It’s been a busy week for the Australian government, first they found the infrastructure they needed for their $43 billion national broadband project, then they knocked out their biggest competitor Telstra by announcing the purchase of their entire copper cable network for $11 billion.

The $11 billion deal must still pass shareholder and regulator approval, but given what’s at stake those plans should move forward.

By taking over the network the Australian government can make room for their 100Mbps National Broadband Network (NBN) while migrating customers to the new platform.

The move also makes Telstra a smaller player in the landline market, however they have announced “written confirmation from the Prime Minister” to bid on a part of the countries hard to obtain LTE spectrum which should extend their reach in the wireless market.

Telstra To Receive $11 Billion From Australia For Entire Copper Network is a post from: The Inquisitr

Optus, Australia’s second largest telco has today confirmed that it will upgrade its network to offer 100mbps internet, matching a similar commitment from Telstra in November.

Optus will spend AU$25 million upgrading its HFC network in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to Docsis 3.0 by mid next year, bringing 100mbps internet access to 1.4 million households. Notably Telstra’s commitment was only to switch on Docsis 3.0 in Melbourne, where it had previously rolled out capacity but had delayed completing the upgrade following the Federal Government’s announcement of the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Optus is telling the media that it hopes to sell its network into the NBN if and when the Government is ready, although CEO Paul O’Sullivan told News Ltd papers that “we don’t require [a sale] and we don’t need it,” indicating that Optus would be more than happy to retain the assets and compete against the NBN.

The entry of two 100mbps networks into Australia’s largest markets creates a serious challenge to the viability of the NBN, unless the Government comes to terms in acquiring the existing networks. Optus may be favorable but Telstra is saying that it would fight any forced acquisition in the courts, a process that could bog down progression on the NBN for years.

Those years, added to the NBN completion date of 2018 for a 100mbps network, can and will only provide further opportunities for new players to enter the space and offer similar networks, or as the technology becomes available, superior networks, before the NBN can even get to market. The viability of an NBN is reliant on huge take up rates that many experts agree could only be achieved in the absence of any serious competition.

Second Australian Telco To Roll Out 100mpbs Internet: NBN Looking Shakier By The Day is a post from: The Inquisitr

Australia’s biggest telco, and previous monopoly player has finally announced that they will switch on their 100mbps FTN network, a huge FU to the Australian Governments National Broadband Network.

The Fibre to Node Network, which was rolled out in Melbourne in 2008 but delayed to customers following the Australian Government’s announcement of a National Broadband Network (NBIN) is believed to pass over 1 million homes in the Melbourne metropolitan area.

As part of the role out, Telstra unveiled a PVR box to compliment its link in to Foxtel.

It’s not clear yet as to how much Melbourne people will pay to connect at 100mbps, but given previous Telstra pricing, it wont come cheap. Still, 100mbps…god it’s tempting.

Telstra Sends Epic FU To NBN, Annouces Switch On For 100mbs FTN is a post from: The Inquisitr

Leslie Nassar, best known as Australia’s most popular Twitter satirist for his parody of controversial Australian censorship Minister Stephen Conroy, has been fired by his employer Telstra.

The rise and fall of Fake Stephen Conroy (FSC) has gripped both the Australian online community, and even the mainstream press since Nassar was outed 10 days ago. Telstra claimed that it wouldn’t fire Nassar for the account, and initially claimed that they hadn’t ordered the FSC account closed down, when indeed they had.

Nassar posted to the FSC account that Telstra had fired him not for the Twitter account, but for a post to his Department of Internets blog where he pokes fun at a media report that suggested that he would be an ideal candidate for CEO of Telstra, and also jokes about Telstra’s internet service Bigpond selling music. Technicalities, but no doubt they were waiting for the opportunity.

“I’ve fired for contravening Telstra’s AWA (Australian Workplace Agreement) that mandates that you don’t criticize Telstra — ever — even in jest” said Nassar.

As I’ve noted elsewhere, being fired from Telstra can be good for your resume, and Nassar can and will go on to bigger and better things.

Update: Telstra claims that it hasn’t sacked FSC, but is taking disciplinary action against him. Nassar now claims that he hasn’t formally been sacked in one media outlet, but has been in another. Meat loaf through a straw….

Fake Stephen Conroy sacked by Telstra is a post from: The Inquisitr

Australia’s largest telco Telstra have today announced that they they will be upgrading their existing hybrid fibre broadband network to 100Mbps.

The first city to get a complete rollout will be Melbourne, who should have access via Telstra’s cable network by Christmas.

Now as someone who lives in Melbourne, naturally I’m excited by the idea, and I know I’m on their cable network (even if I don’t use it). The problem is that coming from Telstra, there’s one thing for sure: it’s going to be expensive, probably prohibitively so, at least at first.

If Telstra prices it at the high end, but doesn’t go overboard, the flow on effects could be huge for the rest of the Australian market. A 100mbps plan at around the $100-$150 AUD mark ($66-$100 USD) would put severe pressure on existing service providers to come in cheaper with their slower products. For example, I pay $129.99 AUD ($83 USD) per month now to iiNet for an ADSL 2+ service that promises up to 24mpbs, but in practice gets 13 mpbs on a good day (it does however have a generous download limit.)

The biggest damage Telstra’s rollout will have is to the Australian Government’s National Broadband Network proposal, which is still yet to be awarded, let alone rolled out. The plan focused on providing “broadband” speeds of a minimum of 12mbps to most of Australia. Given a choice in the cities of 100mbps, or regional and country areas who are increasingly already getting access to ADSL 2 speeds already, who in their right mind is going to use the new Government subsidized network?

The irony is that Telstra said less than 12 months ago that it wasn’t economical to roll out a high speed network without Government support. Now they’re just going to kill the NBN. I’m no Telstra fan, but points yet again for predatory business practices. Although most of us probably won’t be able to afford it, having boasting rights to the network will be welcomed by many Australians as well

(hat tip: TechWired Australia)

Australian cities to get 100mbps broadband. Bad news: it’s being offered by Telstra is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Australian White Pages, published by Telstra subsidiary Sensis, has a rather interesting way of categorizing the Catholic Church: under magic shop.

A search for “magic shop” under businesses in Queensland returns the primary listing for the Catholic Church, along with all the instances of the church in the state.

While the atheist in me immediately finds this amusing, and an accurate description, I doubt somehow that the Catholic Church will.

(thx to MR for the tip)

Sensis White Pages lists Catholic Church under magic shop is a post from: The Inquisitr

Australia’s biggest telecommunications firm Telstra (think AT&T, but more evil) has joined Twitter.

The BigPond Twitter account sees Telstra’s internet service become available for the first time to monitor and respond to user concerns. It’s great in theory, but Alister Cameron points out, the responses so far are so canned that they could have only been made by a bot.

Sadly, despite employing Australian podcaster Cameron Reilly as an adviser, Telstra can do little right in social media. It’s great to see them on Twitter, but they way they’ve done it makes them a laughing stock yet again. Their previous efforts to join Web 2.0 included firing the first blogger on Now We’re Talking who actually dared speak the truth and didn’t tow the company line.

Australia’s biggest telco joins Twitter: Hi Telstra Bot is a post from: The Inquisitr