Broadband - Wireless - News

Vodafone: No 'dollar-a-day' broadband for Aussies

Vodafone New Zealand has launched a new "dollar-a-day" mobile broadband service, but the carrier's Australian office has told users not to hold their breath for a similar deal here.

18/06/2008 10:04 AM

Sydney's free Wi-Fi plans scrapped

The NSW government has scrapped plans to offer free Wi-Fi in Sydney, citing spiralling costs and overseas failures for killing the project.

02/05/2008 01:11 PM

Conroy kills $1bn OPEL rural broadband contract

The federal government has cancelled the contract for Optus and Elders to build a WiMAX broadband network, the companies say.

02/04/2008 12:40 PM

Free Wi-Fi set to go full-time at Sydney libraries

Over the past four weeks, the City of Sydney Council has been trialling the provision of free Wi-Fi services in its libraries. With only a fortnight to go before the hotspots are switched off, a spokesperson has said that users won't have long to wait before access becomes a permanent fixture.

20/02/2008 12:43 PM

Telstra Next G jumping to 21Mbps in 2008

Telstra has revealed that it will be increasing the speeds of its Next G network to 21Mbps by the end of this year -- creating what it claims will be the fastest mobile service in the world.

12/02/2008 01:22 PM

Intel CEO predicts a more personalised Internet

In the future, Intel chief executive Paul Otellini predicts Internet services will be more proactive, predictive and context aware.

10/01/2008 12:31 PM

Vodafone takes high-speed 3G to the bush

Vodafone has announced a New Year's resolution that will be music to the ears of long-suffering regional mobile phone users -- promising to spend up to AU$500 million on a next generation mobile broadband network that will cover some 95 percent of the Australian population by Christmas 2008.

12/12/2007 12:10 PM

3 slashes mobile broadband prices for Christmas

3 has slashed the cost of its mobile data packages in time for Christmas, which now puts the carrier in line with rivals Vodafone and Optus, both of which announced similar deals last week.

07/12/2007 01:49 PM

Vodafone and Optus in mobile broadband war

Mobile broadband is taking a price dive this Christmas, with Vodafone and Optus trotting out low priced plans with high download quotas. But Telstra says its competitors' networks are too slow and offer limited coverage.

01/12/2007 12:31 PM

WiMax joins the 3G gang

WiMax has effectively been folded into 3G's future development, after the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) decision to include it in the IMT-2000 set of standards.

23/10/2007 01:17 PM

Telstra doubles Next G speeds

Telstra has doubled the speed users can expect on its Next G mobile network, with the launch of new hardware capable of a theoretical maximum downlink of 7.2Mbps.

25/09/2007 11:25 AM

Telstra: No 14.4Mbps devices for Next G

Telstra has revealed that no 14.4Mbps devices will be available for its Next G network -- instead the telco will leapfrog from 7.2Mbps hardware straight to kit capable of delivering speeds in the "early 20s".

30/08/2007 12:06 PM

Mini mobile broadband laptops coming soon

The mobile industry is already in talks with hardware manufacturers about creating smaller, cheaper laptops which come with embedded high speed mobile broadband connectivity.

30/08/2007 10:32 AM

Telstra cans Wi-Fi hotspot plans in Next G push

Telstra has cancelled subscription plans for its urban wireless hotspots as it continues to push business customers towards its Next G data and voice network.

29/08/2007 11:55 AM

Virgin tweaks 3G network to fix broadband issues

Virgin Mobile has patched its 3G network in the hope of fixing connection issues experienced by customers of its wireless broadband service.

23/08/2007 10:23 AM

HSPA to pip WiMax in mobile broadband battle?

High-speed packet access (HSPA) and not WiMax is set to dominate mobile broadband in the coming years -- if hardware makers get behind the technology.

13/08/2007 03:18 PM

'Beaten Telstra's court bid is sour grapes': Coonan

Communications Minister Helen Coonan has hit back at Telstra, accusing the telco of sour grapes, after it announced it had filed suit against her over its failed bid for some AU$1 billion of WiMax funding.

06/08/2007 01:09 PM

Telstra takes Coonan to court over WiMax funds

Telstra has lodged a complaint against the Communications Minister Helen Coonan over the funding of the AU$1 billion WiMax network intended to bring broadband to bush users across Australia.

06/08/2007 01:09 PM

Austar backs off broadband in WiMax waiting game

Austar has cooled its interest in a broadband rollout but hopes WiMax business models will evolve soon, according to the company's CEO.

