable for the government’s National Broadband Network (NBN).
“At the current rate of roll-out, the National Broadband Network (NBN) won’t cover the whole country for 20 years.” – Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, National Press Club, 11 August. The above claim on the…
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…
What do the two broadband policies mean for regional Australia?
“If people want to access high-speed fibre, they will have to pay $5000 for the privilege… We believe that people in regions should pay the same price as people in Brisbane CBD or Sydney CBD. Under the…
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…
Talking technology: Coalition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Fox Sports’ John O'Sullivan.
AAP/Lloyd Jones
The federal Coalition’s new A$30 billion plan for “fast, affordable” broadband is a quick-fix strategy, which is likely to cost more and be less reliable long-term, according to experts. Launching the…
The ACCC has concerns over NBN Co’s wholesale pricing plans.
Yesterday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recommended that NBN Co revise its wholesale agreement — including proposals on pricing and access — as outlined in its special access…
Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivers a speech outlining Australia’s new National Security Strategy.
AAP
“The internet must remain open but also secure,” Prime Minister Julia Gillard said today, flagging plans for the development of a new Cyber Security Centre by the end of the year. Ms Gillard said with…
Are the people that live in remote areas any less important than those in urban areas?
rubenerd
The National Broadband Network (NBN) is an important nation-building project that’s being implemented at a time of fundamental change in the way we utilise services over the digital network. For most Australians…
Asian languages are important, but they should be one part of a greater focus on Asia in the curriculum.
Asian image from www.shutterstock.com
Despite the breadth of issues in the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper released this week, so far the debate has focused largely on language learning in schools. With fewer and fewer students…
Huawei board member John Brumby at Australia-China Business Week in August.
Huawei
The decision by the Australian government to ban Chinese technology giant Huawei from participating in tenders for the national broadband network has been somewhat vindicated, say experts, after a US congressional…
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says universities must adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by ubiquitous high-speed internet.
AAP
Australian universities need to adapt their education models or face becoming irrelevant says Communications Minister Stephen Conroy. Speaking at a forum being held at the University of Melbourne on high-speed…
NBN Co chairman Harrison Young says too few Australians have access to reliable high-speed broadband.
AAP
Affordability of broadband and encouraging its use by people with low incomes is a major issue for the National Broadband Network, say researchers from Swinburne University who have been researching the…
Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Deputy Dean Research at Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne