Broadband News
Thu, 27th Feb 2020
Labor up in arms over govt plans for a ‘broadband tax' and cuts to regional NBN investment
The Labor Party is pressuring the Federal Government to explain why it is reportedly introducing a $7 per month broadband tax on 1 July, while cutting regional NBN investment at the same time.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co upgrades network gear software after Sky Muster faults skyrocket
NBN Co is upgrading the software on network equipment used for its Sky Muster service following a sharp rise in the number of network faults recorded over the past six months.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra and Ericsson extend 4G range to 200km
Telstra and Ericsson have announced what they claim to be a world-first 200km LTE cell range capability on a commercial mobile broadband network.
Source: iTWire
Telstra starts mmWave 5G trials
Telstra has begun internal testing of millimetre wave 5G, and is planning to provide some customers with trial access.
Source: iTWire
NSW Government kicks off program to deliver broadband boost to regions
The NSW Government's $100 million program aimed at deliverng improved digital connectivity for regional areas of the State is about to kick-off in Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Parkes and a corridor west to Cobar, as well as a fibre solution for residents in Sutton, Bywong and Wamboin.
Source: iTWire
Wed, 26th Feb 2020
Telstra will no longer sell NBN 100 plans to FTTC, FTTB, or FTTN customers
As part of recent plans changes, Telstra will no longer sell NBN 100 plans to customers connecting to the National Broadband Network via Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC), Fibre-to-the-Basement (FTTB), or Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) technology types.
Source: WhistleOut
Vodafone mobile customer base shrinks, says first 5G site to go live soon
Vodafone Hutchison Australia says it will activate its first 5G site within a few weeks even as it released its full-year results for 2019 showing that it lost 275,000 mobile customers in 2019. The first lot of 5G sites are likely to be in and around Parramatta in NSW.
Source: iTWire
TPG 'uncertainty' sees Vodafone losses soar
Vodafone Hutchison Australia has reported an annual loss of $279.3 million after a year of turbulence surrounding its merger with TPG.
Source: ARN
First Vodafone Australia 5G site to go live 'within weeks'
Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) has seen its revenue decrease by 3%, mobile customer base shrink by 5%, and its net loss blow out from AU$124 million last year to AU$279 million for its 2019 full year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC to look into competition concerns with 26GHz and 28GHz 5G spectrum lots
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has opened consultation on whether any competition issues are likely to appear with the upcoming allocation of licences in the millimetre wave 26GHz and 28GHz spectrum band set that will be used for 5G deployments.
Source: ZDNet Australia
They see the worst of the internet, so you don't have to, but they pay a price
Moderators see the worst the internet serves up — bloody executions, vitriolic hate speech, sexual abuse. And some people, like Chris Gray, pay a high price for their work.
Source: ABC News
Tue, 25th Feb 2020
Telstra warns future mobile blackspots too costly to fix
Telstra may take a backseat on future rounds of the federal mobile blackspots program, arguing new tower builds don’t make sense even when the government pays half of the upfront costs.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra to roll out RPKI routing security from June 2020
Internet routing is a screaming car wreck, as we know, and network operators should use the tools available to make it more secure and reliable.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Kiwis opting for gigabit broadband over 100 Mbps service
ASX-listed network wholesaler Chorus says New Zealand broadband customers are increasingly picking gigabit subscriptions over 100 Mbps offerings, as streaming video services with 4K ultra-high definition with that demand greater bandwidth become commonplace.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 24th Feb 2020
amaysim makes a return to profit in first half of FY20
Mobile virtual network operator amaysim has reported a return to profit in the second half of the 2019-20 year, with the company reporting $3.7 million net profit after tax, compared to a loss of $4.8 million in the corresponding period a year ago.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co pleads for cash to help fixed wireless, satellite refugees
NBN Co has conceded - before its network is even complete - that some businesses, schools and hospitals outside the fixed-line footprint already require network upgrades to meet "emerging" needs.
Source: iTnews Australia
Amaysim sees mobile EBITDA more than halve for 2020 first half
Amaysim has reported a slim first half which saw underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) fall by 59% on a comparable basis from last year.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Sun, 23rd Feb 2020
Telstra delays legacy copper disconnections for more fire-affected areas
Telstra has widened the number of bushfire-affected states and postcodes for which it will delay mandatory disconnection of legacy copper services.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 21st Feb 2020
Super NBN savings with Superloop
Get $21 off your plan prices. every month for six months with this Whistle Out exclusive deal.
Source: WhistleOut
iiNet spoofed in phishing email scam
iiNet has become the latest Australian brand to be hit by phishing scam this week.
Source: ARN
Thu, 20th Feb 2020
MyRepublic Removes Questionable NBN Speed Claims From Its Website [Updated]
Every quarter the ACCC releases a real-world NBN speed report that measures the average evening speeds offered by Australian telcos. Being at the top is a coveted position and one that NBN providers can use to entice customers to sign up to their plans. MyRepublic did this when it topped the chart in the August 2019 report. This wouldn't be a problem if it was still accurate. Six months later MyRepublic has dropped to 7th position, but its advertising has not reflected that.
Source: Gizmodo
Vocus brings NBN satellite service to WA miner
Vocus has worked with NBN Co to deliver a business satellite service to a heavy rare earths producer, resulting in a "dramatic improvement" in connection reliability.
Source: ARN
NBN Co sees 250Mbps take-up rise after price cut
NBN Co saw a 28 percent increase in the take-up of 250Mbps services after reducing the price - and uplink speed - of the tier, with Aussie Broadband leading the gains.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN pricing changes saw ISPs shift wholesale plans from 25Mbps to 12Mbps
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its latest quarterly Wholesale Market Indicators Report on Thursday and it showed how the reported plans are impacted by price.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Aussie Broadband lets customers 'kick' own connection
When most telco customers need more than a router reset to fix a connection problem, they usually have to ring up a call centre and go through the standard IT Crowd questionnaire before a technician reboots things on their end - Aussie Broadband’s app lets you do it yourself.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co won't reveal individual profit and loss for wireless, satellite
NBN Co has backed away from revealing just how much its fixed wireless and satellite networks lose each year, information that could bolster - or undermine - the case for the broadband tax.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 19th Feb 2020
Vocus legacy brings down profit, revenue
Publicly listed Vocus has seen its net profit after tax take a 22 per cent hit down to $12.8 million for the first half of FY20 ending December 31.
Source: ARN
Vocus singing different tune on NBN
The telco that previously got out of a land grab now sees growth opportunities with NBN.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Tue, 18th Feb 2020
Vocus scores AU$15.7m BoM contract utilising NBN business satellite services
Vocus announced on Monday that it had picked up a four-year AU$15.7 million contract to provide the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) with network connectivity from its own fibre footprint and NBN's business satellite services.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Committee leaves door open for expanding broadband tax to mobiles in future
Just over two months after they were referred to a Senate committee, the Australian government's Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2019 and Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2019 have received the approval of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee.
Source: ZDNet Australia