06/08/2007 01:08 PM

Virgin gets into broadband with 3G plan

Virgin Mobile has revealed a shift into broadband with the launch of a new plan that will offer data and fixed-line phone style services over 3G.

26/07/2007 05:36 PM

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Telstra unveils T[Life] Melbourne

Telstra has thrown the covers off three new stores in Melbourne including the company's largest retail outlet located in the heart of Melbourne's CBD.
Vodafone: No 'dollar-a-day' broadband for Aussies

Vodafone New Zealand has launched a new "dollar-a-day" mobile broadband service, but the carrier's Australian office has told users not to hold their breath for a similar deal here.
ISPs: Govt porn filters 'could cripple internet'

Broadband providers Internode and iiNet have hit out against the Federal government's ISP-level content filtering initiative — a scheme that could cripple Australia's high-speed internet access, according to one exec.
Conroy gives rural ISPs guidance on bush broadband

Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy has issued a new set of guidelines for ISPs servicing rural and regional Australia, on the back of the Federal government's decision to extend the Australian Broadband Guarantee as part of last Tuesday's budget.
ISP filtering to get Fed govt subsidy: Budget 08

ISPs will be granted a one-off government subsidy towards the cost of installing filtering technology as part of the Rudd government's AU$125.8 million cybersafety plan.
Rural broadband guarantee extended till 2012

The government has extended its subsidy to help rural Australians establish a broadband connection by four years.
Broadband network big ticket item in budget

Senator Conroy says the proposed national broadband network will rival the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme in terms of scale and significance.
Sydney's free Wi-Fi plans scrapped

The NSW government has scrapped plans to offer free Wi-Fi in Sydney, citing spiralling costs and overseas failures for killing the project.
Conroy kills $1bn OPEL rural broadband contract

The federal government has cancelled the contract for Optus and Elders to build a WiMAX broadband network, the companies say.

More news »

Photos: T[Life] Melbourne

Telstra's new T[Life] store in Melbourne is glossy and enormous, and those south-of-the-border should count themselves lucky. Everyone else we bring you a virtual walk through.
Photos: Annoying hardware, a rogues' gallery

Hardware may be less 'in your face' than software, but it can still ruin your day. We've listed our main bugbears: let us know if you agree.
Getting Steamed: digital distribution for games isn't there yet

Online distribution should be world-wide, and yet we're still thinking inside old market models.
Around the world in.... WiMax

WiMax, the controversial long range wireless broadband technology, is set to spread across rural Australia from next year -- but despite the outgoing Howard government's ambitious project, both fixed and mobile variants of the technology are already being deployed around the world.
Australian Federal Election 2007: a CNET.com.au guide

This Saturday's federal election promises to be the most exciting in at least a decade. If you're undecided as to who to vote for or just can't wait until the first results dribble through, there's a plethora of ways to stay informed.
Photos: Australian broadband coverage

With a fierce battle raging over Australia's broadband future and how bush users should be connected, regulators have weighed in to produce a state of nation report into the country's communications infrastructure and how well consumers are being served by their providers.
Mobile broadband cranks it up: HSDPA data cards compared

High-speed mobile broadband has arrived! We compare Telstra's BigPond Wireless Next G service, Vodafone's HSDPA-enhanced 3G network and 3's new NetConnect ExpressCard.
Speed up your Web downloads

When it comes to the Internet, speed is everything. Here are some top downloads that can help your Web speed blaze.
Best of CeBIT Australia 2006

CeBIT Australia attracted around 30,000 people last week to its computer expo at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. Here are our top picks from what we saw and CNET.com.au's CeBIT 2006 People's Choice Award the best consumer product or service.

More features »

Oi!: 3's wire-free USB

3 Mobile's HSDPA broadband modems have shrugged off the shackles of a wired connection and been given a sleek-looking makeover in the process.
Oi!: 3 bundles mobiles with broadband

3 Mobile bundles capped mobile plans with mobile broadband and very nearly gives us what we want.
Oi!: Christmas Karma

If you want to shop online for a socially responsible gift, try something new called Karma Currency, Australia's first charity gift voucher.
Oi!: Mardi Gras announces $10 parade webcast

Instant toilet access, cheap drinks, no teetering on the top of a stack of upturned milk crates that you've just bought from an enterprising young chap at Hyde Park. Tempting way to watch Sydney's Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras parade?
Oi!: ReelTime movies: yours for keeps

Universal and ReelTime have paired up to launch Australia's first download-to-own movie service.

