Broadband News

Mon, 28th Aug 2017

Amaysim's first NBN users buck trend for high-speed plans

Amaysim has built an NBN subscriber base of “3000-plus” customers in its first four months offering NBN plans of its own, with up to one-third opting for the highest speed plans.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telcos To Act On NBN Nightmare Migrations

With the nationwide rollout half over, NBN and its cohorts finally concede they need to do more to help Australians trapped in broadband hell.

Source: Gizmodo

Amaysim’s NBN play pays off despite broadband business loss

​Amaysim has seen NBN customers surge, but the company's broadband business returned a $2.6 million underlying loss for the year.

Source: ARN

NBN Co justifies use of FttN for Sydney Botanical Gardens

NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, says it was forced to use fibre-to-the-node technology to connect Sydney's Royal Botanical Gardens because of the heritage listing of the 30-hectare site.

Source: iTWire

Fri, 25th Aug 2017

NBN admits customers in new properties facing 'unacceptable' delays

The company rolling out the NBN is reviewing the way it connects newly built properties to the network after conceding customers are facing "unacceptable" and "lengthy" delays.

Source: ABC News

Thu, 24th Aug 2017

NBN: govt doing everything but what is needed

As the hum of complaints about the NBN grew and grew, reaching a shrill pitch, it was only to be expected that the government would react; each NBN user represents at least one vote in its reckoning.

Source: iTWire

ACCC broadband monitoring scheme has been flooded with applicants

The ACCC already has 7400 internet users vying for half as many spots on its forthcoming broadband performance monitoring program.

Source: iTnews Australia

Wed, 23rd Aug 2017

ACCC should try explaining NBN speeds to grandma

Only a bureaucrat would think 'standard plus evening speed' is an informative label.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Vocus revenue nears $2B

Vocus has published its audited full year results reporting revenue for the 2017 financial year of $1.82 billion, up 119 per cent from the previous year.

Source: ARN

NBN hooks up 6 million homes and businesses

Some 6 million households and businesses are able to connect to the National Broadband Network, NBN announced this morning.

Source: Computerworld

ACS subsea cable to go live mid-2018 as Vocus announces AU$1.5b net loss

Despite adding a link to Christmas Island, Vocus is predicting that its ASC subsea cable will be live by July 2018, ahead of competitor systems Trident and Indigo.

Source: ZDNet Australia

The NBN rollout has failed. Here's how we fix it

The National Broadband Network has been reduced to an engineering project mired in politics, but a first generation of "telecommunication planners" could fix it, writes Tooran Alizadeh.

Source: ABC News

Tue, 22nd Aug 2017

Vodafone unveils NBN plans

Vodafone's initial launch will provide 12Mbps, 25Mbps, 50Mbps, and 100Mbps plans across NBN's fixed-line technologies in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Wollongong, Geelong, and Newcastle.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telcos band together to solve NBN migration issues

The CEOs of NBN, Optus, Telstra, TPG, Vocus, and Comms Alliance have met with the government, the TIO, the ACMA, and the ACCC to discuss solving migration and customer issues on the NBN.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Simplicity, mobile data key to Vodafone’s NBN offerings

Vodafone is gearing up for the “imminent” launch of an internal National Broadband Network pilot ahead of a broader rollout of NBN services.

Source: Computerworld

Comms Alliance blows hot and cold on ACCC broadband speed guidelines

The Communications Alliance has expressed some reservations about the competition watchdog's announcement of six principles of best practice in advertising broadband speeds.

Source: iTWire

ACCC sounds warning on NBN scammers

The ACCC has sounded a warning to the public on scammers pretending to be from the NBN, conning victims out of their money and personal information.

Source: ARN

Mon, 21st Aug 2017

RSPs should advertise based on busy evening speeds: ACCC

RSPs should adopt a labelling system for 'typical busy period' broadband speeds across the categories of basic evening speed, standard evening speed, standard plus evening speed, and premium evening speed, the ACCC has advised.

Source: ZDNet Australia

ACCC toughens up on retailer advertised NBN speed claims

The competition watchdog, the ACCC, has moved to clarify for consumers the confusing issue of the speed of broadband services over the national broadband network they are actually buying, with the publication of much tougher advertising guidelines for retailers.

Source: iTWire

NBN Co to start DOCSIS 3.1 field trials in February

NBN Co is set to begin its first DOCSIS 3.1 field trials in February next year ahead of a planned commercial launch on the HFC network before the end of 2018.

Source: iTnews Australia

Bidders drop out of race for Vocus

The two companies circling troubled telco Vocus have both dropped plans for a buyout after failing to reach “acceptable” terms.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN prepares for field trials of gigabit HFC technology

NBN is preparing to launch field trials using the DOCSIS 3.1 cable broadband standard, which is capable of delivering gigabit speeds over hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) connections.

Source: Computerworld

ACCC urges broadband retailers to update product labels

The ACCC has served up new ways for broadband resellers to talk about their services in fresh guidance aimed at resolving speed issues among end customers.

Source: ARN

Fri, 18th Aug 2017

Foxtel wins court case to block over 120 piracy sites

Foxtel's bid to have more than 120 alleged piracy sites including Yes Movies, Los Movies, Watch Series, 1337x, and Putlocker blocked by the Federal Court has been successful.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Federal Court blocks another 42 piracy sites

Roadshow's bid to have 42 alleged torrenting and streaming sites including Demonoid, ExtraTorrent, LimeTorrents, MegaShare, Piratebay.to, and EZTV blocked by Federal Court has been successful.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Price of Piracy site launches, Foxtel welcomes anti-pirate court action

Foxtel is giving the big F to piracy sites as it welcomes continued court action on piracy site blocking, with “Yes Movies, Vumoo, Los Movies, Cartoon HD, Putlocker and more” to walk the plank of ISP blocking.

Source: iTWire

Big expansion for Australia’s anti-piracy website blocking regime

The Federal Court this morning ordered Australia’s biggest Internet service providers (ISPs) to block 58 individual pirate sites and more than 200 different domains and IP addresses.

Source: Computerworld

Thu, 17th Aug 2017

Telstra plans to sell $5bn in future NBN revenue

Telstra has outlined a plan to sell at least $5 billion of its future NBN revenues, though it will need approval from the government and NBN Co to do so.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra to launch low-cost mobile brand

Telstra is set to make a major play for the “price-sensitive” end of the mobile market by launching services under its no frills Belong brand.

Source: iTnews Australia

Vocus' net profit comes in under expectations

Vocus Group's unaudited financials for the year have revealed the company's net profit after tax has come in $152.3 million below its expected guidance range.

Source: ARN