Broadband News
Wed, 08th Nov 2017
NBN Co goes on management hiring spree
NBN Co is planning a major expansion of management in its customer experience and product operations, intending to bring 12 new managers on board.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 06th Nov 2017
NBN Co puts spotlight on businesses after flood of complaints
Australia's besieged NBN Co moves its focus from the residential rollout to business, after complaints unreliable internet is having "a catastrophic effect" at some organisations.
Source: ABC News
NBN Co readies 1Gbps enterprise Ethernet service
NBN Co will this month start trials of a symmetric 1Gbps service delivered over Ethernet for the enterprise market.
Source: iTnews Australia
nbn prepares channel program pilot ahead of 2018 launch
nbn to launch pilot channel program before the end of the year in preparation for an official launch, expected during early 2018.
Source: ARN
Fri, 03rd Nov 2017
Cockatoos gnaw spare NBN cables on towers
NBN Co is working to encase the ends of cables exposed on its fixed wireless sites after cockatoos stripped the steel braided sheathing, causing over $80,000 in damage.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co will stay off federal budget books
NBN Co’s prized status as a public non-financial corporation is not under review despite warnings it may never be profitable, ensuring it will remain off the federal budget.
Source: iTnews Australia
TPG fined by ACMA for spamming
TPG has been fined $360,000 by the Australian Communications and Media Authority for not unsubscribing customers who requested to stop receiving marketing messages.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 02nd Nov 2017
Telstra reviews its NBN CVC consumption weekly
Telstra is reviewing the amount of connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) bandwidth it is buying from NBN Co on a rolling weekly basis in a bid to maintain service levels.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACCC launches NBN inquiry amid customer complaints
Australia's consumer watchdog will hold a public inquiry into the standard of the National Broadband Network's wholesale service after a dramatic rise in the number of customer complaints.
Source: ABC News
NSW Telco Authority pushes for mobile broadband spectrum
Public safety agencies should be allocated 850MHz mobile broadband spectrum, the NSW Telco Authority has said, while also working with commercial carriers on delivery of projects and asset sharing.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra to introduce unlimited NBN data plans
Telstra CEO Andy Penn has said the company will be introducing an unlimited broadband data plan in the coming weeks, alongside a doubling of data for users who pay less than AU$99 per month.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC's cautious 5G welcome sees competition issues flagged
The ACCC says it is "rethinking the way it approaches spectrum competition issues ahead of the upcoming 5G auction".
Source: iTWire
Wed, 01st Nov 2017
Telstra and Ericsson take a step closer to Aussie 5G deployment
Telstra and Ericsson have completed what they claim is the world’s first 5G trial data call over 26GHz radiofrequency spectrum.
Source: ARN
Fifield: New spectrum Bill in 2018
After releasing its partial draft Radiocommunications Bill in May following a consultation paper in March last year, Fifield has said the government is aiming to introduce its updated Bill to Parliament next year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
'They don’t give a f---': NBN director blasts ISPs for poor speeds
Australian internet service providers that complain about the fee they have to pay per megabit for access to the national broadband network don't care about consumers or quality of service, according to NBN Co non-executive director Michael Malone.
Source: SMH
Tue, 31st Oct 2017
Australian Greens says 'yes' to NBN Co debt relief
The Australian Greens says the NBN should prioritise the provision of an essential service ahead of cost recovery.
Source: iTWire
Victoria laments being “short-changed” by Mobile Black Spot Program
The Vic Govt has complained of missing out on Mobile Black Spot Program attention as it co-funds 25 new mobile towers with Optus.
Source: ARN
Trans-Pacific subsea cable gets green light
A consortium of tech firms including SoftBank, NTT, Facebook and Amazon have hit go on a new trans-Pacific subsea cable project.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACMA consulting industry on self-regulation
Telecommunications regulator the Australian Communications and Media Authority is contemplating whether certain industry functions, including the Do Not Call Register and sections of the Spam Act relating to electronic messaging should be self-regulated by industry.
Source: iTWire
Yet another NBN 'shortfall', perfect fodder for the ACCC and TIO?
A reader wrote in with a curiously amusing reply from NBN Co regarding the availability for NBN for that reader's home, with the NBN available for a neighbour, but not available for our reader.
Source: iTWire
Mon, 30th Oct 2017
CCC says ACCC draft market study report 'a milestone for future regulation'
The CCC says the ACCC's draft report "is a significant milestone in shaping appropriate future regulation of the rapidly changing telecoms and communications sector."
Source: iTWire
ACCC casts doubt on future NBN profits
The ACCC has urged the government to reconsider the requirement for NBN Co to recover its costs and turn a profit.
Source: iTnews Australia
Can ACCC's new study solve the NBN mess, or are its '29 recommendations' toothless?
Can a government organisation (ACCC) solve the NBN mess created by the government organisation that caused it (NBN Co), or will we just end up with 29 recommendations spanning a wide range of competition and consumer issues in communications markets?
Source: iTWire
NBN opens up ‘digitisation’ opportunities for Aussie business, says senior exec
A senior executive of the company building the National Broadband Network, NBN Co, says the NBN represents a significant opportunity for the ICT industry to assist in the digital transformation of Australian business.
Source: iTWire
Exetel first to roll out Optus Wholesale alternative to fixed broadband
Services provider, Exetel, will be the first partner to roll out Optus Wholesale home wireless broadband solution.
Source: ARN
NBN, mobile blackspots could face legal challenge
Decisions on mobile blackspot funding and the regional NBN rollout could be susceptible to legal challenges by aggrieved third parties, according to Labor.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACCC questions NBN cost recovery arrangements
A draft report on the state of Australian’s communications market calls for the government to consider a number of radical changes to the policy settings governing the rollout of the National Broadband Network.
Source: Computerworld
Fri, 27th Oct 2017
NBN to deliver broadband services to Defence bases
Personnel at some 400 Air Force, Navy and Army sites will receive broadband access under a deal between the Australian Defence Force and NBN.
Source: Computerworld
NBN signs Defence Force deal
Under a deal with the Australian Defence Force, NBN will provide broadband access to 400 navy, army, and air force sites across the nation.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 26th Oct 2017
The NBN is just another government project failure
About five minutes into ABC’s Four Corners investigation into the National Broadband Network (NBN) program on Monday evening, I realised that once again, we weren’t talking about the real issues of large government project failure.
Source: ARN