Broadband News

Mon, 04th Feb 2019

Chorus trials 10Gbps broadband

Chorus gigabit broadband customers in Auckland and Wellington can apply to be among the first to trial a new 10Gbps-speed service.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Labor again hints at NBN write-down if it is elected

The Australian Labor Party has again hinted that it would look at a write-down of the value of the national broadband network if elected, a move that would bring down connection prices and help retail service providers.

Source: iTWire

Thu, 31st Jan 2019

Optus unveils an NBN-like 50Mbps-plus wireless service

Optus has revealed it will offer a wireless broadband service capable of at least 50Mbps speeds with unlimited data quota for $70 a month.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus releases 5G plans, says launch gives Australians chance to be amongst first to experience 5G

Optus has released the first details of its 5G Home Broadband service which is underpinned by a plan to deliver 1,200 5G sites by March 2020.

Source: iTWire

Optus 5G Home Broadband goes live in Canberra and Sydney

Optus is expecting to deliver its 5G Home Broadband service to customers across 50 sites in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, the ACT, South Australia, and Western Australia in the second quarter of 2019.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 30th Jan 2019

NBN Co finds its new CFO

NBN Co has finally sourced a replacement chief financial officer after its previous one, Stephen Rue, was promoted to CEO in the middle of last year.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co appoints 30-year financial veteran as CFO

The NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, has appointed former APN Outdoor executive Philip Knox as chief financial officer.

Source: iTWire

Tue, 29th Jan 2019

TPG stops its mobile network due to Huawei ban

TPG is stopping the rollout of its mobile network because the government’s ban on Huawei equipment for 5G networks would prevent it from ever being upgraded.

Source: iTnews Australia

'Sad day for competition' as TPG cans Australia's fourth mobile network

Telco TPG is ceasing the rollout of its mobile network, which would have been a fourth competitor in the Australian mobile phone market.

Source: ABC News

Should ACCC also tackle NBN Co about speeds? One ISP thinks so

The Australian competition watchdog has the right intentions when it fines Internet service providers for not living up to the speed claims they make, a small ISP says, but adds that the NBN Co should not be allowed to get off scot-free.

Source: iTWire

Vodafone holds off deploying Huawei in core network due to security row

Vodafone is "pausing" the deployment of Huawei equipment in its core networks until Western governments give the Chinese firm full security clearance.

Source: ARN

Mon, 28th Jan 2019

Vodafone gets on board with typical peak NBN speeds

Vodafone has stopped marking the speed of its NBN plans as variable, falling into line with most other retail providers in publishing “typical” performance numbers.

Source: iTnews Australia

Fri, 25th Jan 2019

IPstar delivered NBN services go offline

All NBN Co satellite broadband services delivered by IPstar went offline this morning, after what appears to be a core network equipment failure.

Source: iTnews Australia

Indigo completes installation of new subsea cable system

A consortium comprising Telstra, AARNet, Google, Indosat Ooredoo, Singtel and SubPartners has announced a significant milestone in the construction of the INDIGO subsea cable system with the installations of the INDIGO West and INDIGO Central cables completed as scheduled.

Source: iTWire

Thu, 24th Jan 2019

Telstra sacks another 752 workers under T2022 plan

Telstra is sacking another 752 workers as part of its move to cut more than a quarter of the total workforce, a move announced in June last year.

Source: iTWire

NBN Co's 100Mbps move suits ISPs offering contracts: claim

The NBN Co's latest promotional move, offering retail service providers $160 for each customer who signs up for a 100Mbps service, effectively requires these customers not to downgrade or disconnect until January 2021, according to the head of a small ISP.

Source: iTWire

Wed, 23rd Jan 2019

ACCAN proposes automatic payments to users for missed appointments and repairs

Under proposals from ACCAN, telcos and NBN would need to automatically compensate users for missing repair deadlines and appointments.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Woolworths to run its retail sites on NBN fibre

Woolworths has struck what is being called a “significant enterprise deal” that will eventually see it run connectivity for some 3000 retail sites over NBN fibre.

Source: iTnews Australia

Two thirds of consumers not taking up NBN compensation offer: ACCC

Over 142,000 consumers are eligible for refunds due to receiving slower-than-advertised speeds from RSPs, with two thirds of these refunds still not claimed.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Consumers at risk due to inadequate telco accountability

Australians are being put at risk due to inadequate consumer protection frameworks around the reliability of telecommunications services, according to the telecommunications consumer interest lobby group the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN).

Source: iTWire

'Overcharged' NBN FTTN and FTTB users unresponsive

About 95,000 NBN fibre-to-the-node and fibre-to-the-building users have not claimed refunds or other remedies after being sold internet services that could not hit the advertised speeds.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telcos, tech industry call for major changes to encryption legislation

Industry groups representing the telco sector and major tech businesses have called for major changes to controversial surveillance legislation pushed through parliament on the final sitting day of 2018.

Source: ARN

More than 90,000 NBN customers are yet to be refunded for slow speeds

Two in three customers affected by RSPs who promised higher NBN speeds than were able to deliver are yet to be refunded by Telstra, Optus, TPG, iiNet, Internode, Dodo, iPrimus and Commander.

Source: ARN

Tue, 22nd Jan 2019

ACCC delays TPG-Vodafone decision due to lack of information

The date for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to make a decision on the merger between TPG and Vodafone Australia has been pushed out from March 28, to potentially April 11.

Source: ZDNet Australia

TPG-Vodafone decision pushed back to April

A regulatory decision on whether or not to allow TPG and Vodafone’s proposed merger to proceed is now not expected until mid-April due to a delay in receiving information from the two telcos.

Source: iTnews Australia

MyRepublic discounts 100Mbps plans after NBN Co pushes speed tier

Small ISP MyRepublic has announced a new push to sell 100Mbps plans, with a discounted plan of $79.95, a drop of $10 from existing prices, for an unspecified limited period.

Source: iTWire

Mon, 21st Jan 2019

NBN Co makes move to sell more 100Mbps-plus services

NBN Co will look to raise the number of 100Mbps-plus users on its network before the end of the financial year with a $160 rebate offered for each customer that retail service providers sign on.

Source: iTnews Australia

Labor commits to kicking in AU$5m for Sunshine Coast JGA cable landing

Australian opposition party calls on Canberra to support JGA cable landing in Queensland.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Telstra upgrades APAC subsea infrastructure

Telstra has upgraded its subsea fibre capacity by deploying Infirera Infinite Capacity Endine 4 (ICE4).

Source: ARN

Fri, 18th Jan 2019

In 5G play, Vodafone and IBM link up cloud systems for business

Vodafone is teaming up with IBM to offer businesses a way to link different cloud computing systems to support the next wave of digital advances, such as machine learning, on super-fast fifth-generation telecoms networks.

Source: iTnews Australia