Broadband News

Tue, 18th Aug 2020

VoIP phone on NBN: Everything you need to know

Moving to the NBN also means moving your landline to a VoIP phone service. This is a bit confusing for some people, but we're here to the help with the most frequently asked questions about this topic.

Source: WhistleOut

ACCC and Google come to blows over new media bargaining laws

After Google on Monday published an open letter declaring that Australia's proposed media bargaining laws were unfair and put the "way Aussies' search at risk", the consumer watchdog rebutted, labelling the post as misinformation.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Mon, 17th Aug 2020

Google unleashes rebuke on Australian antitrust law

​Internet giant Google has criticised proposed Australian antitrust laws, saying its free search service would be "at risk" and users' personal data could be shared if it is made to pay news organisations for their content.

Source: ARN

ACCC accuses Google of seeding media code 'misinformation'

Australia’s competition watchdog has accused Google of spreading ‘misinformation’ after the web giant weaponised its search engine to warn users of so-called risks with the country’s proposed media code.

Source: iTnews Australia

Fri, 14th Aug 2020

Union says NBN Co move to axe 800 jobs now 'a disgrace'

The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union of Australia, the body that represents workers who are employed by NBN Co, the company that is rolling out the country's national broadband network, has called on the Federal Government to reconsider the axing of 800 jobs at the company in the middle of a pandemic when people are more reliant on the network than ever.

Source: iTWire

Thu, 13th Aug 2020

Bidders unable to buy over 1GHz in Australian 26GHz 5G spectrum auction

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts Paul Fletcher announced on Thursday he has directed the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to set limits on the upcoming millimetre wave auction due in March.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Newly-merged TPG Telecom reveals leadership team

The newly-combined entity of TPG and Vodafone Australia has unveiled its executive line-up a month after finalising its $15 billion merger​.

Source: ARN

Telstra profit falls by 14% after year of bush fires and COVID-19

Telstra has posted another year of tumbling profits as the summer bush fires and COVID-19 pandemic hit its already beleaguered finances.

Source: ARN

Aussie Broadband now has 5080 'up to gigabit' NBN customers

Aussie Broadband has increased customer numbers on NBN Co’s newly-affordable ‘up to gigabit’ speed plans to 5080, a greater than 90 percent share of all signups.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra calls profitability of NBN services 'negligible at best'

Telstra boss Andy Penn has renewed long-running calls for NBN Co to alter its wholesale pricing, saying the profitability of selling NBN services “is negligible at best”.

Source: iTnews Australia

Government sets bidding limits for next 5G spectrum auction

Bidding limits for Australia’s next 5G spectrum auction, which is scheduled to occur in March 2021, have been announced by the Federal Government.

Source: iTWire

NBN connections climb to 7.4 million with new activations, says ACCC

More than 7.4 million consumers are now connected to the National Broadband Network after the activation of 383,257 new services in the three months to the end of June, according to the competition regulator, the ACCC.

Source: iTWire

Wed, 12th Aug 2020

Vodafone offering 50GB for $35, new home wireless plans, and bundle discounts

Vodafone just dropped a whole bunch of plan changes. Here's what you need to know.

Source: WhistleOut

Superloop CEO Drew Kelton signals exit

Superloop has turned to former NBN Co enterprise boss Paul Tyler to replace its outgoing CEO Drew Kelton.

Source: ARN

NBN migration pushes SD-WAN take up in Australian market ahead of other markets, says analyst

Software-defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) has taken off quicker in Australia than some other markets partly due to the migration of “last-mile access” to the National Broadband Network (NBN), according to a new analyst report.

Source: iTWire

Optus offers Victorians free UEFA Champions Trophy football stream

Singtel Optus will make its Optus Sport broadcast available free of cost to all Victorians to watch the UEFA Champions Trophy football championship which kicks off at 4.45am AEDT on Saturday.

Source: iTWire

Tue, 11th Aug 2020

BSA faces class action suit over telco contractor workforce

BSA, a supplier of technical services to the likes of NBN Co and Optus, said it will “vigorously defend” a class action lawsuit filed over the way it allegedly assembled its technician workforce.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co used extra $700m CapEx in final year of 'initial build'

NBN Co’s capital expenditure for the past year came in $700 million above forecasts, money the company said it brought forward from future years to perform network upgrades and connect up more premises during COVID.

Source: iTnews Australia

After 10 years of angst, NBN's big milestone has come in the nick of time

Ten years after it connected its first customer the national broadband is complete with 99 per cent of premises now ready to connect.

Source: SMH

NBN Co losses shrink as revenue climbs

The builder of the national broadband network, NBN Co has made a some improvements across its financial metrics for the financial year ending June 30.

Source: ARN

Mon, 10th Aug 2020

Telstra to upgrade Tasmania’s emergency radio network

Telstra is to carry out a massive overhaul of Tasmania’s public radio network for its emergency services over the next three years.

Source: ARN

Telco contractor accused of ripping off up to 2,000 technicians

BSA Ltd, a company whose technicians carry out work on behalf of Foxtel, Optus and NBN Co, is accused of sham contracting in a class action potentially involving more than 2,000 workers.

Source: ABC News

Thu, 06th Aug 2020

ACCC to expand digital battle to online marketplaces and private messaging services

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will be expanding its digital platforms probe beyond the currently targeted Facebook and Google to look at digital marketplaces and private messaging services as well.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 05th Aug 2020

Telstra sells Vic data centre complex for $416M

Telstra has sold its data centre complex in Clayton, Victoria, for $416.7 million to Centuria Industrial REIT.

Source: ARN

Tue, 04th Aug 2020

Prices going up for Aussie Broadband NBN 100 customers

Aussie Broadband has increased its NBN 100 plan prices, and and existing customers will soon need to pay more.

Source: WhistleOut

NBN Co shows distribution of Sky Muster premises within 25km of Adelaide GPO

NBN Co has provided for the first time the distribution of premises within 25km of the Adelaide GPO that are mapped to receive a Sky Muster satellite service.

Source: iTnews Australia

Govt calls on telco providers for rural voice services trials

​The federal government is calling on telecommunications carriage service providers to get involved in its Alternative Voice Services Trials program

Source: ARN

Australia bucks trend as global broadband speeds plunge with COVID-19 lockdown

Global broadband speeds have dropped significantly during COVID-19 lockdown periods, according to a new report which reveals that Australia bucked the global trend with a small rise in measured speed of +5.38% during its lockdown period.

Source: iTWire

Mon, 03rd Aug 2020

Telstra aiming 5G coverage at 75% of population by June 2021

Telstra CEO Andy Penn said on Monday the telco intends to have 75% of the population covered by its 5G footprint by June 2021.

Source: ZDNet Australia

What is the truth about 5G? Four Corners spoke to leading experts and anti-5G activists to find out

The global rollout of 5G has spawned wild conspiracy theories, and the coronavirus pandemic was the perfect environment for them to spread. Four Corners has investigated these claims and examined the science around whether the technology is a threat to our health.

Source: ABC News