Regardless of how the NBN is rolled out - FTTH or FTTN - having the NBN delivering super-fast broadband to Australian homes doesn't guarantee an improved internet experience. That's because the NBN infrastructure is only part of the picture, albeit the biggest. [ + ]

COAG's refusal to sign off on the proposed national electrical licensing scheme has been welcomed by NECA. NECA says the proposal was not supported by industry and would have undermined electrical safety across Australia. [ + ]

Malcolm Turnbull suggests NBN projections to date have been "extremely optimistic" with the rollout significantly slower than expected, and completion not anticipated until mid-2024. On the other hand, he says, the Coalition's plan to use a variety of technologies will be delivered four years earlier and at an expected cost of AU$41 billion. [ + ]

Multinational lighting manufacturer Osram is set to retrofit lighting at the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy. The art-conserving installation is expected to enable significantly higher illuminance values and consume 60% less power compared to the existing lighting installation. [ + ]

Developed by Grocon and designed by leading architects Francis-Jones Morehan Thorp, ANZ Tower is the newest addition to the Sydney skyline. The building officially opened in September 2013 and has already been awarded the 6 Star Green Star - Office Design v2 rating by the Green Building Council of Australia. [ + ]

Upsolar, an international provider of solar PV modules, has completed Australia's largest solar array featuring smart modules: a 98.6 kW rooftop project atop a Hilton Manufacturing facility in Dandenong South, Victoria. [ + ]

Remote powering applications utilise the copper balanced twisted-pair IT cabling infrastructure to deliver DC power to IP-enabled devices. The popularity of this technology and the interest in expanding its capabilities is staggering. This article details advantages of using shielded cabling systems for powering remote network devices. [ + ]

When solar energy panels threaten to fail, defects will usually generate heat. To detect and identify problems with photovoltaic cells, junction boxes and grid network, Carlill Energy has successfully adopted the use of thermal imaging cameras. [ + ]

When it comes to a photovoltaic (PV) system, thoughtful planning is the foundation of a successful project. Experience has shown that 80% of successful solar systems depend on the decisions that are made in the first 20% of the project planning phase. This article provides detailed insights on critical factors for creating an efficient and long-life PV system. [ + ]

An earlier BICSI column in ECD Solutions advised of changing Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) regulations requiring cablers to hold 'competencies' in specialist cabling activities such as structured cabling, optical fibre and coax cabling. These new requirements come into effect July 2014, so, many cablers around Australia have been looking into how to obtain these competencies through ACMA-approved training. [ + ]

Not too long ago, keeping a data centre 'efficiently' cool was the ultimate goal for Australian data centre managers. But today, with Australian data centres evolving into hubs for much larger, interconnected networks of cloud-based services - potentially servicing hundreds of thousands of global users around the clock - managing cooling loads in isolation is not enough. Customers are now looking beyond cooling at holistic thermal management solutions. [ + ]

Bass Electrical Engineering, part of the ARA Group, has been carrying out electrical maintenance and electrical projects at Tooheys Lidcombe site for several years. When Tooheys recently decided to upgrade its brewery, with an aim to improve economic efficiency and competitiveness, the group engaged Bass Electrical to carry out electrical work for the project. [ + ]

With the ratification of 40 and 100 Gbps ethernet fibre standards, optical requirements are tighter than ever before - yet fibre testing methods have not been upgraded for many years. Consider, too, that with the introduction of 10 Gbps over ethernet, the maximum power loss budget for multimode fibre links has dropped significantly, and it is clear that changes in testing standards are essential and urgent. [ + ]

Australia's largest grid-connected solar power system with Enphase microinverters has been installed at the Glenlyn Aged Care Facility in Glenroy, Victoria. The project was carried out by EnviroGroup in conjunction with Yingli Solar. [ + ]

Security is at the forefront of many executives’ minds, and to compound the issues the industry is undergoing a transformation - or what the industry pundits term as convergence. This article discusses the challenges presented by the convergence of physical security and IT and the benefits of a holistic approach. [ + ]