Broadband News
Wed, 10th Jul 2019
Non-NBN broadband, NBN voice services fare poorly in ACMA complaints report
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has released its first snapshot of telecommunications complaints data as part of a number of ACMA measures to tackle rising dissatisfaction with broadband and phone services.
Source: Computerworld
Telcos taking six days to resolve complaints
Australian telecommunication service providers are taking an average of six days to resolve customer complaints, according to the media watchdog.
Source: ARN
Dodo stung for streaming promises on low-quota NBN plans
Internet provider Dodo will refund 16,000 customers “up to $360,000” after marketing low-speed and low-quota NBN plans as being “perfect for streaming”.
Source: iTnews Australia
'9,500 jobs to save one': How Telstra is slashing its workforce to meet NBN challenge
A year after Telstra announced it was shedding 8,000 jobs, former workers are still coming to terms with the restructure. As the telco modernises and prepares for big changes, some analysts believe the company is facing a make or break moment.
Source: ABC News
Tue, 09th Jul 2019
4G speeds topping 5G in Australia: Opensignal
America can boast of 5G being 2.7 times quicker than 4G, but in Australia, 4G leads the way.
Source: ZDNet Australia
MacTel presses NBN Co to boost reach of 100Mbps+ business services
Macquarie Telecom will use NBN Co’s wholesale price review to press the case for more business-oriented services capable of speeds over 100Mbps in outer metro and regional areas.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co 'should have supplied modems for all connections'
The NBN Co miscalculated when it decided not to supply a modem to each resident on fibre-to-the-node and fibre-to-the-building connections, the head of a small retail service provider says, adding that this could have helped the company diagnose connection issues remotely.
Source: iTWire
Mon, 08th Jul 2019
Telstra finds 5G energy levels sitting well under safety limits
Australian telco says electromagnetic energy used in 5G are similar to 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Govt maintains NBN Co's $19.5bn loan 'will be' refinanced
The government maintains it has “commercial advice” that NBN Co will be able to refinance its $19.5 billion loan, though the start date for refinancing is being kept out of public view for now.
Source: iTnews Australia
How 'the Netflix effect' killed the NBN's dream
Fixed wireless internet promised so much, like the ability for high-tech businesses to base themselves almost anywhere in Australia. But then along came Netflix and everything changed.
Source: ABC News
Telco unions, Telstra brawl over redundancy benefits
Three Unions representing telco workers have reached a stalemate with Telstra over redundancy benefits for workers moved on by the carrier.
Source: iTnews Australia
Fri, 05th Jul 2019
Aussie telco metadata requests again on the rise
Law enforcement and other agencies are making more requests to access the telco metadata of Australians captured under mandatory data retention laws.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra and union at loggerheads over redundancy benefits
Talks between union bosses and Telstra have hit a stalemate over the telco’s proposed revival of a contentious redundancy offer for laid-off workers.
Source: ARN
Australia sought access to 1817 Apple customers' devices in 2H2018
Australian law enforcement authorities made 1817 requests seeking details of customers' Apple devices in the second half of 2018, according to a list of such requests released by Apple.
Source: iTWire
Thu, 04th Jul 2019
ACMA finds worst NBN modems 'barely break' 50Mbps wi-fi speeds
Users of FTTN/B services on the NBN are likely to see a vast range of wi-fi speeds at home, “from mediocre to excellent”, an analysis of modem router performance has found.
Source: iTnews Australia
Samsung lands in hot water and Federal Court for alleged misleading ads
The ACCC has taken exception to the advertised water resistance properties of Samsung's Galaxy phones.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Blocking TPG-Vodafone merger will lead to lower mobile prices, ACCC argues
If a Vodafone-TPG merger does not go ahead, it is likely to lead to lower mobile prices for Australian consumers, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) believes.
Source: ARN
Wollongong man charged with 'malicious' telco cable damage
A Wollongong man has been charged by NSW Police for allegedly damaging telco infrastructure in the Illawarra and South West Sydney regions in order to make fraudulent purchases.
Source: iTnews Australia
ACCC unsure about NBN Co's 'Netflix tax'
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says there is still insufficient detail to determine if NBN Co’s ‘Netflix tax’ proposal would break net neutrality or cause other problems necessitating intervention.
Source: iTnews Australia
Wed, 03rd Jul 2019
Vocus to push NBN Co for low price plans
Vocus will use NBN Co’s wholesale pricing review to press the need for lower entry-level broadband pricing, revealing cost-conscious consumers are migrating to lesser quality NBN services that cost $11 a month more than ADSL did.
Source: iTnews Australia
Vocus splits operations into three businesses after two failed takeover bids
Company admits it has underinvested for the past two years as it now seeks to streamline its product set.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Vocus splits into three business units
Vocus Group has revealed it is splitting into a trio of independent business units as it continues to move through its three-year turnaround strategy.
Source: ARN
NBN Co exceeds targets for connected, activated premises
The Australian national broadband network builder NBN Co has exceeded its connection targets for the financial year 2019, connecting more than 1.1 million premises in the three months to 27 June.
Source: iTWire
ACCC tells Optus customers to check for refunds
The Australian consumer watchdog has told customers of telco Singtel Optus to check whether they have been notified by the company about any refunds they may be entitled to in connection with its direct carrier billing third-party billing service.
Source: iTWire
Optus users also claim small number of premium content refunds
Optus customers hit by unwanted premium content charges have mostly not claimed refunds, mirroring a problem seen at Telstra.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 02nd Jul 2019
Govt wants broadband tax passed this year
The federal government has resurrected its heavily-delayed plan to introduce a broadband tax, with the laws expected to be in place before parliament wraps up for the year.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co floats its own 'Netflix tax'
NBN Co has raised the prospect of treating streaming video differently from other traffic types on its network, with users charged extra for the privilege of using Netflix and similar services.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 01st Jul 2019
Telstra upgrades transmission network to 100Gbps minimum
Telco touts the abilities of its software-defined network to automatically handle faults.
Source: ZDNet Australia
ACCC ends SMS wholesale service regulation as need 'disappears'
Australia’s consumer watchdog is to stop regulating the wholesale SMS service market as traditional texts are superseded by the likes of WhatsApp and iMessage.
Source: ARN
Credit, income checks to be run on customers buying a phone plan for more than $45 a month
Telcos will now have to confirm your income and credit rating if you are a new customer looking to buy a phone on a plan, but consumer groups say the changes don't go far enough.
Source: ABC News