In what is perhaps the most detailed cost-benefit analysis of a national FTTH network yet attempted the OECD has concluded that cost savings of between 0.5 and 1.5 percent over 10 years across the four key sectors of an economy: electricity, health, transportation and education could justify the cost of such a network, but it says each house should have a dedicated fibre connection, or possibly two!

Despite suggestions by some politicians that wireless technology could deliver broadband across Australia, an executive at one of the potential equipment suppliers to the NBN says "fibre is the answer". And that's coming from a company with products for the major fixed and wireless communications technologies.

Hot on the heels of the news of Telstra’s slightly cheaper new broadband plans came the news that the legislative reforms intended to break up Telstra haven’t passed by the end of the year as expected, and has now been delayed until next year – giving Telstra more time to try and do a favourable deal with the Federal Government.

Communications Alliance has released a paper proposing a definition for wholesale ethernet services to be provided by the National Broadband Network and other broadband infrastructures.  

The National Broadband Network (NBN) could become a technological platform for innovation by Australian companies, according to a senior executive at a leading professional services firm.

Communications provider TransACT will upgrade its system to deliver IPTV to customers. The company's fibre network covers Canberra and Queanbeyan.

Stephen Conroy, Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, has branded his Opposition counterpart "a complete Luddite." The Opposition continues to delay telecommunications reform legislation.

Communications Alliance has released a discussion paper setting out a draft of its vision of the NBN network architecture: a vision that it says would be required to deliver a broad range of network, application and content services to end users.

Australia's ICT trade deficit grew to $A28 billion in 2008, according to a report by the Australian Computer Society (ACS). Although exports rose, imports grew more.

The Governments of Australia's three largest states have been touting their respective credentials as the optimum location for the headquarters of the NBN Co in the belief that it will bring significant employment and other financial benefits, but comments made by NBN Co executive chairman, Mike Quigley, suggest that the organisation could have several capital city offices of roughly equal importance.