Broadband News
Wed, 27th Jun 2018
New Vodafone service lets customers ditch landline but keep number
Vodafone has unveiled a new offering for its NBN customers that allows them to dump their home phone service but keep the number.
Source: Computerworld
Union begins battle to save 9500 Telstra jobs
Communication Workers Union has kick-started a nationwide campaign to save 9500 jobs set to axed by Telstra during the next three years.
Source: ARN
Vodafone launches NBN Wi-Fi booster and new plans
Vodafone is dropping its upfront charges for customers switching to NBN services, as well as unveiling new plans with discounts for post-paid mobile customers and launching a Wi-Fi booster.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Inside NBN’s fibre to the curb rollout
Although it is still early days for the roll out of fibre to the curb, NBN says that its efforts to ensure a smooth migration process from the legacy copper network to FTTC has paid off when it comes to end user satisfaction.
Source: Computerworld
Tue, 26th Jun 2018
Fibre to the curb: How NBN is delivering its new network
NBN's new FttC rollout is far more complex and time-consuming than its FttN network, but is already showing higher speeds and better customer experience, the company has said.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Aussies may have lost interest in the NBN: study
A newly published study has questioned whether Australians have now lost interest in the National Broadband Network given the time it has taken to roll out the NBN nationally and the negative stories about disappointing speeds and connection issues.
Source: iTWire
Amaysim chief departs for Foxtel
Amaysim co-founder Peter O'Connell will be CEO on July 1, following the departure of current CEO and MD Julian Ogrin for Foxtel.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co's top user downloads 23.6TB a month
NBN Co has revealed that the top user on its network is pulling down 23.6 terabytes of data a month.
Source: iTnews Australia
Know your rights: threat of NBN broadband limbo still looms for many
Despite promises from the ACMA the majority of Australian homes could still end up without internet, or relying on mobile hotspots, if NBN installation fails.
Source: SMH
More woe for Optus as network hit by outage
If the saying that troubles come in threes has any validity, Australia's second biggest telco Optus had better watch. On Monday, its network was hit by an outage in Victoria to make it the second issue that the company has encountered over the last fortnight.
Source: iTWire
Decision on extending simulcast of World Cup only by weekend: Optus
Despite claiming that its network has held up well while streaming World Cup matches after the initial fiasco, Optus says it will not decide until the end of the week whether to simulcast the round of 16 and the quarter-finals on public broadcaster SBS.
Source: iTWire
Huawei has paid for more politicians' overseas travel than any other company
The Chinese telco giant is revealed as the biggest corporate sponsor of international travel for Australia's federal politicians, as an important decision about the nation's 5G future edges closer.
Source: ABC News
Mon, 25th Jun 2018
Labor plan no fix for systemic NBN, service issues: Greens
The Australian Labor Party's plans for a service guarantee for those who use Australia's national broadband network, the NBN, is of little use as it does not tackle the systemic issues dogging the network or improve the customer experience, the Australian Greens claim.
Source: iTWire
Vocus ups debt facility to AU$1.3b
Vocus will be able to carry out its 'strategic initiatives' thanks to a new syndicated debt facility of AU$1.27 billion and NZ$150 million.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Labor policy could see NBN face fines for failures
A Labor government will establish an NBN Service Guarantee that will potentially see households and small businesses compensated if problems aren’t resolved within specified timeframes.
Source: Computerworld
Sun, 24th Jun 2018
Labor pledges better NBN experience if it regains power
The Australian Labor Party has pledged to deliver a better experience for those consumers of Australia's national broadband network, the NBN, with a plan for an NBN Service Guarantee that sets standards for fixing faults, installations and missed appointments.
Source: iTWire
Labor wants to fine NBN Co for bad service
The federal opposition wants to create its own NBN service guarantee that would see NBN Co fined every time contractors missed appointments or made installation errors.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 22nd Jun 2018
New rule to stop households being left without broadband during NBN transition
New rules introduced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) are designed to stop households being left without any access to telecommunications services when there are hiccups during their migration to the National Broadband Network.
Source: Computerworld
ACMA unveils NBN standard to keep customers online
New protections will kick in from September 21 that are aimed at preventing customers that switch to an NBN service being left without functional internet for an extended period.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co sees less than one percent of area switches built
Less than one percent of areas that explore a mass upgrade of their last-mile NBN access technology actually go through with it, according to new figures released by NBN Co.
Source: iTnews Australia
Second set of telco industry rules kicks off in September
The Service Continuity Standard, a new set of telecommunications industry rules, has been set to take effect on 1 September 2018.
Source: ARN
From 358 Area Switch applications, NBN has upgraded two MDUs so far
The program to allow councils or apartment blocks to upgrade NBN connection technology is shooting less than 1 percent.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus says still working on making Optus Sport free for Aussies
Telecommunications provider Optus says its Optus Sport service is being modified so that it can be accessed free of charge until 31 August, as per the announcement by its chief executive Allan Lew on Wednesday.
Source: iTWire
'Floptus' debacle proves audiences are not quite ready for change
If the meltdown of Optus Sport's World Cup coverage was annoying for fans, it had potentially dire consequences for Australia's media-rights addicted sports.
Source: ABC News
Thu, 21st Jun 2018
Optus had 'no choice' but to offer free access after 'Floptus' World Cup fail
After scoring a spectacular own goal with its World Cup streaming fail, Optus is setting up a counter-attack to try and equalise the score and head off the threat from a potentially revitalised Telstra.
Source: ABC News
Some bush users to attract higher charges under NBN pricing review
NBN Co is set to ditch equivalent pricing between fibre and fixed wireless connections, meaning regional users could pay more.
Source: ABC News
Wed, 20th Jun 2018
Telstra2022: Key takeaways from Telstra's new strategy
ZDNet unpacks the main points of Telstra's new three-year strategy, including the establishment of InfraCo and Global Business Services, and how it will handle NBN, 5G, and TPG.
Source: ZDNet Australia
CDN failure compounded Optus' FIFA World Cup woes
Optus CEO Allen Lew has revealed that the telco has struck an agreement with SBS to have the broadcaster simulcast FIFA World Cup matches until the end of the group stages on 29 June.
Source: Computerworld
Optus hands rest of World Cup group matches to SBS after streaming debacle
Optus announces all World Cup matches will be simulcast on SBS from tonight until the end of the group stage and customers who have already paid to access their coverage during the tournament will receive refunds.
Source: ABC News
Telstra predicts 5G boost to wireless-only households
Telstra’s CEO, Andy Penn, says that the telco believes 5G could potentially boost by 10-15 percentage points the proportion of Australian households choosing to go wireless-only. Currently around 15 per cent of homes have no fixed broadband services, the CEO today told a Telstra strategy update briefing.
Source: Computerworld