Broadband News
Wed, 04th Mar 2020
Vodafone: no extra charge for 5G
Coinciding with its first 5G sites around Parramatta, Vodafone has announced it will not charge its customers extra for 5G access.
Source: iTWire
NBN Co starts connecting up Australian airports
NBN Co is now deploying infrastructure to three airports - Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney - and negotiating site access to a fourth in Brisbane as part of its work connecting up more complex premises to the network.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co outlines its fear of cheap broadband
NBN Co is continuing to resist pressure to introduce a cheaper entry-level broadband product over fears of the number of users that would wind up using it, eating into long-term revenue and cash flow.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 03rd Mar 2020
Telstra's use of cell on wheels trailers threatened
Telstra is concerned it could be unintentionally barred from deploying its cell on wheels (CoW) portable mobile base stations under new legislative instruments currently being proposed.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co to bring enterprise services into “selected” data centres
NBN Co has revealed plans to roll fibre into the comms rooms of “selected” third party-owned data centres, making it a new connectivity option for enterprise tenants with IT infrastructure hosted in the facility.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 02nd Mar 2020
NBN Co to raise fixed wireless resilience after fiery summer
NBN Co is examining whether to widen environmental exclusion zones and add solar backup options for fixed wireless towers after a particularly devastating bushfire season.
Source: iTnews Australia
The Telstra services still impacted by NSW bushfires
Telstra services in over 20 areas in NSW are still affected by bushfires following the end of summer.
Source: ARN
Sun, 01st Mar 2020
Optus launches ‘world first’ dual band 5G production network
Optus has announced the successful launch of a “world-first’ 2300MHz and 3500MHz spectrum 5G dual-band production network in partnership with Ericsson and Samsung, which it says has the potential to increase 5G capacity and coverage to Optus customers.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 28th Feb 2020
New Telstra 5G WiFi Pro announced as telco pulls back on fastest NBN
Less than a week after dropping the vast majority of NBN 100 plans, Telstra have announced the Telstra 5G WiFi Pro. The device will use the millimeter wave spectrum to deliver the fastest speeds yet.
Source: WhistleOut
New standard means additional ID checks for Aussie telcos
A new industry standard will see telcos required to undertake additional identification checks when transferring mobile phone numbers across from one telco to another or face fines of up to $250,000.
Source: ARN
Microsoft begins blocking 'unwanted applications' like adware and cryptominers, using Edge
The current version of Microsoft Edge adds a new feature that can block PUAs - Potentially Unwanted Applications - like cryptominers and adware.
Source: ARN
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