Broadband News
Mon, 09th May 2016
Optus launches VoLTE across Australian capital cities
Samsung post-paid users living in major cities will get to use Optus' 4G network to make voice calls.
Source: ZDNet Australia
What A Time To Be Alive: You Can Now Have Your Face On An NBN Satellite Rocket
The NBN’s second satellite, Sky Muster II, is launching in a rocket that will have a unique feature — artwork with the faces of 1,210 Australians.
Source: Gizmodo
Optus gets on board VoLTE rollout
Telecommunications company, Optus, has commenced rollout of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) across its 4G Plus mobile network in Australia’s major capital cities.
Source: ARN
ACMA review proposes 'full-stack' comms regulation
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) could be given a deeper remit to cover all layers of the communications sector if the recommendations of a government review are enacted.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 06th May 2016
FTTN revenue begins to trickle in for NBN
For the first time since the technology launched last year, NBN has recorded revenue from fibre to the node (FTTN). Albeit only a trickle, even by the standards of the still-under-construction National Broadband Network.
Source: Computerworld
Telstra argues against compliance costs for piracy website blocking
The cost of complying with court orders to block The Pirate Bay and other piracy websites -- which TPG put at AU$50 per DNS block, and M2 put at AU$800 maximum in total -- is being disputed by Telstra.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN announces AU$1.95b loss
NBN's revenue and assets have grown alongside its loss as the network's rollout picks up speed.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Foxtel, Village and ISPs yet to agree on the cost of blocking pirate sites
TPG (including subsidiaries such as iiNet), Telstra, Optus and M2 have confirmed they don’t intend to oppose Federal Court applications by Foxtel and Village Roadshow that seek to have the ISPs block their customers access a collection of piracy-linked websites.
Source: Computerworld
nbn on track to meet its financial year plan: Bill Morrow
nbn has revealed its third quarter results, showing a total revenue $111 million, an increase of more than 158 per cent versus the previous corresponding period in fiscal year 2015.
Source: ARN
Mobile resellers granted three years mercy for roaming rules
Mobile network resellers have been declared exempt from international mobile roaming standards for another three years.
Source: CRN
Thu, 05th May 2016
Over 150 data retention plans approved without finalised compensation model
Despite being legally bound to implement a warrantless data-retention scheme, the Australian Attorney-General's Department has maintained there is a 'spirit of cooperation' with industry.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus looks to lock in EPL fans with new bundles
Fans of the English Premier League (EPL) hoping for a more egalitarian delivery method for the world’s largest football competition are sure to be disappointed after Optus outlined its plans for the 2016/17 season.
Source: ARN
Optus faces backlash from Australian fans over English Premier League pricing options
Australian soccer fans have slammed Optus for its English Premier League packages, pricing and lack of availability to non-Optus customers, after the telco released its pricing plan on Wednesday.
Source: SMH
ACMA makes changes to mobile roaming standards
Mobile phone users travelling overseas now have the choice of opting out of receiving roaming usage alerts from telcos and their phone service providers now have more flexibility in the ways they offer customers the ability to decline mobile roaming services.
Source: iTWire
How Optus Stole The English Premier League From Foxtel
The news many football fans feared was confirmed yesterday: you will have to sign up to Optus to watch the English Premier League from next season.
Source: Gizmodo
Consumer advocate hammers Optus' 'bungled' EPL pricing plan
The backlash to Optus' steep pricing plan for its Premier League coverage continues, with consumer advocate Choice suggesting flying to England to watch a game live may be a cheaper option for Australian fans.
Source: ABC News
Wed, 04th May 2016
Optus announces EPL mobile, broadband data streaming plans
Optus will be streaming the 2016/17 English Premier League season on selected plans starting at AU$15 per month.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACMA crackdown enforces Do Not Call Register compliance
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) continues a crackdown on companies breaching the Do Not Call Register Act, with a financial services company – Premium Financial Services – hit with a $34,000 infringement notice after telemarketing calls were made in breach of the Act.
Source: iTWire
MyNetFone's Sugo says govt Budget inaction threatens NBN, telco industry viability
Rene Sugo, CEO and co-founder of telecommunications and network provider MNF Group – owner of retail telco MyNetFone – has criticised the Federal Government for not taking the opportunity to write-off part of the nbn build in Tuesday’s budget.
Source: iTWire
Online outrage as Optus releases Premier League pricing
Optus releases its pricing plan for its English Premier League coverage, prompting an online backlash from football fans in Australia.
Source: ABC News
Australian Federal Budget 2016: NBN still needs to raise money
What does Australia’s new federal Budget 2016 say about the NBN? Details within, with links to the documents so you can see for yourself.
Source: iTWire
The NBN Is Down To Its Final Year Of Public Funding
The government-owned company responsible for building the National Broadband Network receives its final piece of the initial allocation of its $29.5 billion in public funding in this year’s Budget, but any further cost over-runs might require more money from the taxpayer purse if private investment cannot be found.
Source: Gizmodo
Tue, 03rd May 2016
The NBN is about to run out of money
The federal government's final injection of public money into the national broadband network will run out at the end of the 2016-17 financial year, budget papers reveal.
Source: iTnews Australia
Budget 2016: NBN approaches limit of government funding
Barring disaster, this year’s federal budget will mark the final government injection of capital into NBN, with $8.8 billion earmarked for the National Broadband Network rollout.
Source: Computerworld
nbn delivers broadband to Macquarie Island Antarctic Division
The national broadband network has now extended its reach to one of Australia’s most remote territories – Macquarie Island, deep in the Southern Ocean and the base for the Australian Antarctic Division.
Source: iTWire
Mon, 02nd May 2016
Optus keeps mantle as most complained about telco
Optus now has twice the complaint ratio of the once-loathed Vodafone, while complaints for the entire industry are down 5.6 percent year-on-year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Consumers getting raw deal on broadband services, ACCAN calls for government action
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) is concerned about what it says is a lack of information available to consumers about broadband services and issues of performance and slow Internet speeds. The network now wants the Federal Government to fund an independent broadband monitoring program.
Source: iTWire
Optus launches new broadband bundles with unlimited data offers
Optus is touting the launch of new home broadband bundles which it says will “put an end to excess broadband stress” and which offer great value to its new and recontracting customers.
Source: iTWire
Telco services complaints up by 32.8% for March quarter
Complaints about telcos by consumers suffering faulty services and connection delays – particularly with Internet services – to the industry ombudsman in the three months to the end of March rose by 32.8%.
Source: iTWire
Telstra to spend $50m to prevent mobile network failures
Telstra will spend an additional $50 million on its mobile network in a bid to prevent ongoing outages that have left customers fuming.
Source: ABC News