Revealed: ISPs detail their Aussie net filter trials

Although it is unclear exactly what tests the ISPs will run at this stage, those we spoke with gave mixed indications of how far they would potentially take the testing regime.

Highway1 is doing the basic ACMA blacklist tests.

"We're not concerned about going further," said Power. "The device we've got can do other lists but we haven't confirmed [further test plans]".

Netforce director Scott Atkinson also said his company would cover off the basic tests but may "try something".

Webshield will filter both the ACMA blacklist and also against what it called "a series of user profiles based on the range of filtering we do".

"I'm still in discussions with the Government over some other test scenarios I've proposed," Pillion said.

"I hope to have them included in later rounds [of the trials]."

TECH 2U is equally advanced in its thinking on the test front.

In addition to the basic government tests, TECH 2U has suggested and received approval from the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) to run additional tests on some of its filtering equipment.

"We're contemplating six scenarios," Robson said.

"In one case, the setup and testing of a box was going to involve a certain amount of labour. We suggested an alternative test be run on the same piece of equipment while it was set up.

"It costs the Department nothing - all it would take is an extra four weeks of testing. We're literally taking the same equipment and plugging it in in a different order to see if it alters the test results."

Robson said TECH 2U had also received additional testing suggestions from a range of technicians and members of the public.

These tests could feasibly be given the go-ahead if it doesn't cost the DBCDE anything extra, he said.

Another test will examine speed degradation on 100Mbps connections.

"This was a suggested test and if the claims of the [equipment] manufacturer are true it will be successful," Robson said.

"I'm going to stick my neck out and say that I think there will be zero degradation but we'll soon see if the brochure-ware stacks up. We're also trying to think of a scenario that could potentially trip the box up."

Robson was unable to reveal the nature of some of the other test scenarios but he had expectations for how they will run. He expected at least two would pass technically, one would fail commercially and at least one "will fail abysmally" from a technical standpoint.

"However, that's a technology that's been used on the Internet for years to try and filter content," he said.

Highway1 is also interested in how the tests will affect its "high-volume customers" that have 20-30Mbps fibre connections.

"URL blocking probably won't result in any real issues but if at some point the Government want to filter images as well, that would just kill it from a technical point of view," Power said.

Read on to page three for details on equipment funding, costs and test schedules.