Archive for April, 2009

The Federal Government has scrapped the controversial broadband tender process and will instead form a new public/private company to build a national network, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced.

Unveiling the surprise plan today, Mr Rudd described the $43 billion fibre-to-the-home scheme as the single largest infrastructure project in the country’s history and said it would create 25,000 jobs a year during construction, with 37,000 in the busiest year.

Mr Rudd said the scheme was essential to boost long-term economic growth and set a path for the country’s economic recovery from the global financial crisis.

Source and full story at www.abc.net.au

Three cheers for planning for the future!

This news has us all excited. Not only will this allow home users to break the speed barrier Australians have had to endure for over a decade – it also allows more competition in the marketplace in regards to ISP services to homes and basic hosting plans in Australia.

We wish the Tasmanians all the best, as they’ll be the first to receive this FTTH, and to let us know what it’s like to transfer data at warp speed.

Now if we could only get the Federal Government to drop that whole backwards thinking internet filter idea…

Hewlett Packard has settled with Australian peak research body Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) over its US wireless patent.

“CSIRO can confirm that a settlement has been reached with Hewlett Packard company in relation to the wireless patent case,” spokesperson Huw Morgan told ZDNet.com.au.

The organisation was restrained from saying anything further due to confidentiality arrangements and the ongoing litigation with 13 remaining computer and networking companies. HP’s settlement figure was undisclosed.

The CSIRO first applied for the US patent in 1993 and was awarded it in 1996 under US patent 5,487,069. However, troubles began following Cisco Systems’ acquisition of Radiata from Macquarie University, which it had carried out for the purpose of commercialising CSIRO’s technology, which forms a key component of commonly used Wi-Fi products.

*Read the full story at ZDNET*

Source: www.zdnet.com.au

Well finally the CSIRO’s contribution to the online world is recognised – even a little.

When will the other companies follow suit and settle with the CSIRO? Understandable, in the current economic climate it’s hard to make ends meet, but I’m willing to hazard a guess it’ll be more expensive in the long run to not settle ASAP. Unless of course they like to answer the hard questions from their shareholders that is…

Still find it amazing (and by default – hypocritical) that the companies involved, and unwilling to pay licence fees to the CSIRO, are particularly adamant about enforcing their own patents and copyrights. Strange ol’ world in’it…?