Broadband News
Thu, 21st May 2020
Fastly outage hits world news websites
News websites including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age were affected on Thursday afternoon by an outage on content delivery network Fastly.
Source: SMH
It wasn't just you, the NBN was slower at the back end of March
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its first monthly edition of its Measuring Broadband Australia report on Thursday, which covered the performance of the National Broadband Network (NBN) between February and April.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC questions consumer need for higher-priced 100Mbps NBN services
Australia’s competition watchdog took the unusual step of questioning whether consumers really needed to pay a premium for 100Mbps NBN services, given the performance characteristics of cheaper 50Mbps plans.
Source: iTnews Australia
Curtin Uni to launch 5G research lab with Optus
Optus and Curtin University have teamed up to use the telco’s nascent 5G network for teaching, research and industry collaboration and establish an on-campus 5G lab.
Source: iTnews Australia
Extra RSP network capacity sees NBN speeds recover
Speeds on the NBN have shown signs of recovery according to a new report, and the extra 40 per cent network capacity for RSPs is thought to mostly be the cause.
Source: ARN
Wed, 20th May 2020
Aussie Broadband cuts $10 per month from NBN prices for Click Frenzy
As part of Click Frenzy, Aussie Broadband has cut $10 per month from most of its NBN plans, excluding its entry-level NBN 12 plan and top-tier NBN 250 plan.
Source: WhistleOut
Tue, 19th May 2020
Telco complaints surge pinned on natural disasters
The number of complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman were up in the third quarter, with recent natural disasters cited as a backdrop to the increase.
Source: ARN
Vodafone's Click Frenzy deal gets you more data for less
Vodafone is slinging a $35 SIM-only plan with 25GB for Click Frenzy.
Source: WhistleOut
Grab Telstra's best SIM-only deal ever
Click Frenzy leads to some insane discounts, and Telstra has blown themselves out of the water offering one of the best Telstra deals to date.
Source: WhistleOut
Australian poll finds 1 in 8 blame Bill Gates and 5G for coronavirus
When it comes to believing stupid conspiracy theories related to coronavirus, young Australians are the most susceptible, or at least that's what they're telling pollsters.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Mon, 18th May 2020
Australians warned of ‘misinformation’ linking 5G and COVID 19
Australians have been warned about a campaign of misinformation linking 5G and the coronavirus, with the Federal Government urging confidence in the country’s stringent safety standards and decades of global scientific research about electromagnetic energy (EME).
Source: iTWire
Optus spent three years setting standards for its outsourced call centres
Optus has spent the past three years setting common standards and metrics across its offshore contact centre operations in India and the Philippines, leaning on data and analytics to get the sizable project done.
Source: iTnews Australia
Australian government justifies decision to go with AWS for COVIDSafe
The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) has provided further detail on the federal government's COVIDSafe coronavirus trace tracking application, including around the procurement of the solution from Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Source: ZDNet Australia
Netflix Streaming Quality Is Coming Back In Europe, But We Don't Know About Australia Yet
Back in March Netflix reduced the bitrate of its streams in various parts of the world, including Australia, to help with network congestion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The streaming giant has begun returning its streaming quality to normal in some parts of Europe, but it can't confirm when this might happen in Australia.
Source: Gizmodo
Foxtel's Binge Streaming Service Launches Next Week, Here's Everything We Know
Foxtel's new streaming service is expected to launch next week after weeks of rumours and speculation. The upcoming addition, tipped to be called Binge, will join a crowded market of streaming offerings competing for Australian dollars.
Source: Gizmodo
Sun, 17th May 2020
COVID-19: Dodo, NBN Co offer 6 months of discounted access to online education services
Telco Dodo says it is helping school-aged children in low income households access online education services as part of a new offer in partnership with NBN Co, the operators of the National Boadband Network (NBN).
Source: iTWire
Fri, 15th May 2020
Telstra braces for fault ticket backlog
Telstra’s field service team is bracing for a backlog of ‘assurance’ work - and impatient customers - as COVID-19 restrictions are eased, after weeks of not being able to receive jobs.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 14th May 2020
Broadband tax start date delayed to January 2021
Long-delayed legislation for a broadband tax on non-NBN Co operated fixed line services has finally passed parliament, ending an three-year saga that was interrupted by last year’s election.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN broadband tax clears Parliament
Australian fixed broadband users that are on networks capable of 25Mbps or quicker, and not connected to the National Broadband Network (NBN), will soon need to pay an extra AU$7.10 monthly charge to subsidise those connecting to NBN's loss-making fixed wireless and satellite technologies.
Source: ZDNet Australia
DGtek plans national FTTP expansion
Following an investment by Treia Capital, wholesale fibre broadband operator DGtek has expanded its coverage area more than tenfold in the last six months.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co sees Q3 revenue just shy of $3B
NBN Co has seen its revenue increase by 38 per cent to $2.8 billion in its Q3FY results, driven by strong demand in the quarter to reach its FY20 activation milestone two months early.
Source: ARN
NBN reports nine-month revenue up by over a third but EBITDA loss only closes by 9%
The company responsible for rolling out the National Broadband Network (NBN) across Australia has reported its third-quarter earnings, with the company increasing revenue, closing its EBITDA loss, and reporting a wider EBIT loss.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Telstra tries to stop customers 'falling through the cracks'
Telstra believes a new frontline consumer and small business support system will help resolve issues faster and prevent customers from “falling through the cracks like they may have previously”.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co exceeds quarterly revenue, activation targets, wins Government praise
The Federal Government says National Broadband Network operator NBN Co has demonstrated “operational and financial resilience” during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has welcomed the company’s “strong” 2019-20 third quarter results.
Source: iTWire
Broadband demands hit a record high for NBN Co during COVID pandemic
Broadband demand remains high in Australia with the operator of the National Broadband Network NBN Co revealing data demands on its services are well above pre-COVID pandemic baseline levels as Australians continue to observe social distancing and remote working requirements.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 13th May 2020
LTE and 5G router market expecting growth despite COVID-19
The global 5G and LTE router and gateway market is expected to see considerable growth over the next four years even when factoring in the effect of the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: ARN
Govt should consider manufacturing 5G equipment in Aust
The House Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts has put forward its 5G Inquiry Report to Parliament, signalling the government should investigate ways to manufacture 5G infrastructure within Australia.
Source: ARN
Commonwealth claims NBN has capacity to handle IoT and smart transport initiatives
The Australian government has said managing the country's population growth to ensure Australia's cities remain liveable and workable, such as through ensuring the National Broadband Network (NBN) can handle new initiatives including Internet of Things and smart transport, is high on its agenda as part of its response to the Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, and Cities's inquiry into the Australian government's role in the development of cities.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 12th May 2020
Fed funnels $37M into telco disaster relief
The federal government has pumped $37.1 million into strengthening Australia’s telecommunications resilience in the wake of the summer bush fires.
Source: ARN
NBN Co sources $6.1 billion from banks
NBN Co has secured access to a total of $6.1 billion from Australian and international banks, well above the $2 billion it had initially sought.
Source: iTnews Australia