Broadband News

Fri, 15th Dec 2017

ACCC sues Optus for rushing users onto NBN

Optus has been taken to court by the ACCC for allegedly misleading 20,000 HFC customers about their disconnection date in order to rush them onto the national broadband network.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus faces court after allegedly misleading 20,000 customers

The ACCC has taken Optus Internet to court alleging that the telco misled up to 20,000 customers over NBN migration time-frames.

Source: ARN

Optus offers data-free sports from Seven Network: 2018 Aussie Open, Olympics and Comm Games

Optus is offering new apps to offer data-free streaming of Seven’s live coverage of Australian Open, Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Source: iTWire

Thu, 14th Dec 2017

TPG moves on discounted 50Mbps NBN tier

TPG and its subsidiary internet brands are the first to publicly adopt temporary 50Mbps NBN pricing, dropping mention of the 25Mbps tier from their websites.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet wants your money to give you back your money

iiNet is in many ways a unique ISP. It is one of the few that started life in a garage, following the Silicon Valley model. It used to be very good at providing service. But after being bought by TPG, it only seems to be obsessed with money.

Source: iTWire

In preparation for 5G, Optus bolsters metro network coverage with 2300 and 3500MHz spectrum

Optus has "successfully acquired a variety of new metropolitan licences for its customers in the 2300 MHz and 3500 MHz spectrum bands," for better metro coverage and 5G preparation.

Source: iTWire

NBN reseller enters liquidation owing $330K

NBN retail service provider, Tellnet, has been placed into liquidation owing $330,000 to secured and unsecured creditors.

Source: ARN

Telstra pays $50m for Brisbane 5G spectrum

Telstra has paid $50 million at auction for a block of 3.4GHz spectrum in Brisbane, a clear sign of its build preparations for a 5G network.

Source: iTnews Australia

$92.6 million paid out as spectrum auction wraps up

The sale of spectrum has been completed with Optus and Telstra, TPG, the wholesale operator of the National Broadband Network, NBN Co, and Vodafone, all securing spectrum to be used to help them meet what they say is rising demand for mobile and fixed wireless broadband services. Telstra was the dominant buyer of spectrum, shelling out $72.5 million.

Source: iTWire

Telstra pays $72.5M to tap into more mobile spectrum

​Telstra has agreed to cough up $72.5 million for additional mobile spectrum usage in Australia, as country's latest bandwidth auction wraps up.

Source: ARN

NBN sets up 50Mbps as flagship speed under new wholesale pricing

NBN will be offering bundled AVC and CVC pricing to retailers as of Q2 next year, with discounts across the 50Mbps and 100Mbps tiers designed to drive uptake of higher-speed plans.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN Co hopes new prices will reveal network's power

NBN Co is hoping to demonstrate its network is capable of more than what end users currently see, using new prices to tempt users onto higher-speed services.

Source: iTnews Australia

MyRepublic has mixed feelings over long awaited pricing review

Internet speed champion MyRepublic’s A/NZ MD, Nicholas Demos, reports "mixed feelings regarding the long awaited pricing review and raises concerns over the impact on the local market."

Source: iTWire

New NBN pricing targets capacity woes, low take-up of high speed plans

NBN has unveiled new bundled services that it hopes will encourage retail service providers (RSPs) to sell higher speed National Broadband Network plans while also combating the under-provisioning of capacity.

Source: Computerworld

Wed, 13th Dec 2017

Rowland makes NBN an issue ahead of by-election

Labor Shadow Communcations Minister Michelle Rowland claims it is unthinkable that Malcolm Turnbull is spending $50 billion on a second-rate NBN that could be leaving residents on the HFC network with fifty times more network downtime when compared to those on fibre.

Source: iTWire

Tue, 12th Dec 2017

Internet Australia wants all ISPs to reimburse consumers misled over line speeds

Internet Australia has weighed into the debate about consumers being misled on Internet speeds by telcos, calling on all ISPs to follow Telstra and Optus and reimburse misled FttN customers.

Source: iTWire

Who's to blame for a shonky NBN? Take a look in the mirror

Over the years, blame has been laid on various individuals and organisations for the fiasco that is known as the national broadband network. But we've neglected to turn the blowtorch on one party that has played a big role in things turning out this way.

Source: iTWire

Govt confirms business NBN tax is scope creep

The government has all but admitted its decision to apply the ‘NBN tax’ to business broadband services amounts to scope creep, revealing such services were not counted in initial modelling.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus launches package to improve customer relationships

Australia's second largest telecommunications company, Optus, has expanded the customer experience management solutions offered by its Optus Business division, launching a cloud-hosted package to improve clients' customer relationships.

Source: iTWire

Vocus launches Indonesia link for Australia-Singapore cable

Vocus Communications has officially launched the submarine cable between Australia and Singapore in Indonesia with partner company XL Axiata.

Source: iTWire

Mon, 11th Dec 2017

AFP's foreign metadata disclosures dip

The Australian Federal Police disclosed the telecommunications metadata of 13 people - including two Australian citizens - to foreign law enforcement agencies in the most recent financial year.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus dumps billing for third-party content subscriptions

Optus will stop allowing third-party subscription services like mobile games to charge their fees to telecommunications bills from the end of January next year.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus to compensate 8,700 customers for slow NBN speeds

The telco admits it is likely to have breached the Australian Consumer Law and will compensate 8,700 NBN customers who got less than they bargained for.

Source: ABC News

NBN Co moves to keep activations on track

NBN Co is set to employ new state-based managers to ensure the company doesn’t miss its service activation targets between now and 2020.

Source: iTnews Australia

Fri, 08th Dec 2017

Not prudent to have NBN line tests prior to service: Morrow

It would be impracticable to conduct line tests prior to Australians signing with a retailer to connect to the NBN, CEO Bill Morrow has said.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Mobile takes hold for Aussie internet explorers

ACMA report reveals that mobile phones are the most popular and frequently used device for internet access in the country.

Source: ARN

Data use in Australia explodes by 43% in past year: ACMA

The amount of data Australians are consuming has gone through the roof - rising by 43% in the past year, according to a new report tabled by the ACMA in the Federal Parliament today. We’re also using a more diverse range of devices, although the mobile phone is still the most popular and frequently used way to go online.

Source: iTWire

NBN Co eyes $500M revenue delay after HFC pause

​NBN Co could miss out on revenues of $50M and see a revenue delay of up to $500M thanks to its halted HFC network rollout.

Source: ARN

NBN HFC delay will hit small ISPs more: claim

The delay announced by NBN Co in allowing consumers to connect to the national broadband network from the HFC network is likely to hit small and new entrants into the field of retail service providers.

Source: iTWire

Greens claim NBN experience is 'overwhelmingly negative'

Connecting to the national broadband network has been an overwhelmingly negative experience for consumers, the Australian Greens NBN spokesman Senator Jordon Steele-John claims.

Source: iTWire