Broadband News
Thu, 12th Apr 2018
NBN Co raised scrapping HFC with govt two years ago
NBN Co took an informal proposition to the government to scrap HFC in favour of fibre-to-the-curb around two years ago, but did not receive any further “directive” to pursue it.
Source: iTnews Australia
Kogan NBN service goes live
Kogan Internet has launched its NBN service off the back of Vodafone's offering, with plans maxing out at less than AU$90 per month for download speeds of 100Mbps and unlimited data.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN creates new tech channel with official program launch
NBN Co has unveiled a dedicated new technology channel across Australia, targeting partners, vendors and distributors to increase network uptake.
Source: ARN
Wed, 11th Apr 2018
The truth behind Optus' ‘unlimited' mobile data offer
Consumers are being warned to read the fine print after Optus began inviting select customers to sign up to a mobile plan that claims to offer "unlimited" data, but comes with some caveats.
Source: SMH
Vodafone predicts mobile substitution pain for NBN Co
Vodafone Australia has unveiled a study that claims 39 percent of Australian fixed broadband users could switch to mobile in future, a substitution rate well above NBN Co's expectations.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 10th Apr 2018
Proposed rule would stop NBN retailers charging for speeds they can’t deliver
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has unveiled its latest tranche of proposed regulations designed to protect consumers during the migration to the National Broadband Network.
Source: Computerworld
Basslink subsea cable out until late May
Following third-party damage to its subsea cable last month, Basslink has pushed out the repair date from late mid April to late May while it repairs and re-pressurises the cable.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACMA releases new NBN migration rules
The ACMA's new rules will require line tests on NBN services, reconnecting customers to legacy services where the NBN is unusable, providing minimum information to consumers, and reporting complaints data to the ACMA.
Source: ZDNet Australia
TPG could displace Optus, Vodafone within five years
TPG could be Australia's number two telco in five years and number one within a decade, entrepreneur Bevan Slattery has predicted.
Source: iTnews Australia
Questions raised over NBN Co’s 5G trials
“Is NBN now planning to build a mobile network?” Labor’s Shadow Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, asks.
Source: ARN
Labor opposes call to break up NBN
Shadow communications minister Michelle Rowland says that although the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s recent telecommunications market study was “certainly useful in parts”, Labor did not agree with the ACCC’s recommendation that NBN should be prepared for being broken up into separate businesses.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co will flip 440,000 mostly-HFC premises to FTTC
NBN Co will flip a portion of its planned HFC network into the fibre-to-the-curb footprint but it will not abandon HFC altogether.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN announces 5G trials with Ericsson
NBN is this week trialling 5G with Ericsson in Melbourne in an effort to explore potential upgrade paths of its fixed-wireless service.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN relaunches HFC network
After remediating its HFC network, NBN will make 1,000 premises ready for retailers to sell at the end of April, followed by 38,000 in June and around 100,000 per month for the rest of the year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN expands FttC to 1.5m premises
NBN has replaced around 440,000 premises slated to receive FttN and HFC connections with FttC, bringing the footprint total to around 1.5 million premises.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 09th Apr 2018
Comms minister still confident about HFC role in NBN
Communications minister Senator Mitch Fifield has indicated he still supports the use of hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) in the rollout of the National Broadband Network.
Source: Computerworld
Fifield launches 5G paper, 'confident' on NBN HFC optimisation
The Bureau of Communications Research has published a new 5G working paper examining the potential GDP effects, while Comms Minister Fifield has said NBN's remediated HFC will 'deliver a great experience'.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telco coalition launches new challenge to ‘big three’
The Competitive Carriers Coalition today formally relaunched as ‘Commpete’ with the aim of challenging the market dominance of Telstra and Australia’s other major telcos.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra CEO Penn pushes NBN customer satisfaction
Telstra has announced its new in-home Wi-Fi coverage booster and 30-day NBN satisfaction guarantee, with CEO Andy Penn saying current pricing is 'unsustainable' for retailers.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Phone and internet service issues hit 10 million Aussies
Around one in two Australians have had an issue with their phone or internet service, according to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
Source: ARN
Telstra CEO calls NBN prices 'unsustainable'
Telstra CEO Andrew Penn has warned of the telco's inability to continue to absorb increases in NBN wholesale pricing, calling for price regulation "as quickly as possible".
Source: iTnews Australia
NetComm powers FttDP solution for a million NBN customers
Australian networking solutions provider NetComm Wireless will supply hardware for the rollout of fibre-to-the-distribution-point connections - what the NBN Co calls fibre-to-the-curb - to about a million premises, the company's chief executive Ken Sheridan says.
Source: iTWire
Split up NBN Co before rollout ends: ACCC
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has recommended that the NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, be split into two entities before it is privatised after the rollout ends.
Source: iTWire
Sun, 08th Apr 2018
NBN launches fibre-to-the-curb, but existing customers won't benefit
NBN Co announces a new technology mix to speed up the internet connections of 1 million homes, but existing customers experiencing problems with slow connections will not benefit.
Source: ABC News
NBN launches FttC network
NBN has launched its fibre-to-the-curb network, with around 1,000 premises in Coburg, Melbourne, and Miranda, Sydney, now able to order services capable of 100/40Mbps speeds.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone's Staggered 2G Network Shutdown Starts April 30 With Queensland
A few years back, Vodafone announced plans to stick a fork in 2G by September 2017, however, it actually lived on a bit longer than that. But this borrowed time is about to expire, with the company declaring a real end to its 2G network, starting on April 30.
Source: Gizmodo
Fri, 06th Apr 2018
Viasat calls for NBN satellite data limits to be dumped
Viasat Australia says that households on NBN’s Sky Muster satellite service should not be subject to “hard data caps”.
Source: Computerworld
Thu, 05th Apr 2018
Aussie Broadband's about-turn on unlimited plans
Aussie Broadband is set to make its first unlimited quota play after NBN Co agreed to make its permanent new price construct available from May 1.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACCC wants baby NBNs competing for customers and upgrading networks
When NBN Co is eventually sold off, the ACCC wants it broken into pieces and forced to battle for customers.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Comms market operating ‘çompetitively’ despite market concentration: ACCC
The competition watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), says Australia’s market for broadband and voice services is operating competitively despite the levels of market concentration.
Source: iTWire