Broadband News
Thu, 02nd Jul 2020
Woolies hit with AU$1 million spamming fine
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has hit Woolworths Group with a fine of AU$1,003,800, the largest it has handed down, due to five million breaches of the Spam Act 2003 made between October 2018 and July 2019.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vodafone joins NBN 250 and Ultrafast club
Vodafone is the latest RSP to give customers the option of NBN Co's recently announced 250Mbps and 500-1000Mbps services.
Source: iTWire
TransACT builder says best option for NBN is to remain in government hands
The best way forward for the national broadband network is for it to remain in government hands and be managed for strategic advantage, rather than commercial gain, a network expert has told iTWire.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 01st Jul 2020
NBN now obligated to provide a minimum 25Mbps connection to Australians
With the calendar shifting to July, the Statutory Infrastructure Provider (SIP) obligations on NBN have entered into force.
Source: ZDNet Australia
New legislation ‘guarantees’ broadband access for all Australians, says Government
New legislation has just come into force in Australia, enshrining in law access to broadband services for all Australians regardless of where they live, and which the Federal Government says "guarantees" broadband access for everyone.
Source: iTWire
Aussie Broadband board gets pre-IPO makeover
RSP Aussie Broadband has appointed a new chair and two replacement directors.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 30th Jun 2020
MyRepublic is the latest telco to sell an NBN 250 plan
MyRepublic has followed Aussie Broadband and Superloop in launching an NBN 250 plan, making it one of the few telcos offering customers plans with speeds that faster than 100Mbps.
Source: WhistleOut
NBN Co expects to sustain some of its traffic uplift
NBN Co is expecting to sustain some of the uplift in the amount of traffic running across its network post-COVID, a prediction that could make it harder for the company to completely wind back bandwidth bonuses laid on since March.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra ditches 5G fee for users not on lowest tier plan
The prospect of users having to pay AU$15 a month for 5G access on the Telstra network,
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra sets $65 a month as minimum spend to get 5G access
Telstra is set to reshape the way it sells 5G services once a year-long free trial wraps up today.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus runs mmWave 5G tests in Sydney
Optus is testing 5G millimetre wave (mmWave) technology at four locations in Sydney, months after suggesting the technology could bring speeds in excess of 20Gbps.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telco credit assessments under scrutiny by ACMA
Australia’s telecommunications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) says a study it commissioned shows telco in-store sales staff may not be adequately checking that customers have the capacity to pay for the services they are purchasing.
Source: iTWire
Telstra announces ‘major refresh’ of T22 mobile plans, new pricing
Telstra has launched a range of new “radically simplified” post-paid mobile plans which it says will give consumer and small business customers data increase of up to 30GB, as part of a refresh of its T22 strategy which was introduced last year in a move aimed at simplifying the telco’s operations and product sets, improving customer experiences and reducing its cost base.
Source: iTWire
Mon, 29th Jun 2020
Matt spent $11,000 to get an upgraded NBN connection, then his neighbours connected to it for free
Sick of his internet dropping out, software developer Matt Hall paid to have the NBN to his home upgraded. He didn't realise that he was also paying for his neighbours to get cheap access.
Source: ABC News
Department of Finance dismisses idea of discretionary NBN write-down
The Department of Finance has attempted to pour cold water on the idea of writing down the value of the National Broadband Network, stating that any movements in value are dictated by accounting standards.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co may have its costs examined in the back half of 2020
NBN Co could wind up having its costs examined in more detail in the back half of the year following a call by Telstra for greater scrutiny.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 26th Jun 2020
COVID has shown Australian broadband can handle working from home: Dept of Comms
The performance of Australia's networks during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly the National Broadband Network, has shown the network itself is not the issue for remote working to continue once pandemic restrictions are lifted, a departmental official said on Friday.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACMA calls on Facebook, Google, Twitter to develop Australian misinformation code
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) wants digital platforms to work together on the development of a single, industry-wide code of conduct to counter misinformation, centred on the consumer.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Thu, 25th Jun 2020
TPG closes in on Singapore 5G ambitions with mmWave allocation
After missing out on claiming 3.6 GHz mobile band spectrum in Singapore, Australian telco TPG has picked up mmWave spectrum, a move set to see it roll out 5G services across the city state.
Source: ARN
Australians’ data demand on NBN increases during COVID-19
Data demand on the NBN’s main wholesale access service continues to reflect Australians’ reliance on the network to keep them connected and working productively during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 24th Jun 2020
Vodafone Hutchison Australia to become TPG Telecom on Monday
The name Vodafone Hutchison Australia is not long for this world after TPG shareholders approved the merger of the two telcos on Wednesday.
Source: ZDNet Australia
High-speed fibre internet arrives at 500 SA schools
Around 500 public schools across South Australia are now benefiting from high-speed internet after connecting to a Telstra fibre optic network capable of speeds of 1Gbps and up.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 23rd Jun 2020
'Fundamentally flawed': ACCC alleges Dodo and iPrimus misled customers about NBN speeds
The consumer watchdog alleges Dodo and iPrimus used a "fundamentally flawed" testing methodology as the basis for advertising claims about typical evening broadband internet speeds.
Source: ABC News
Vocus to be hauled before Federal Court over NBN speed claims
Vocus is set to have the NBN speed claims of its Dodo and iPrimus brands tested in the federal court after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission filed suit against the company.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 22nd Jun 2020
Australians reported 25,000 phishing scams last year
Australians reported 167,797 scams to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)-controlled Scamwatch in 2019.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Foxtel's soft-look streaming is not the future
As Aussie viewers look far and wide for their entertainment, how long can Foxtel hold out as the only major streaming service to ignore 4K?
Source: SMH
UK telcos told to stockpile Huawei gear
British security officials have told UK telecom operators to ensure they have adequate stockpiles of Huawei equipment due to fears that new US sanctions will disrupt the Chinese firm's ability to maintain critical supplies, according to a letter.
Source: iTnews Australia
With money in sight, ABC changes stance towards Google and Facebook
The ABC has markedly changed its stance towards Google and Facebook, now that the ACCC is pushing for the digital platforms to pay news organisations for using their content.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 18th Jun 2020
NBN broadband data demand continues to peak above pre-COVID-19 levels
Data demand on the National Broadband Network’s main wholesale access service continues to peak above pre-COVID-19 levels as more Australians continue to rely on the network for their work, entertainment and education needs, according to the latest report from NBN Co, the operators of the NBN.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 17th Jun 2020
Qualcomm brings 5G to non-flagship mobiles with Snapdragon 690
Qualcomm is taking 5G beyond flagship devices, with its new Snapdragon 690 chip getting support for the next-gen mobile connectivity, as well as 4K HDR support, and the ability to handle displays capable of a 120Hz refresh rate.
Source: ZDNet Australia