bandwidth - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Spark makes Queenstown first to get 4.5G (LTE-Advanced Pro)

  ​Confusing nomenclature for cellular technology has long been the norm: the term 4G was co-opted years ago for technologies that did not deserve the name.

• REANNZ capacity boosted to 20Gbps

  Research and education network operator, REANNZ, says it has completed a network upgrade to 20Gbps of bandwidth along the length of the country, from Auckland to Dunedin – doubling network capacity for its members.

• Dunedin proves its ‘Gigatown’ status with triple-speed broadband

  ​According to data from Chorus, Dunedin – which in 2013 became New Zealand’s first Gigatown – is well ahead of the rest of the country in broadband speeds with an average bandwidth of 196Mbps, more than three times that of the next fastest centre.

• Does your bandwidth belong to autoplay videos and ads?

  With Facebook’s recent announcement that they will allow video ads to automatically play in news feeds, three things are clear.

• Networks critical to cost-effective IT: CIO poll

  The economic downturn means weak IT spending, an uptake in cost-cutting initiatives and greater dependence on advanced network capabilities to drive business improvements and increase revenue streams, according to Gartner.

• Global bandwidth squeeze by 2012: report

  Advisory firm Nemertes Research has released a study that forecasts demand for bandwidth on the web exceeding its capacity by 2012.

• Turners Auctions and e-cast restricted by bandwidth

  Bandwidth restrictions, an inconsistent broadband service and data caps are making it difficult for local companies to deliver online services to customers.

• The wacky, weird world of not peering

  Would it make sense for courier packages being sent overnight across Wellington City to travel via Auckland, or to Australia — or even the US and back, before delivery? It makes no more sense for internet data packets.

• FX Networks starts bandwidth price war

  The large telcos have a major challenge on their hands with the emergence of FX Networks and its Auckland-Wellington broadband backbone. FX is offering up to 20Gbit/s broadband at rates less than half those charged by the incumbents.

• Telecom rejigs wholesale and loosens broadband brake

  Telecom has rejigged its wholesale broadband service with three different dimensioning options on the ATM backhaul. Wholesale customers can now choose either 16, 24 or 32kbit/s per user on CUBS (commercial unbundled bitstream service), according to Telecom wholesale spokeswoman Melanie Marshall.

• Orcon plans super-fast DSL

  ISP Orcon wants to go one better than Telecom by moving straight to VDSL2, the second-generation very high data-rate Digital Subscriber Line service, straight-away instead of going with ADSL2+, which Telecom is planning to offer next year.

• Sharing wi-fi with your neighbours

  Researchers have developed technology designed to enable neighbours to pool their wi-fi internet access to deliver better performance and exploit bandwidth that would otherwise sit idle.

• WAN optimisers make bandwidth budgets go further

  One of the surest ways for companies with expensive data links to save money is to install WAN acceleration devices. The gear pays for itself in as little as a few months, some users say.

• More international bandwidth and backhaul network for Orcon

  Auckland ISP Orcon, which has traditionally aligned itself with Telecom, says it has bought 20% more international bandwidth — but from Telecom competitors MCI/Verizon and Asia Netcom.

• Skype supernodes sap bandwidth

  Corporate network managers beware — Skype might be the next big thing but for now your users could very well be sapping your network's strength.