Broadband News
Mon, 02nd May 2016
Meet the new NBN boss, same as the old copper boss
Despite Australia spending decades moving away from a monopoly telecommunications provider, Telstra remains dominant in NBN services while the network appears stuck at 25Mbps.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra looks to return $1.5 billion to shareholders from Autohome sale
Telstra will return $1.5 billion to shareholders in a capital management program using the proceeds from the recent sale of its majority stake in Chinese online car sales business Autohome.
Source: iTWire
What's New On Netflix, Stan And Foxtel Anytime For May
From Game of Thrones, to original series Wolf Creek, to Ant-Man — here’s just a taste of what Netflix, Stan and Foxtel Anytime are streaming for the month of May.
Source: Gizmodo
Telstra spends $50 million on network recommendations
Telstra is committing an additional $50 million to implement new recommendations after conducting a review following recent mobile network disruptions.
Source: ARN
Sun, 01st May 2016
NBN Wholesale market: ‘initial’ ACCC report released
The initial quarterly NBN wholesale market indicators report for the period ending 31 March 2016 has been released by the ACCC.
Source: iTWire
ACCAN launches consumer guide for NBN satellite services
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has launched a guide to the nbn’s Sky Muster Internet services which it says will be useful for regional and remote consumers who have previously faced difficulties created by the lack of adequate services and exorbitant costs.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 29th Apr 2016
Only 37 percent of remote Australians use internet via smartphone: ACMA
While the use of internet has increased across the board in both capital cities and non-urban areas, there is still a disparity when it comes to access.
Source: ZDNet Australia
TPG buying highest speed NBN wholesale services
Australia's consumer watchdog has issued its first report on the state of play in the NBN wholesale market, revealing TPG is leading the pack in acquiring the highest speed NBN wholesale services.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN launches satellite services
Those living in rural and remote Australia will begin being connected to NBN's satellite service at a current rate of 5,000 premises per month.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN resellers get hands on satellite
NBN has launched its wholesale broadband satellite service Sky Muster.
Source: CRN
ACCC releases first report on nbn wholesale market
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has pulled together an initial quarterly nbn wholesale market indicators report for the period ending March 31.
Source: ARN
Consumers should be able to bypass geoblocking: Govt agency
The Federal Government's Productivity Commission is urging lawmakers to make it clear that using VPNs to bypass geoblocking is not piracy.
Source: ABC News
TPG commits to buckets of bandwidth
TPG is looking to expand bandwidth capacity to service the acceleration of traffic to the cloud.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN satellite 'world leading' for speed, data, pricing: Ovum
In an analysis based on data allowance, download speed, upload speed, and pricing per GB, NBN's satellite has been ranked ahead of other broadband satellite services worldwide.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Optus Prepaid Customers Can Now Stream Music Quota-Free
If you’re an Optus prepaid customer, there’s no reason to download your Spotify playlists to your phone any more. New and existing prepaid customers on Australia’s second largest mobile network will have uncapped, quota-free streaming of half a dozen different music services including Spotify and Google Play Music.
Source: Gizmodo
Woolworths Mobile, Aldi Get 4G On Telstra's Network From Today
Telstra has finally opened up its higher-speed 4G mobile network for its MVNO partners Aldi Mobile, Woolworths, Telechoice and Better Life, and that means those telcos’ customers can now enjoy faster download speeds and even wider network coverage — but there’s a catch.
Source: Gizmodo
Kogan Mobile upgrades to 4G network
Kogan Mobile is improving its service for all of its new and existing customers, with the company confirming that it will switch on 4G services for all customers by June, with no increase in prices.
Source: ARN
Thu, 28th Apr 2016
Quickflix CEO confident of bounceback
The streaming provider will reposition as a digital consumer, ecommerce, and entertainment service while under administration, according to the chief executive.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone AU loses market share as Telstra, Optus rise: Kantar
Vodafone now has 15.2 percent total mobile market share, while Telstra holds 41.1 percent and Optus 22.7 percent, with the no-contract segment rising again.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra delivers 4G wholesale early for MVNOs and their customers
Anyone who uses a Telstra MVNO like Aldi Mobile, Woolworths Connect, Telechoice and Better Life can now start to enjoy Telstra 4G speeds at long last.
Source: iTWire
How Channel Nine Killed Quickflix, Australia's Streaming Pioneer
Quickflix became the first victim of the streaming wars in Australia yesterday, announcing it is in voluntary administration, a move many anticipated.
Source: Gizmodo
What’s on ‘Foxtel Anytime’ streaming in May 2016
It’s not just Presto and Netflix advising what’s new on their streaming services - now Foxtel (owner of Presto) is doing it, too!
Source: iTWire
Telstra, Optus, Amaysim grow mobile marketshare at expense of other telcos
Telstra, Optus and Amaysim have boosted their share of mobile phone subscribers in Australia largely at the expense of Vodafone, Virgin and TPG (excluding iiNet), according to a newly published report on the smartphone market.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 27th Apr 2016
NBN tech choice program already provides fibre for Tasmania: Fifield
Tasmanians don't need Labor's promise to deliver a fibre connection if elected, as they can already choose to spend thousands of their own money on NBN's fibre-on-demand product, according to the federal government.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra chair Catherine Livingstone steps down
Telstra's long-serving chair is being replaced by John Mullen ahead of taking up her role as UTS chancellor.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Labor pledges fibre NBN for Tasmanian west coast if elected
'Labor will make it happen,' Jason Clare has said in regards to the west coast of Tasmania receiving fibre NBN connections.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN confirms no one has purchased an area switch
While few individuals are choosing to upgrade their NBN connection to full fibre, even fewer councils and corporate bodies are going with an upgrade from NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra, Visionstream extend exchange maintenance deal for $350m
Telstra has agreed to a five-year deal with Visionstream that will see the infrastructure services company continue to maintain over 40,000 exchange and network assets across Australia.
Source: iTnews Australia
Labor promises fibre nbn network for N-W Tassie, but cops a blast from government
Labor’s announcement that it plans to construct a fibre-optic network in north-west Tasmania, if elected, to deliver National Broadband Network services to the area has been lambasted by the federal government as an ‘unfunded’ misuse of government business funds.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 26th Apr 2016
Basslink lays 1355m of new subsea cable
Basslink has completed the first stage of repairs to its damaged Bass Strait cable by laying 1355 metres of new cable on the seabed.
Source: iTnews Australia