Author Archive
Realising Our Broadband Future
Posted by Laurei in Australian Issues, Fiber to the Home National Broadband Network on December 5th, 2009
The Australian Department of Broadband, Communications, and the Digital Economy is holding a forum called Realising Our Broadband Future; We congratulate the government on taking a proactive democratic approach to the issue and involving many thinkers and doers in the process.
Everyone in Australia and many oversees will be affected by the NBN rollout and consequential policy and ideas, this is an event not to be missed if you have anything to add.
Multiple locations
The conference will be held in Sydney, with video streaming to multiple locations around the nation; discussion will be held in remote groups and contributions will be made to a wiki.
Speakers
Five streams of discussion
After various keynotes and discussions, from people from organisations such as Google, and ICANN the will divide into five groups
Smart infrastructure
Digital Education
e-Community
e-Health
e-Business
Once again the website is http://broadbandfuture.gov.au, if you can’t make it to Sydney, sign up to one near you.
Phone companies using bait and switch
Posted by Laurei in Guaranteed Communication Quality on November 29th, 2009
A recent interview on Twisted Wire about prepaid phone companies has highlighted an area of some concern;
It seems that a standard practice in the pre-paid phone card market is for companies to produce multiple cards under different brands, which, when initially released to market use premium “high quality” routes for call connection, and then gradually begin to use cheaper, lower quality routes when the card is popular with customers.
Of course, this is akin to bait and switch tactics, but without a standard of communication quality, this underhanded tactic seems legal.
Open Standards now a core principle
Posted by Laurei in Open Standards on November 29th, 2009
The Freedom of Communication project is now the home for TotalFair’s efforts towards open standards.
Keep network neutrality fresh
Posted by Laurei in Fiber to the Home National Broadband Network, Network Neutrality on September 6th, 2009
We’ve all heard about network neutrality haven’t we? We all know how important it is to the future of humanity?
Keep it fresh in your head.
Should the internet be free?
Posted by Laurei in Non-Profit Communications Infrastructure on July 6th, 2009
Supporting people’s right to communicate is the responsibility of all civil society. In December of 1948, the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . As the basis for much of today’s international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also addresses individuals’ right to communicate in Article 19:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Universal access to broadband connectivity supports this fundamental human right.
“Opposing views” has more debate at this link.
ACCC 2007 Comprehensive Guide to Broadband speeds.
Posted by Laurei in Australian Issues, Guaranteed Communication Speeds, Misleading Communications Quantities on June 29th, 2009
Below is a paper by the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumers Commission) for ISP’s about the trade practices act of 1974.
Comcast stacking the audience
Posted by Laurei in Network Neutrality, Peers, Save the Internet on June 29th, 2009
Transcript:
There was a huge turnout for a public hearing in Boston on the future of the internet, but when many citizens reached the door – they were turned away and left out in the cold. Why? Because the cable giant Comcast paid people like these to fill the seats, blocking out real citizens from the debate. They showed up 90 mins before the hearing began, and filled the room, with no Idea what the hearing was even about.
Bandwidth is misleading
Posted by Laurei in Misleading Communications Quantities on June 29th, 2009
Here is a primer on misleading bandwidth.
New calls to break up Telstra
Posted by Laurei in Australian Issues, Break up of telstra on June 29th, 2009
RIVALS have turned up the heat on Telstra by formally urging the Rudd Government to break it up.
Save the internet video
Posted by Laurei in Network Neutrality, Peers, Save the Internet on June 29th, 2009