Broadband News

Wed, 07th Feb 2018

Kogan Mobile launches $7.90, 32GB 'first-recharge' deal for new customers

Fierce 'everything' competitor, Kogan, has slashed all of its 30-day SIM-only deals to $7.90 for the first recharge, with the standout feature a massive 32GB for the first recharge.

Source: iTWire

New NBN exec to oversee enterprise push

NBN has announced that Paul Tyler will lead its business sales and marketing division.

Source: Computerworld

NBN Co poaches Telstra business group exec

NBN Co has poached Telstra’s group managing director for business to head up its own business operations.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN take-up dips as low as 39 percent

NBN Co is seeing take-up in some of its worst-performing areas between 15 percent and 35 percent below forecasts - and the key question the company is trying to answer now is why.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 06th Feb 2018

Telstra, TPG, Vocus begin trialling NBN enterprise products

NBN is planning to launch its Enterprise Ethernet product by Q3 this year, with Telstra, TPG, and Vocus now trialling the symmetrical 1Gbps service designed for government and large business customers.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN Co's 5G spectrum price blown away at auction

The government will face renewed pressure this year over prized 5G spectrum that is parked with NBN Co at a fraction of its commercial value.

Source: iTnews Australia

Mon, 05th Feb 2018

Village Roadshow accuses Google of demonstrably 'facilitating crime'

Film producer believes it would be squished by Google's lawyers, but wants the option to sue to remain available thanks to a lack of safe harbour for service providers in Australia.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN Co cuts $184m deal for enterprise satellite service

NBN Co will offer enterprise services on its Sky Muster satellites from early 2019, the network builder has revealed.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra opens 5G Innovation Centre

Telstra on Monday opened an innovation centre where it will test next-generation mobile technologies in Australian conditions to support the early commercial deployment of 5G services across the country.

Source: ARN

Fri, 02nd Feb 2018

Telstra writes off $500 million investment in video-streaming business Ooyala

Ooyala was supposed to be Telstra's ticket to become a global technology giant, but now it looks like another value destroyer for the struggling telco.

Source: ABC News

Optus aims for 5G fixed wireless rollout in 2019

Optus plans to commence the rollout of a 5G fixed line service in Australia by early 2019, starting with key metropolitan areas.

Source: ARN

Optus to offer fixed wireless over 5G

Optus has fired a warning shot at NBN Co, unveiling plans to offer high-speed fixed wireless services in key metro areas based on 5G technology.

Source: iTnews Australia

Wed, 31st Jan 2018

Telstra was to be offered NBN ops input for cash

Telstra was set to be offered input into the original NBN rollout and phasing in return for an equity injection, cabinet documents from the time reveal.

Source: iTnews Australia

Leaked document details Rudd govt strategy for Telstra NBN negotiations

A document outlining the key points for the Rudd government’s 2009 announcement that it would fund the rollout of a national fibre network and a second document outlining a strategy for negotiating with Telstra and other potential investors in NBN Co are among those released by the ABC.

Source: Computerworld

Labor planned to play hardball with Telstra before NBN Co set up

The Labor Government in 2009 appears to have considered Telstra its main obstacle to setting up a company that would build a national broadband network for the country.

Source: iTWire

Tue, 30th Jan 2018

Optus Wholesale launches voice over NBN offering

Optus’ wholesale business has launched an NBN ​voice service delivered over Ethernet.

Source: Computerworld

What's New On Stan, Netflix, Foxtel And Hayu For February

From Unreal to Citizen Rose, Sharknado 5 to Marvel's Runaways - here's just a taste of what Netflix, Foxtel, Hayu and Stan are streaming for the month of February.

Source: Gizmodo

Mon, 29th Jan 2018

'Yourname.au' proposed as discussion opens on Australia's domain future

The .au Domain Administration's Policy Review Panel has proposed a series of reforms to the country's domain name registration structure, including the option to register addresses like 'yourname.au'.

Source: ZDNet Australia

auDA consults on direct .au registration, non-ASCII domains

auDA has launched a public consultation on a potential radical shakeup of the .au domain space.

Source: Computerworld

Aussie Broadband goes flexible

NBN RSP Aussie Broadband has announced new plans that allow customers to pick the data allowance they need rather than being locked into preset plans.

Source: iTWire

NBN tax: Govt says no need to include mobile services in subsidy scheme

The federal government has reiterated that it is not appropriate to extend the so-called ‘NBN tax’ to include mobile broadband services “at this time”.

Source: Computerworld

NBN Co shelves multicast expansion for fixed network

NBN Co has shelved plans to introduce multicast capabilities across its entire fixed-line network, citing an apparent lack of interest.

Source: iTnews Australia

Customer experience again falls short as Aussie telco complaints rise

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone topped the latest Australian consumer complaints figures for the three months ending December 2017.

Source: ARN

Thu, 25th Jan 2018

Government contends rural NBN subsidy and new USO will fix regional coverage

Subsidising the fixed-wireless and satellite networks with a regional broadband levy and SIP requirement will ensure the NBN and USG initiatives provide broadband access to all Australians, the government has said.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra, Optus, Vodafone complaints rise as zero recorded for Pivotel

Telstra had a complaints ratio of 9.2 per 10,000 services in operation during the quarter to December, while Optus had 10.6 and Vodafone had 4.9, with 0.0 recorded for Pivotel, according to the TIO and Comms Alliance.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 24th Jan 2018

M1 snags 20K additional mobile subs ahead of TPG network launch

While losing 25,000 prepaid mobile customers across 2017, M1 gained 45,000 post-paid customers, although it is expecting competition to grow once fourth provider TPG enters the market at the end of this year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra cripples T-Box to drive Australians to Foxtel and subscription video

Telstra has decided to kill the smart TV features in its ageing T-Box video recorders, leaving long-time customers fuming as they begin the search for a new set-top box to rule the lounge room.

Source: SMH

Telstra, Ericsson and Ciena: 'world’s fastest speeds' achieved on Telstra in Melbourne

A successful demonstration of 400Gbps speeds over 61.5 GHz spectrum on Telstra’s transmission network in Melbourne has shown "the highest spectral efficiency per fibre pair ever achieved in a live environment and enables up to 30.4 terabit per second (Tbps) bandwidth."

Source: iTWire

Tue, 23rd Jan 2018

Vodafone handed govt back money for missed jobs target

Vodafone was forced to hand back $330,433 from a $4 million grant by the federal government after failing to deliver 700 new positions to its Hobart call centre.

Source: iTnews Australia

Indigo to build Perth-Singapore cable 'ahead of schedule'

Construction of the Indigo consortium’s Perth-Singapore subsea cable project will begin “ahead of schedule”, in a sign of intensifying competition to secure custom on the west coast transmission route.

Source: iTnews Australia