Broadband News
Tue, 19th Dec 2017
Australia-Singapore cable opens up new strategic data route, says Vocus
The Australia Singapore Cable (ASC) network will open the door for a new strategic data route - the Great Southern Route - connecting South East Asia to North America via Australia, according to owner Vocus, when it opens for business in July 2018.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co extends Ericsson managed services deal to 2020
NBN Co extends its fixed wireless and satellite managed services deal with Ericsson to 2020.
Source: ARN
Telcos double NBN tower use for mobile blackspots
Mobile carriers are now expecting to co-locate antennas funded by the government’s mobile blackspots program on 77 NBN fixed wireless towers, more than double previously planned.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co resumes micronode rollout
NBN Co has quickly resumed its rollout of micronodes in parts of the fibre-to-the-node network after fixing problems with the first batch of 1423 boxes.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 18th Dec 2017
NBN should pause fixed-wireless sales to fix congestion: Aussie Broadband
Much like NBN's HFC pause, Aussie Broadband has said the fixed-wireless rollout could be halted in order to repair congestion among towers in certain areas.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC calls for industry feedback over NBN Co service levels
The ACCC is on the hunt for industry comment about the service levels that NBN Co commits to in its wholesale contracts with resellers.
Source: ARN
Aussie Broadband wants NBN Co to remediate wireless
Aussie Broadband has called on NBN Co to halt sales on its fixed wireless network and improve the service in the same way the network builder is throwing resources at HFC.
Source: iTnews Australia
Cheaper rates draw Aussies to switch NBN providers: research
Aussies who are switching between providers and choosing a new NBN service provider are increasingly making the switch based on cheaper rates, faster data connection/ download speeds and clear pricing of the plan, according to a newly published research report.
Source: iTWire
TIO tries to match NBN complaints to access techs
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is trying to get access to NBN Co’s core systems to automatically match complaints it receives to the last-mile access technology being used.
Source: iTnews Australia
One third of NBN users 'would change back if they could,' calls to scrap NBN12 speed tier
A new report "reveals widely varying user experiences for Australia’s NBN customers, with a third of NBN users wishing they could return to their non-NBN service."
Source: iTWire
Sun, 17th Dec 2017
Queensland wants to build its own NBN
The Queensland government wants to build its own broadband network to rival the NBN in response to complaints about the rollout of the national network, particularly in regional areas.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 15th Dec 2017
TPG NBN 100 plan only hits 50Mbps at peak times as 25Mbps plan killed off
The telco has responded to the NBN wholesale price changes by removing its 25Mbps plan and revealing typical evening speeds.
Source: ZDNet Australia
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