We put Optus’ new Supersonic Broadband through a range of speed tests to show you the hard truths about when it’s worth paying more for high-speed broadband, and when it’s not.
Labor may argue that its victory today is a mandate for its NBN plan, but the photo-finish result means the NBN will proceed under a very different kind of scrutiny and with much higher expectations than before. If Labor can’t improve its process and its game, the real test on the NBN may yet lie down the track.
In the rush to stay ahead of the market, ISPs have jumped to 1TB monthly quotas and wireless ISPs seem to be cautiously inching in the same direction. But have we passed the point where practical usage meets marketing’s pseudo-reality?
Some viewers would eat it up; others would ignore it. But packaged right by the industry, Twitter could easily become the biggest thing in interactive TV since Dr Frank-N-Furter played the hot dog.
Yes, digital radio is here and it does sound better than FM. But it will hardly change the world of radio overnight.
Optus, Vodafone and Three have long struggled to match Telstra’s reach outside the capital cities. Vodafone’s major network upgrade is the best chance yet to dilute Next G’s rural monopoly, but questions remain.
When Coles introduced Fly Buys, Woolworths introduced Everyday Rewards. When Coles introduced petrol discount vouchers, Woolworths introduced petrol discount vouchers. It’s a bold plan, but can it - and Coles’ inevitable copycat product - change the prepaid mobile world for the better?
Seven has made no secret of its expansion ambitions, but buying into pay-TV monolith Foxtel lends even greater clarity to the network’s long-term vision. With wireless distribution and solid content channels under its belt, can Seven bring IPTV into the mainstream?
Rural areas will be welcoming the government’s decision to put its money where its politicising is, funnelling $250m into a regional fibre upgrade to six rural centres. Remedying over a decade of near-neglect at the hands of telecoms privatisation, the investment could be the firmest step yet for Labor’s NBN dream - but with inevitable political questions and a looming election, Rudd and Conroy need to deliver, and quickly, to preserve the NBN’s credibility.
One of the more curious aspects of the iPhone phenomenon has been the disconnect between the device’s capabilities and carriers’ willingness to support them.
Buying a mobile phone is more than a matter of picking the most feature-rich or slickest-looking device - your usage and lifestyle are going to help you decide which is the right plan and handset for you.
