Despite the Japanese government’s efforts to promote competitive FTTx services in the country, broadband operator Softbank is abandoning its fibre ambitions.

Optus is set to boost its satellite capacity over Australia by a third with the announcement that a new bird will launch in mid-August. The Optus D3 satellite has been in production several years and will finally launch from Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana next month – with Optus already planning for new HDTV services and a possible NBN role.

Fixed-line ISPs are considering new WIMAX builds and could potentially share infrastructure in small towns as government-subsidised backhaul links to regional Australia are built. While access-seeker ISPs universally applauded the federal government’s $250m tender for six new fibre transmission routes, carriers are holding out on investment commitments until a business case is assured.

Chinese vendors Huawei Technologies and ZTE have not only shaken up the global mobile infrastructure market, but are also taking share from domestic rivals.

Research firm Infonetics says that the two companies have been the main benefactors of China’s 3G roll out, pushing the global market share of both companies up in the global mobile infrastructure market.

The Federal government’s $250 million backhaul programme will cost around $1,000 per person served – and benefit two of Labor’s three most marginal seats.

The two companies responsible for deploying and operating Singapore’s planned national FTTP network have provided extensive new details on how they plan to encourage uptake of the offering. The strategy will be of intense interest to NBN planners in regional markets such as Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia.

Grahame Lynch has raised some valid questions in relation to who is influencing the government and, as a result, telecommunications policy. Our government appears determined to invest up to $43 billion in a brand new telecoms utility that will deploy FTTH broadband infrastructure to homes across Australia.

For those wanting to get some more understanding of the thinking, assumptions and vision behind the Federal Government’s FTTP National Broadband Network plans, then I have a suggestion. Go and read what Paul Budde, the telecoms researcher-cum-industry activist has to say about the subject.

Access Economics’ Telstra-commissioned broadband economics analysis last week may have been pilloried as another piece of self-interested propaganda, but its flaws notwithstanding, it is a very valuable addition  to the high-speed broadband debate.

Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie has some interesting challenges in the months ahead, but the easy one is hiring a new chief executive officer. There is a wealth of candidates –internal and external, local and foreign – to fill the shoes of the departing Sol Trujillo.

There's an unpleasant truth about the three remaining main NBN proponents: none of them have secured the capital to fund their bids and the frontrunner hasn't even confirmed its major equity partner, says Grahame Lynch  

Pipe Networks has saved its PPC-1 cable project after its international subsidiary signed a MoU with PPC-1 system supplier Tyco Telecom and a "key customer" that should pave the way for completion finance.