Broadband News
Wed, 02nd Jan 2019
How Labor and Telstra's NBN ambitions might merge
Labor wants a better national broadband network which needs to be more affordable if Labor's original vision is to be realised. Telstra could help.
Source: SMH
Mon, 31st Dec 2018
New Year's Eve 2018: Telstra predicts 91 million messages and 39 million calls
Telstra has predicted a new New Year's Even record for data usage on its mobile network, with 2300TB to be used.
Source: iTWire
Mon, 24th Dec 2018
Vocus eyes 5G to offset low-margin NBN business
Vocus has renegotiated its existing group-wide mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreement with Optus to cover 5G services when they are brought to market.
Source: iTnews Australia
Sat, 22nd Dec 2018
Home Affairs cannot be bothered listing all agencies with access to metadata
With a disclosure notice or court order, government agencies otherwise exempted are able to tap Australia's metadata stores.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Fri, 21st Dec 2018
SpaceX wants to take Starlink broadband Australia-wide
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has urged Australian authorities not to constrain where the company might be able to offer its ambitious Starlink broadband service.
Source: iTnews Australia
NBN Co reveals daily duration of slow fixed wireless speeds
NBN Co has published its first fixed wireless congestion report, breaking down the number of hours a day that users see slow speeds.
Source: iTnews Australia
Payne, Dutton express concern over 'global hacking campaign'
Australia has expressed "serious concern" about what it calls "a global campaign of cyber-enabled commercial intellectual property theft by a group known as APT10, acting on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security".
Source: iTWire
Thu, 20th Dec 2018
Australian court orders blocking of subtitle piracy sites
Roadshow has successfully argued that subtitle files infringe copyright law.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co makes play for mm-wave 5G spectrum
NBN Co is starting to lay the groundwork for a future foray into millimetre-wave 5G, which it revealed in June as a likely future upgrade path for its fixed wireless network.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus ramps up network for festive season
Optus says it has been busy ramping up its network in time for the festive season, implementing special event parameters across the country to ensure major shopping centres, holiday hotspots and New Year’s destinations are ready to handle the significant increase in traffic over the period.
Source: iTWire
Unauthorised subtitle services to be blocked: Court grants largest anti-piracy injunction
The Federal Court has granted an application for the largest anti-piracy injunction so far, ordering Telstra, TPG, Optus, Vocus and Vodafone, as well as the companies’ subsidiaries, to take steps to block their customers from accessing more than 150 domains.
Source: Computerworld
Court date set for telco 'sham' contractor
The court date has been set for the "largest class action" lawsuit in Australia between Shine Lawyers and workforce management company, ISG Management (now known as Tandem).
Source: ARN
Labor queries HFC cost rise despite drop in homes served
The Australian Labor Party has questioned how the cost of the NBN Co's HFC build has increased by 64% since 2015, despite the fact that the number of premises being served by the technology has fallen by 37.5%.
Source: iTWire
ACMA fines Primus and iSelect for telemarketing breaches
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has fined two telecommunications providers for cold calling customers on the telemarketing ban register.
Source: ARN
Southern Cross Cables CEO Anthony Briscoe exits
Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN) CEO and president Anthony Briscoe has announced he will step down and retire.
Source: ARN
Wed, 19th Dec 2018
Telco reseller goes into administration owing $500K
Telecommunications reseller Highrise Telecoms has been placed under external administration owing $497,993 to unsecured creditors.
Source: ARN
Doubt cast over whether telcos are ready to deliver 5G: report
Sixty-six percent of organisations have plans to deploy 5G by 2020, but according to a new report users adopting 5G face the lack of readiness of telecommunications providers, with their 5G networks not available or capable enough for the needs of organisations.
Source: iTWire
TPG subsidiary gets warning from ACMA
Pipe Networks has been warned by Australia’s communications watchdog for its handling of local consultations before building mobile phone infrastructure.
Source: ARN
Optus switches on 10 more mobile towers in regional NSW and WA
Telco Singtel Optus has switched on six new mobile towers across the Northern Wheatbelt region, to provide improved 4G coverage for residents.
Source: iTWire
Tue, 18th Dec 2018
Telstra to take quarter-stake in Southern Cross Cable
Telstra is buying into the Southern Cross Cable Network and has agreed to take a 25 percent stake in the trans-Pacific link by "investing in new shares" the Australian carrier said today.
Source: iTnews Australia
Telstra boosts subsea cable portfolio with 25 per cent stake in Southern Cross
Telstra will purchase a 25 per cent stake in Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN), joining existing shareholders Spark New Zealand, Optus’ parent company Singtel and Verizon Business.
Source: Computerworld
NBN to replace top-tier fixed wireless plan with best-effort service
In mid-next year, NBN will offer a best-effort fixed wireless service that it claims will offer 60/20Mbps in non-busy periods.
Source: ZDNet Australia
New complaint handling rules send a ‘clear warning’ to telcos: ACCAN
Telecommunications consumer interest lobby group the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) says the enforcement of new complaint handling rules for telcos will drive better conduct by the telco industry, and sends a clear warning to the industry that they must take their obligations seriously.
Source: iTWire
Telstra declares Sydney and Melbourne sites 5G-ready
Telstra has upgraded two base stations in Sydney and one in Melbourne in preparation for the expected launch next year of its first 5G services.
Source: ARN
Telcos get final warning over complaint-handling rules
There are 31 telecommunications providers who are facing enforcement action for not documenting its complaint handling processes appropriately.
Source: ARN
Regional NBN users to get faster download speeds, but upload speeds to halve
Despite a technology tweak that promises higher speeds on the NBN fixed wireless network, download rates during the evening busy period are unlikely to change.
Source: ABC News
NBN Co to re-launch fixed wireless at up to 75 Mbps
NBN Co has announced a significant restructuring and relaunch for its fixed wireless services that will see the product reach for 75 Mbps downloads in the year 2020, as revealed by iTnews in August.
Source: iTnews Australia
Mon, 17th Dec 2018
Government gives NBN Co more time to pay off its loan
NBN Co will have an additional three years to pay off a loan from the government intended to plug the gap between the cost of the NBN rollout and the cap on the total equity contributions from Canberra.
Source: ARN
ACCAN: consumers must be first when VHA-TPG merger considered
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network says the proposed merger between Vodafone Hutchison Australia and TPG Telecom must be viewed through the lens of ensuring consumers a competitive and affordable telco sector.
Source: iTWire
Fri, 14th Dec 2018
NBN says 1.3 percent of FttN lines sit below 25Mbps after co-existence ends
The company has also revealed that it has purchased 27,600 kilometres of copper cable.
Source: ZDNet Australia