More oi! »

Optus beefs up Wi-Fi hotspot coverage

Optus has signed an agreement with Azure Wireless that will see customers of the Singapore Telecommunications-owned carrier gain access to an additional 450 WiFi hotspots.
Boxing Day launch for Unwired laptop card

Sydney wireless carrier Unwired plans to start selling a long-awaited PCMCIA card version of its broadband modem for laptops on Boxing Day.
3 boosts Sydney mobile speeds

Hutchison has upgraded the data speeds available through its 3 mobile network, in Sydney metropolitan areas.
Coonan talks tough on Telstra CDMA

Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan has again warned that Telstra must not jeopardise CDMA coverage to customers in regional and rural areas as the telco prepares to switch off the network in favour of its third generation mobile network.
Optus promises nationwide HSDPA by June

The nation's number two telco Optus has pledged to upgrade the data speed of its entire third-generation (3G) national mobile network by the end of May 2007.
12Mbps wireless broadband for rural Oz: govt

The government has revealed how its new plan will tackle broadband blackspots in both metropolitan and rural areas using WiMax.
New Wi-Fi distance record: 382 kilometers

Researcher Ermanno Pietrosemoli has set what appears to be a new record for the longest communication link with Wi-Fi.
Coonan's 'equal opportunity' broadband

The details of a scheme that promises the most far-flung Aussies a chance to get the same broadband as their city-dwelling cousins have been unveiled
City dwellers get Vodafone speed bump

Vodafone has rolled out HSDPA -- a higher speed version of 3G -- to a slew of new metropolitan areas in Australia, but rural users will have to wait for the same privilege.

Product finder

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Editors' choice

Telstra Next G Prepaid Broadband

Telstra's prepaid wireless broadband offering is good for casual browsers or those who'd rather avoid dodgy Net cafes, but beware — there's a pricing sting to be considered.
3 Mobile Broadband USB Modem

It's hard to say whether it's the hardware or the network at fault with 3's USB Mobile Broadband USB Modem. Either way, we're not impressed with what it offers.
3 NetConnect Mobile Broadband Card (HSDPA)

3's NetConnect mobile broadband card combines HSDPA speeds, compatibility with ExpessCard and PC Card laptop slots and exceptional pricing plans into a magic mobility mix.
Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G HSDPA USB Modem

Vodafone's compact USB modem boosts accessibility to the telco's high-speed 3G mobile network — but the speed can range from over 2Mbps to less than 300Kbps depending on your location.
BigPond Next G Wireless Broadband USB Mobile Card

Telstra's Next G USB modem pushes the wireless broadband needle past 2Mbps, making it a better choice than its sibling PC Card in most (but not all) situations.

More reviews »

Telstra Next G Prepaid Broadband

Telstra's prepaid wireless broadband offering is good for casual browsers or those who'd rather avoid dodgy Net cafes, but beware — there's a pricing sting to be considered.
3 Mobile Broadband USB Modem (HSDPA)

It's hard to say whether it's the hardware or the network at fault with 3's USB Mobile Broadband USB Modem. Either way, we're not impressed with what it offers.
3 Mobile Internet NetConnect Card

Those seeking a wireless "broadband anywhere" connection have another reliable option with the 3 Mobile Internet NetConnect Card, but the usual "subject to coverage area" caveats apply.
Telstra BigPond Wireless Broadband

As long as you're a metropolitan broadband user, Telstra BigPond Wireless Broadband delivers well, but it can't be said to be an inexpensive broadband option.
Optus Wireless Connect

Optus� combo PC Card ticks every box on the wireless menu, including 3G, GPRS and Wi-Fi, to serve road warriors with a smorgasbord of connectivity.

More popular reviews »

Vodafone Mobile Connect

Aggressive pricing, a slice of speed-boosting tech and a tempting 'unlimited' downloads plan puts Vodafone in pole position in the race for 3G datacard customers.

More editors' choice »

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Photo gallery

Photos: T[Life] Melbourne

Telstra's new T[Life] store in Melbourne is glossy and enormous, and those south-of-the-border should count themselves lucky. Everyone else we bring you a virtual walk through.
Photos: Annoying hardware, a rogues' gallery

Hardware may be less 'in your face' than software, but it can still ruin your day. We've listed our main bugbears: let us know if you agree.

More galleries »

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