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.

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.

A Melbourne-based startup is seeking to redefine the way people use the web – and has already gained the attention of the US military. Melbourne-based VastPark unveiled its collaboration software of the same name at Communicasia, which creates ‘virtual worlds’ for users to work in with a mesh of voice, video and document manipulation.       

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.

I’ve sat on the sidelines of the NBN discussion, listening to the arguments from many supporting NBN 2.0, that is FTTP to 90% of Australia. I am pleased to say I am a supporter of this goal. Now is as good a time as any to start the spreading of fibre deep into the community and connecting up homes, businesses and government directly, writes Bevan Slattery.