Broadband News

Wed, 18th Sep 2019

AARNet launches one Terabit per second high-bandwidth service

Internet service provider Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet) has announced the launch of high-bandwidth services capable of delivering more than one Terabit per second.

Source: ARN

NSW Police request telco data from 14 years ago

NSW Police has requested telecommunications metadata that is up to 14 years old to verify new evidence that emerges in protracted investigations and cold cases.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co still thinks 100/40Mbps might become 'business-only'

NBN Co won’t formally specify 100/40Mbps as ‘business-only’ but expects that may be an end result of bringing a new 110/20Mbps service to market.

Source: iTnews Australia

Tue, 17th Sep 2019

Telstra launches eSIM for phones

Telstra has offered eSIM plans for wearables and Windows 10 PCs for some time now, but the telco is now making the tech available to its phone plan customers from September 20.

Source: WhistleOut

Govt pitches unlimited 12Mbps as “entry-level” NBN

The federal government has taken the unusual step of specifying an expected retail price for a 12Mbps entry-level broadband service on the national broadband network.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co proposes discounts to broadband network wholesale prices

Australia's national broadband network builder and operator NBN Co is proposing to introduce significant discounts and extra capacity inclusions across the majority of its wholesale broadband product range, according to its newly released wholesale pricing review paper.

Source: iTWire

NBN cuts entry-level broadband prices, nixes differential pricing for video

NBN Co has detailed a price cut for entry-level broadband services that could make it more economical for retail service providers (RSPs) to offer ADSL-equivalent plans.

Source: ARN

NBN Co to revive 25Mbps broadband services tier

NBN Co is set to revive 25Mbps broadband services on its network as an “intermediate” option for residential users, though it will cost only $8 less wholesale than a 50Mbps plan.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co confirms it won't scrap CVC charges

NBN Co is set to ignore calls from across the internet industry to dump the connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) charge, meaning it will remain a variable cost for retail providers for the foreseeable future.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co floats “up to” gigabit speeds for $80 a month

NBN Co is proposing to slash the uplink speeds on its 250Mbps and “up to” 1Gbps services to bring them within the financial reach of fibre and HFC-connected households.

Source: iTnews Australia

Mon, 16th Sep 2019

Foxtel directs customers to GO app

Foxtel is now directing its customers previously using the Foxtel Now mobile app to its Foxtel GO app which it says will give mobile phone or tablet users a simplified experience with the best of TV and on demand in one place.

Source: iTWire

Regional QLD telco wins $500K grant for broadband expansion

Field Solutions Holdings (FSG) has been awarded a $500,000 grant by Bulloo Shire in Queensland for the construction of a new broadband network in areas where the National Broadband Network (NBN) only reaches by satellite.

Source: ARN

Vodafone: Australians should strive for higher-speed broadband

How telecomunications providers can give Australians the fastest broadband speed possible is the key issue said Matthew Lobb, Vodafone general manager for fixed broadband.

Source: ARN

Fri, 13th Sep 2019

Telstra kicking goals with AFL as Live Pass subscribers surpass 3 million

More minutes of AFL matches have been streamed than ever before according to Telstra which has revealed that 403 million minutes of football was streamed in the regular season 2019 - up 10% on last year.

Source: iTWire

Thu, 12th Sep 2019

Telstra blocks 2.9m scam calls in one month

Telstra blocked 2.9 million “scam calls” in July this year alone, highlighting the need for industry and government to come together on the issue.

Source: iTnews Australia

Woolworths is connecting 50 stores a week to the NBN

Telstra is now connecting 50 Woolworths stores a week to the NBN under a large enterprise deal signed at the start of this year, with migration process maturity credited for the speed of the transition.

Source: iTnews Australia

Vocus hoping ACCC can solve broadband affordability if NBN cannot

With the National Broadband Network (NBN) set to reveal the outcome of its wholesale pricing consultation in the coming weeks, Vocus CEO Kevin Russell has said it would show whether NBN is prepared to put customers on low-incomes before its own finances.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN not worth the money it cost to build it, Vocus chief executive says

Consumers are paying the price for government rules designed to protect NBN Co’s monopoly and help ensure it recovers the cost of building its network, Vocus Group chief executive Kevin Russell has argued.

Source: Computerworld

Apple may steal Netflix streaming crown, but only for a year

Apple Inc's move to offer a free TV+ subscription for a year with every new device may briefly crown the iPhone maker as the biggest streaming service by user numbers, leapfrogging Netflix Inc.

Source: iTnews Australia

Wed, 11th Sep 2019

iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro on sale from September 20, with prices starting at $1,199

Apple just revealed a trio of new iPhones: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Source: WhistleOut

Optus takes wraps off customer concierge service to take NBN out of the equation

Optus has unveiled a service it has been using since May, which gives customers moving to the NBN a single interface for all their needs during the transition off legacy network.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Why Apple's streaming TV service will be stiff competition for Netflix and Disney

Apple has unveiled its top products for the year ahead, including a triple-camera iPhone and a TV streaming service set to undercut Disney, Netflix and HBO. Oh, and there's something for gamers too.

Source: ABC News

Tue, 10th Sep 2019

ACCC accused of harming competition in Vodafone, TPG telco decision

​Australia's antitrust regulator has hurt competition, not helped it, by blocking a $15 billion merger between the third- and fourth-largest telecoms providers, a lawyer for one of the companies told a court on Tuesday.

Source: ARN

NBN Co is building a user-facing technical field force

NBN Co is building a new nationwide field team of technicians and specialists to perform installation, repair and maintenance on cabling and customer premises equipment.

Source: iTnews Australia

Australian Taxation Office really wants its access to telco metadata returned

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is complaining it has been adversely impacted by the stripping of its access to data retained by Australia's telcos.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN Co to use Infinera's SDN tech across network

NBN Co has installed Infinera’s Transcend software defined networking (SDN) solution across its 60,000km fibre optic transit network.

Source: ARN

Mon, 09th Sep 2019

If not for John Howard, Telstra would be running the NBN

When John Howard came to power in 1996, there was no money in the government kitty to fund the strategy which he planned to follow: inducing people to vote for him thereafter by greasing their hip pockets. So he sold off the first tranche of Telstra. And there ended Australia's dreams of having a decent broadband network.

Source: iTWire

Optus unveils AU$30 travel SIM for Australia with 60GB

Optus has launched a new AU$30 prepaid travel SIM for visitors to Australia, available from certain stores located in Australia's airports.

Source: ZDNet Australia

ISPs ordered to continue blocking sites hosting Christchurch terror footage

Major Australian Internet service providers (ISPs) have been directed to continue blocking access to eight sites that host footage of the Christchurch terrorist attacks or the manifesto written by the alleged attacker.

Source: Computerworld

Merge NBN Co with separated InfraCo, says telco guru

Telstra’s infrastructure division, known as InfraCo, should be completely separated from Telstra and become a new public company with minimal Telstra shareholding.

Source: iTWire