The government yesterday laid down AU$8 million for the next year to fill mobile phone black spots on sections of highway as well as selected towns in WA and NT.
It's not at all quiet on the fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) network front, as telcos lodge their submissions on regulatory issues for the AU$4.7 billion national broadband network (NBN) and the Liberal party throws a spanner in the works by starting an inquiry into the government's handling of the network tender.
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.
With hardware commitments for schools in place, Minister for Education Julia Gillard has now announced funding to train teachers up on how to use their new kit.
Open source might get a better look-in within government, says Senator Kate Lundy, if those responsible for purchasing decisions were forced by policy to evaluate all the options on the market.
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.
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.
The Federal Government has abandoned plans to grant law enforcement agencies unfettered freedom to intercept communications from multiple devices that are not listed in a warrant, yielding to pressure exerted by the privacy lobby.
Senator Conroy says the proposed national broadband network will rival the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme in terms of scale and significance.
Opposition Communications spokesperson Bruce Billson has said the Coalition will attempt to block the Federal government's proposed use of the AU$2 billion Communications Fund to build its national FTTN network in the Senate.
Ahead of the election, with promises for nationwide broadband networks and digital revolutions in schools, the ICT industry could hope the government was on their side. But now the glamour of a sparkling new government has worn off, how ICT-friendly is the Rudd government really?
An analysis by representatives of Australia's two largest IT industry groups shows that neither political party in the federal election has come up with a comprehensive policy around technology.
With only weeks to go to the election, how are the main parties shaping up on their tech promises?
Intel will announce the release the long-awaited--and oft-delayed--Itanium processor in the US at the end of May, according to sources, and most computer companies plan unveil their products around the same time.
Might I suggest that the government, which so far has handled the issue with kid gloves, take a chance for once and reach over and just pull the digital TV plug?
Post-election adrenaline surging through his veins, one of the first acts performed by new Communications Minister Stephen Conroy was to disband the expert panel that his predecessor Helen Coonan had appointed last June to evaluate tenders for fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) construction.
Much has been made of Telstra's decision to finally stop holding Australia to ransom, and to actually turn on the ADSL2+ equipment it has installed in what is apparently over 900 of its exchanges around the country.
As Christmas roars in upon us and the Rudds, Trujillos, and Conroys of the world hang their Christmas stockings, everybody is casting an eye to 2008 and the changes it will bring.
As expected, Senator Stephen Conroy -- who made a career out of picking holes in the actions of his predecessor Helen Coonan -- was named to Kevin Rudd’s front bench, bearing the interesting new title of Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (BCDE).
One of the real dangers of election season -- for politicians, at least -- is being held to their word.
Well, here we are. After years of bluster, measured progress and loads of annoyance, Australia's broadband users head to the polls on Saturday with a score to settle.
Finally, after months of the Clintons posting Sopranos-style satires and Obama Girl grabbing the headlines during the American presidential race, Australian politicians have switched on to the power of the Internet.
Today I'm taking a dip into the most interesting patents -- and patently silly ideas -- and what manner of messed-up services may be coming to your handset before too long, including the fertility phone, smellophone and Feng Shui phone.
Buzz Report: How to get your girlfriend to answer her cell phone
This week in Buzz, a magic device for getting women to answer their cell phones, NASA has a leak, and MTV gets… Watch it now
Australian Customs CIO Murray Harrison dislikes SLAs and runs away if a vendor talks to him about innovation. In this interview, he also explains why getting excited about gadgets can be dangerous and talks about how Customs' outsourcing strategy has evolved.
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