Broadband News

Wed, 27th Nov 2019

Telstra seeing one in four Android handsets sold being 5G capable

Telstra is seeing a quarter of its Android phones sold since July be 5G capable, the telco said at its investor day on Wednesday.

Source: ZDNet Australia

ACMA proposes three-point action plan to crack down on phone scams

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has put forward a three-point action plan in its newly released Combating Scams: Actions Plan report in a move to fight phone scams.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra sees no upside in latest NBN price changes

Telstra CEO Andy Penn expects to see “no pickup” - or improvement - in the economics of selling NBN services from the outcomes of a five-month wholesale price review by NBN Co.

Source: iTnews Australia

Turnbull again accused of spreading wrong information about 5G

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has been accused of continuing to spread misinformation about the security architecture of 5G networks, with a Huawei Australia official claiming Turnbull was still relying on incorrect technical advice he had been given while he was prime minister.

Source: iTWire

ACMA formally warns Telstra about excess data usage notices

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has issued Telstra a formal warning for the telco's failure to email more than 150,000 mobile broadband customers about excess data usage, resulting in these people having to fork out for the data.

Source: iTWire

Telstra pushes for ‘seat at the table’ if NBN Co goes private

​Telstra is still keeping its cards on the table for a potential NBN Co privatisation, its chief executive officer Andy Penn has revealed.

Source: ARN

Telstra to refund excess charges to 150k mobile broadband users

Telstra is offering to refund excess charges incurred by mobile broadband customers over almost six years due to a system error that prevented them receiving usage notifications.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telcos get new obligations to cooperatively target scam calls

Australian telcos will be subject to new enforced obligations mandating cooperation and the use of several techniques to thwart scam calls.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 26th Nov 2019

NBN Co opens up CVC pooling nationally to RSPs

NBN Co has agreed to let internet retail service providers pool their connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) bandwidth across Australia.

Source: ARN

NBN Co to temporarily cut 100Mbps prices starting 2020

NBN Co is hoping to drum up interest in its forthcoming 100/20Mbps product by temporarily lowering the price of 100Mbps services in the New Year.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co to allow internet providers to pool CVC nationally

NBN Co will allow retail service providers to pool all their connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) bandwidth nationally from May 2020, a move that could ease pressure on rising costs.

Source: iTnews Australia

iiNet lost a copper line, an NBN customer, and must now undergo a systems audit

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a direction to iiNet to undergo an independent audit after it left a customer's legacy ADSL service service switched off for the better part of November last year, following a bungled NBN migration.

Source: ZDNet Australia

iiNet rapped for bungled NBN migration

Australia’s media watchdog has handed iiNet a dressing down after a customer’s NBN migration left them without internet for more than three weeks.

Source: ARN

Mon, 25th Nov 2019

Optus follows Telstra and Vodafone in killing off contract phone plans

Optus has followed Telstra and Vodafone's lead in restructuring all of its postpaid plans as contract-free offerings that allow customers to leave at any time.

Source: WhistleOut

Australia's NBN a hell of an achievement: Malcolm Turnbull

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's effort to entrench his own narrative of Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) into Australia's political history is truly fascinating.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Optus goes ‘build your own’ with release of new mobile plans

Optus has released a range of “build your own” mobile phone plans giving customers the ability to “mix and match a range of features” of their plan by choosing a monthly data amount, international calls and roaming data.

Source: iTWire

Roadshow, Netflix seek to block open source Popcorn Time app

Village Roadshow is spearheading a new effort to obtain Federal Court orders directing major Australian ISPs to block their customers from accessing eighty-seven online services accused of facilitating piracy.

Source: Computerworld

NBN Co has "difficulty competing" for new housing estate jobs

NBN Co’s ability to compete with commercial operators that build telecommunications networks in new housing estates is being tested, with the government plotting to intervene.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus mobile plan shake up forgoes 5G charges

Optus is finally shaking up its mobile plan structure, simplifying from what was the most complex plans of Australia's top telcos.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Fri, 22nd Nov 2019

Get 12 months of Amazon Prime on select Vodafone plans

Vodafone is throwing in a year of Amazon Prime if you pick up a new Samsung smartphone.

Source: WhistleOut

NBN and energy overhaul at the centre of Albanese's economic pitch

Labor leader Anthony Albanese uses the second of his so-called vision speeches to call for an end to energy-policy paralysis and improvements to the national broadband network to boost productivity.

Source: ABC News

NBN Co helps staff solve awkward questions at social events

NBN Co built a self-service app that its staff can use when hit up at social functions by family, friends and randoms for technical and troubleshooting assistance.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra and Belong to contact customers on slow NBN connections, says ACCC

Yesterday afternoon, the ACCC announced that Telstra and Belong will be contacting customers who are not receiving the maximum speed available on their NBN plan.

Source: WhistleOut

S&P does not expect 5G threat to NBN in the short to medium term

Credit ratings agency S&P Global Ratings has said it does not expect 5G fixed wireless broadband networks to replace the NBN in the near-to-medium term, due to heavy capital spending and the fact that some players were stretched financially.

Source: iTWire

Thu, 21st Nov 2019

Telstra's free NBN speed boost backfires

A goodwill gesture by Telstra that upgraded 770,000 NBN customers to higher speed plans for free partially backfired when some customers’ lines couldn’t support the newfound gains.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra to contact NBN customers on slow services

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced on Thursday that Telstra will be contacting its consumers with NBN plans that are at higher speeds than their connection can handle.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra, contacting customers with slow NBN speeds

Customers of Telstra and its subsidiary broadband provider, Belong, that upgraded to higher-speed NBN plans will be proactively contacted if they are not getting the maximum speed available under the plan.

Source: iTWire

NBN Co looks to retain customers and grow their “lifetime value”

NBN Co has reinforced its Salesforce stack to span seven “clouds” as it prepares to shift from a phase of customer acquisition to retention and growth of the “lifetime value” of customers to the company.

Source: iTnews Australia

Wed, 20th Nov 2019

NBN Co rolls out ‘Network on Wheels’ to mitigate bushfire damage

NBN Co says it has deployed on of its ‘Network on Wheels’ trailers in an effort to keep online more than 3000 broadband services in the Mid North Coast.

Source: ARN

NBN apologises after worker 'smashes up' asbestos near home without proper warning

When a worker in a hazmat suit erected danger tape across his driveway and began extracting asbestos from a pit, an Albany father wondered why he wasn't notified.

Source: ABC News