Broadband News
Thu, 16th Aug 2018
Optus, Vodafone say 5G launch will be a slow burn
Australia will see the debut of 5G networks during 2019, but cutover certainly won’t be painless: 5G coverage won’t be extensive, handsets may not be plentiful, regional areas won’t be included in the early years and IoT applications won’t arrive in a rush.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 15th Aug 2018
NBN Co grants existing 50Mbps fixed wireless users a $45 bundle
NBN Co will grant existing fixed wireless users on its 50Mbps tier a reprieve by offering them the same $45 a month wholesale deal as fixed line users were given last year - but new users will pay $20 a month more for the privilege.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Sky Muster satellite take-up starts to worry govt
The Department of Communications will look to the forthcoming NBN corporate plan for assurance that take-up for the Sky Muster satellite service can be increased to recover missed targets.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wireless services may cost more than fixed line with new NBN Co pricing
NBN Co is preparing to launch a bundled fixed wireless product that will see retail service providers (RSPs) pay significantly more than for the equivalent fixed line offering.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra flicks on 5G in the Gold Coast
Telstra has switched on its 5G network technology across selected areas of the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Source: ARN
Labor claims NBN revenue forecasts designed to make govt look good
The Australian Labor Party claims that the 2017-18 revenue target set by the NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, the NBN, has been deliberately set low in order that the government could have a public relations coup.
Source: iTWire
RSPs manage 1192 active NBN HFC services in two months
NBN Co’s slow restart of HFC sales from late April saw less than 1200 users able to sign up and get an active connection by the end of June.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus suffers outage in Thredbo caused by rival telco
Optus customers have experienced intermittent disruptions to voice and data services in Thredbo, which started on Monday morning.
Source: ARN
Tue, 14th Aug 2018
Foxtel announces live 4K channel and accompanying set-top box
Foxtel has announced a dedicated live 4K channel and set-top box with 'smarter features for faster streaming'.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus boosts Tasmanian mobile coverage with $42.2M investment
Optus has built 37 new mobile sites across Tasmania in a $42.2 million investment over the last 12 months.
Source: ARN
Telcos, Internet firms face $10m fines under new cyber law
Telecommunications and Internet companies and makers of digital devices will face fines of up to $10 million if they do not help law enforcement agencies gain access to data needed for investigating terrorism offences, according to a new draft law revealed on Tuesday. Individuals will face fines of up to $50,000.
Source: iTWire
Broadband tax revived as Labor backs plan
A heavily-delayed plan to introduce a broadband tax has been revived after Labor revealed overnight it would conditionally support the legislation.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 13th Aug 2018
More telcos connecting to NBN at more locations, ACCC finds
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says that its latest report based on wholesale market data provided by NBN Co shows positive signs for competition.
Source: ARN
ACCC proposes takeover of Internet activity reports
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a discussion paper proposing to take over the collection of Internet activity data, a task which the Australian Bureau of Statistics said that it would be stopping.
Source: iTWire
Huawei likely to get limited role in 5G networks: report
Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei is likely to be allowed to play a role in the rollout of 5G networks in Australia, but will face curbs on provision of equipment for what are deemed sensitive parts of the networks.
Source: iTWire
Sat, 11th Aug 2018
People going it alone for faster NBN are also paying for their neighbours
NBN users who choose to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pocket for a high-speed internet connection are inadvertently paying to upgrade their neighbours' connections as well as public infrastructure.
Source: ABC News
Thu, 09th Aug 2018
ACMA asks 'is your Internet connection working at its best?'
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has added three new videos to its telco tips series focusing on the factors inside your home that can affect how your broadband works.
Source: iTWire
Kogan lowers NBN prices, but is Vodafone still better value?
Kogan Internet has lowered its prices to be a smidgeon below Vodafone's newly lowered prices, but with Vodafone offering 4G back-up, Vodafone wins the better value battle despite Kogan's cheaper pricing.
Source: iTWire
NBN robocall scam threatens to disconnect internet, demands financial details
A phone scam claiming to be from the National Broadband Network ramps up in Queensland, with one woman harassed eight times in the past three days.
Source: ABC News
ACCC wants to take over axed ABS internet survey
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is proposing to take over the collection of internet activity statistics dropped by the Australia Bureau of Statistics earlier this year.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 08th Aug 2018
Aussies get used to website blocking regime
Australian internet users are more likely to 'give up' if they encounter a blocked website while searching for content - and less likely to try to bypass the block - than in previous years.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACMA goes to tender to test NBN modems
As part of its ongoing investigation into NBN customer experience issues, the ACMA will provide AU$300,000 to the successful tenderer to look into whether modems are contributing to underperformance.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co activates 'thousands' of DOCSIS 3.1 HFC premises
NBN Co has activated DOCSIS 3.1 for several thousand premises connected to its HFC network in Sydney and Melbourne.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN finally launches DOCSIS 3.1 across HFC network
DOCSIS 3.1 technology will double the downstream capacity across the hybrid fibre-coaxial network, with NBN saying it is focused on improved experience rather than faster speeds.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co begins DOCSIS 3.1 rollout for HFC connections
NBN Co will progressively enable the DOCSIS 3.1 cable broadband standard across its hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) infrastructure, as it begins to ramp-up the number of premises connected to its access network using the technology.
Source: ARN
Tue, 07th Aug 2018
ACCC opens inquiry into mobile voice, SMS services
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has started an inquiry into regulation of wholesale mobile voice and SMS services – and whether to vary or revoke the domestic mobile terminating access service (MTAS) declaration or to make a new declaration.
Source: iTWire
ACCC queries need for mobile interconnection rules
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is considering the future of regulations that guarantee mobile users can call customers on any network, in part because technology has bypassed the issue.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co says Internode has not made contact over user's HFC issue
NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, the NBN, says it has not been approached by Adelaide-based Internet service provider Internode about fixing the issues that a user in North Salisbury, South Australia, is facing, with constant dropouts on his HFC connection.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co revenue may take hit after 5G arrives: Rowland
The financial position of the NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, the NBN, is likely to worsen due to competition from wireless networks once 5G begins to make its presence felt, the Shadow Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has warned.
Source: iTWire
Vodafone declares NBN price war, blasts price down, from $58
Stating it is taking the "telco war on price from mobile to NBN", Vodafone says it is "making high speed Vodafone NBN available to new and existing customers for under $60 per month" with savings of "up to $480 per year".
Source: iTWire