Get with the program: old-style television gives digital the finger

FOR many, the beauty of television is sitting down, mooching on the couch and having someone else decide what to watch. Digital video recorders and broadband internet may allow us to watch what we want when we want to, yet most of us still watch TV shows when the networks tell us to.

Q And A

Q I've seen ads for naked DSL but don't understand how it would make my broadband internet service any better. Can you explain what the fuss is, please?

Networking

True story: a man who started a business in Point Cook was forced to move his operation a few kilometres up the freeway to Williamstown because he could not access a reliable, high speed broadband internet service. Next Thursday, the Western Region Telecommunications Forum will feature Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy (pictured) as guest speaker - and maybe the chap from Point Cook will be there asking when his suburb will be upgraded?

Service Way Out Of Order

HOMES in a new residential area near the centre of Newcastle do not have access to basic broadband internet, because of a lack of telecommunications infrastructure.

Short Circuits

Q MY broadband internet connection seems to be slower than advertised and is noticeably poky at certain times. What might be causing this slowness, and how can I find out how fast my connection really is?

Faster Broadband On The Move In Illawarra

BY the end of next week, thousands more Illawarra homes and businesses will have access to the fastest broadband internet available in Australia.

Breaking With Tradition And Going Green

I am probably the most typical Generation Y columnist at the Mercury. I have a HECS debt up to my eyeballs. I live at home with my parents, bludging their food, broadband internet and hot water, and sending the power bills through the roof as I re-shrink my pre-shrunk skinny leg jeans in the clothes dryer.

Street Snares Surfers In Free Wireless Net

WIRELESS broadband internet is now on the house for latte sippers, workers, shoppers and some lucky residents of Beaumont Street, Hamilton.

Big Decisions On Broadband

FOR many people, broadband internet offers a quick way to download movies, games and other online diversions. But the internet in general, and high-speed broadband services in particular, promise to be as important to Australia at the start of the 21st century as railways were from the mid-19th century. Trains took people to the movies, but their real economic value lay in the way they revolutionised trade.

Parties Dig In For Election On Broadband

LABOR and the Coalition traded blows yesterday over their rival plans to expand broadband internet access, ensuring the issue will be prominent in this year's election campaign.

State Services Surfing Ahead

HUNTER Region public schools have been snapping up high-speed broadband internet services in the past 18 months.

Broadband Divide

A NEWCASTLE family has been denied a high-speed broadband internet service that their neighbours can access with ease because of unfinished line upgrades to the area.

Telstra Broadband Plan's Byte Much Worse Than Its Bark

WHEN Andrew Boughton decided last August to upgrade from dial-up to broadband internet, the Rose Bay businessman was told by a Telstra consultant that his needs should be covered by a $30-a-month plan allowing 400 megabytes of downloads.

Internet Cable Boost

TELSTRA will lay a 9000-kilometre undersea data cable between Australia and the US to meet broadband internet growth.

Analysts Divided In Call On Telstra

TELSTRA's rush for market share in the mobile phone and broadband internet markets "at any cost" has been questioned in a mixed report card from analysts.

Telstra's Grab For Growth Divides Pundits

TELSTRA's rush to boost market share in the mobile-phone and broadband internet markets "at any cost" has been questioned in a mixed report card from analysts whose advice varies from "sell" to "buy".

Regions The 'land Of Have-nots'

AUSTRALIA'S poorest and worst-connected areas are being left behind as the gap between the haves and have-nots widens dramatically - particularly with broadband internet access - according to a nationwide study.

Australia Still Lagging In Broadband

AUSTRALIA remains in 17th place among developed countries in the proportion of broadband internet users, as critics claim it risks falling behind if plans are not made to encourage more investment.

Broadband: Australia Runs Faster Just To Stand Still

AUSTRALIA remains locked at 17th place among developed countries in broadband usage as critics claim it risks falling behind if plans are not made to encourage more investment.

Subsidy Glitch For Bush Broadband

Roll-out of broadband internet to the bush could grind to a halt as the Federal Government dithers over details of its subsidy plan, Internode managing director Simon Hackett warns.