NBN Co pulls interim satellite from sale

 

Service full.

NBN Co is no longer taking orders for its interim satellite service after reaching a 48,000 user limit late last year.

The company circulated a bulletin to retail service providers this week noting that the interim satellite reached capacity on December 18, 2013.

The NBN Co website has also been updated to confirm the limit has been reached.

"It is no longer possible to register for, or order a new service," NBN Co said in the advisory.

"Registrations and orders for NBN satellite services will recommence upon the product launch of the long term satellite service, which is currently scheduled for 2015".

An NBN Co spokesperson confirmed to iTnews that the 48,000 user limit had been reached.

"Demand for services on the interim satellite has been high," the spokesperson said.

The status isn't yet reflected in NBN Co's last weekly rollout information update for the week ended January 5 this year, which pegs interim satellite service activations at 44,195 — short of the 48,000 limit. (pdf)

However, news of the interim service reaching capacity comes after several months of reports about the issue.

ISP iiNet dropped its 20GB quota plan on the interim service in August 2013, citing congestion and service quality concerns. It then suspended all sales of NBN interim satellite services by mid-November over concerns that new sign-ups would not receive high enough speeds.

Meanwhile, NBN Co's weekly updates on activation numbers led to increased attention of the impending capacity limit of the interim service.

As at November last year, only satellite beams "covering central and western Australia" had capacity for new sign-ups, The Age noted.

The Government is reportedly weighing its options as to whether to extend the interim satellite service by purchasing more capacity. The interim service is based on Optus and IPstar satellites.

Answers may also emerge from a "detailed review" of the satellite portion of the NBN, which is expected sometime this year.

"The review will consider strategic options available to NBN Co to cost effectively provide coverage to areas outside the fixed footprint, as well as considering the optimal model to provide this coverage," the NBN strategic review notes.

NBN Co's spokesperson added: "We continue to review all options for satellite to provide a better service for end users."

Copyright © iTnews.com.au . All rights reserved.

 

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/369121,nbn-co-pulls-interim-satellite-from...

 

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Microsoft Support Lifecycle

 

Windows 7

Vista

XP

 

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XP Support is ending soon

 

What is Windows XP end of support?

Microsoft has provided support for Windows XP for the past 11 years. But now the time has come for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources toward supporting more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great new experiences.

 

As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date.

If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP.

What does it mean if my version of Windows is no longer supported?

Which version of Windows am I running?

How do I stay protected?
To stay protected after support ends, you have two options:

Upgrade your current PC
Very few older computers will be able to run Windows 8.1, which is the latest version of Windows. We recommend that you download and run the Windows Upgrade Assistant to check if your PC meets the system requirements for Windows 8.1 and then follow the steps in the tutorial to upgrade if your PC is able. For more detailed information, read the FAQ.

Download and run the Windows Upgrade Assistant

Tutorial: Upgrade to Windows 8.1

Get a new PC
If your current PC can't run Windows 8.1, it might be time to consider shopping for a new one. Be sure to explore our great selection of new PCs. They're more powerful, lightweight, and stylish than ever before—and with an average price that's considerably less expensive than the average PC was 10 years ago.

Find your perfect PC

What do I get with Windows 8.1?
Windows 8.1 makes it easy to do all the things you're used to doing with Window XP while opening up a whole new world of possibilities for you to explore and enjoy.

Find out about all the exciting things you can do with the new Windows

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/end-support-help

 

 

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Physical Memory Limits: Windows 8

The following table specifies the limits on physical memory for Windows 8.

Version	Limit on X86	Limit on X64
Windows 8 Enterprise	4 GB	512 GB
Windows 8 Professional	4 GB	512 GB
Windows 8	4 GB	128 GB

 

Physical Memory Limits: Windows 7

The following table specifies the limits on physical memory for Windows 7.

Version	Limit on X86	Limit on X64
Windows 7 Ultimate	4 GB	192 GB
Windows 7 Enterprise	4 GB	192 GB
Windows 7 Professional	4 GB	192 GB
Windows 7 Home Premium	4 GB	16 GB
Windows 7 Home Basic	4 GB	8 GB
Windows 7 Starter	2 GB	N/A

 

Support is ending for some versions of Windows

•     Support for Windows XP SP3 ends April 8, 2014
•     Support for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) ended on July 12, 2011.
•     Support for Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) ended on July 13, 2010.*

If you're running one of these versions after support ends, you won't get security updates for Windows.

Windows will continue to run

Even if you have an unsupported version of Windows XP or Windows Vista without any service packs, Windows will continue to start and run as usual.