Broadband News
Mon, 19th Jan 2026
SUBCO to build sovereign-owned direct fibre connectivity project
Bevan Slattery-founded subsea fibre cable infrastructure provider SUBCO has embarked on a new express submarine cable project to offer direct connectivity between Australia and the United States without any landing or interconnection.
Source: ARN
Thu, 15th Jan 2026
Australia social media ban hits 4.7 million accounts
Social media companies have collectively deactivated 4.7 million accounts belonging to Australian teenagers just a month after a world-first ban on under‑16s took effect, the country's internet regulator said, a sign the measure has had a swift and sweeping impact.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACMA tries to source unfixable Samsung handsets
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is trying to source end-of-life Samsung devices that are being blocked from networks due to triple zero calling issues.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 14th Jan 2026
European telcos may get unlimited radio spectrum rights
Europe's telecoms providers may be given the use of lucrative radio spectrum without a time limit under the European Commission's proposed revamp of telecoms rules aimed at boosting investment, according to a document seen by Reuters.
Source: iTnews Australia
Apple preps E2EE RCS messaging in latest iOS beta
Apple has released the second beta of its upcoming iOS 26.3 mobile operating system for iPhones, with the pre-release software bringing in what seems to be the preparation for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for rich communication services (RCS) messaging.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 13th Jan 2026
Telstra needs expanded LEOsat fleet as remote mobile outages leap
Telstra needs more LEO satellites to be deployed by its partner OneWeb to stem a sharp increase in backhaul-related mobile base station outages impacting remote communities and triple zero services.
Source: iTnews Australia
Apple’s Gemini deal a win for Google, but will it make your iPhone smarter?
Apple has been extremely cautious when it comes to using AI and is hoping Google’s raw resources will help it close the gap on its rivals.
Source: SMH
Wed, 24th Dec 2025
Telstra used ConnectID impermissibly for months
Telstra has copped a formal warning after using a privacy-preserving identity checking service to vet prepaid users, before regulations permitted it.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 22nd Dec 2025
NBN Co delivers on commitment to reduce power consumption of the nbn network
NBN Co has delivered on its commitment to deliver projects that reduce annual energy use of the nbn network by 25 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) by December 2025, with the following information directly from NBN Co.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 18th Dec 2025
NBN Co's 2Gbps services are too fast for ACCC to monitor
NBN Co's new 2Gbps residential internet plans are too fast to be monitored with SamKnows boxes for the competition watchdog's speed testing program.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus review uncovers 40-60 second delay with emergency calling camp-on
An investigation into the Optus triple zero outage has revealed it can take up to a minute for an emergency call to be re-routed over another telco’s network under a process called ‘camp-on’.
Source: iTnews Australia
‘Inexcusable’: Optus staff face sack after review into Triple Zero outage
The telco’s chairman calls the findings of an independent review into the incident “a sobering read for everyone at Optus”.
Source: SMH
Wed, 17th Dec 2025
Telstra Satellite Messaging expands to include Google Pixel devices
From today, Telstra Satellite Messaging is now available on additional devices, including Google Pixel phones and the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G, giving more Australians the ability to connect when outside mobile coverage.
Source: iTWire
Telcos argue ACMA's $2.3bn spectrum fee-hike will crush investment
Australia’s mobile network operators have expressed disappointment universally at the prospect of paying up to $2.3 billion more than expected for spectrum they need to operate mobile and wireless broadband networks.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 16th Dec 2025
Telcos, NBN Co face collective $7.3bn bill to renew wireless spectrum
Australia’s telcos, together with NBN Co, are facing higher costs to keep radio spectrum used for mobile and wireless broadband services than they had lobbied for.
Source: iTnews Australia
Sun, 14th Dec 2025
Telstra satellite messaging service now available to enterprise customers
Telstra has expanded its satellite messaging service to Telstra Enterprise customers with eligible Adaptive Mobility plans.
Source: ARN
Google to build subsea cables in PNG under Australia defence treaty
Google will build three subsea cables in Papua New Guinea, which the largest Pacific Island nation said was funded by Australia under a mutual defence treaty, in a key upgrade to its digital backbone.
Source: iTnews Australia
Desperate vibes as under 16s crowd into Yope and Lemon8
Previously little-known social media platforms are stuck at the top of app store charts as young Australians seek shelter from the social media ban in places they previously tended to ignore.
Source: SMH
Fri, 12th Dec 2025
ACMA secures pledges from major online retailers to block "dodgy" mobile sales
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has moved to stop unsafe mobile phones and other illegal radio equipment getting into consumers’ hands with a new voluntary scheme aimed at online device sellers.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 11th Dec 2025
Reddit files High Court bid to overturn teen social media ban
The platform says banning under-16s from social media silences young Australians and makes them less safe online.
Source: SMH
NBN Co puts a longer predictive lens on its digital twin ambitions
NBN Co is hoping that its latest foray into digital twin technology will enable it to predict network performance and customer experience, building on six years of internal work with the technology.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 09th Dec 2025
TPG Telecom reveals potential new fatality linked to Samsung handset
TPG Telecom has reported another potential triple zero call-related customer fatality linked to the use of a Samsung mobile handset model with a known emergency calling limitation.
Source: iTnews Australia
‘People want me to fail’: The woman in charge of enforcing Australia’s social media ban feels the heat
Julie Inman Grant is battling tech giants and High Court challenges while navigating her 13-year-old daughter’s conviction that the ban will “ruin her life”.
Source: SMH
TPG Telecom links second death to Triple Zero failure
TPG Telecom chief executive Iñaki Berroeta flags another death possibly linked to a customer's inability to call Triple Zero (000) on their Samsung mobile phone.
Source: ABC News
Mon, 08th Dec 2025
TPG reveals second possible Triple Zero death
The telco’s chief executive Inaki Berroeta has told a Senate committee hearing that incompatible Samsung software is to blame.
Source: SMH
Vocus seeks four new submarine cable protection zones
Vocus is lobbying the government to more than double the number of submarine cable protection zones in Australia and to more actively police the areas.
Source: iTnews Australia
Keep AI browsers out of your enterprise, warns Gartner
AI browsers including Perplexity Comet and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas present security risks that cannot be adequately mitigated, and enterprises should prevent employees using them, according to Gartner.
Source: Computerworld
NBN Co teams up with RMIT University to ‘advance broadband innovation in support of Australia’s digital future’
A new three-year agreement between NBN Co and RMIT University will bring together academics and telco industry experts with the aim of developing enhanced broadband outcomes for the nation.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 05th Dec 2025
NEXTDC to build AI campus and GPU "supercluster" in Sydney
NEXTDC will build an AI campus and GPU "supercluster" in Western Sydney that will power OpenAI's services in Australia.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 04th Dec 2025
Samsung tried to fix triple zero problem with mobiles nearly five years ago
The mystery over why owners of a group of 71 Samsung mobile phone models couldn’t place emergency calls properly has taken strange turn, with Samsung insisting that it took steps to fix the problem nearly five years ago.
Source: iTnews Australia