Broadband News

Tue, 16th Feb 2021

Telstra stands up automated platform to block scam calls

Telstra said it is blocking up to half a million scam calls on its busiest days using a new automated platform, part of a “double down” of a broader crackdown effort against scams that transit across its network infrastructure.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra blocking 1.5m scam calls a week, up from 1m a month previously

Telstra has announced the third element of its "Cleaner Pipes" initiative, ensuring that its smart pipes aren't dumb, and are as clean as possible from scam callers, safeguarding "millions of Australians in the process"

Source: iTWire

Mon, 15th Feb 2021

NBN offers telcos two paths to extending CVC bundle discounts until April 2023

The company responsible for deploying the NBN on Monday said it wants to extend the duration of its wholesale discounts and data inclusions by an additional year.

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN Co hunts more residential revenue in 2022

NBN Co is pitching a $2 a month increase to the 'fixed' cost of its 50Mbps-plus services from May next year, with substantive changes to its price strategy deferred until 2023.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co begins consultation ‘with industry in two-part wholesale pricing consultation paper’

NBN Co has released its “Pricing Review 2021 Consultation Paper 1”, which the company says “seeks to deliver value, certainty and simplicity to the telecommunication industry and customers.”

Source: iTWire

Sat, 13th Feb 2021

MyRepublic is now selling Australia's cheapest NBN 1000 plan

MyRepublic has joined the growing number of telcos offering gigabit NBN plans with the launch of its own 1000Mbps offering.

Source: WhistleOut

Fri, 12th Feb 2021

NBN pauses weekly numbers due to new HFC connection stop

The company responsible for the National Broadband Network has said it will be reviewing its generally reliable weekly release of rollout statistics, as it pinned the blame on the

Source: ZDNet Australia

Wed, 10th Feb 2021

NBN Co pays $3 billion of its $19.5 billion government loan

NBN Co has started to pay down the $19.5 billion it was loaned by the government back in 2016 to complete the rollout, using a mix of privately-sourced debt funding.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN Co names next locations for fresh fibre extensions

NBN RSPs servicing the likes of Maitland, NSW; Deer Park, Victoria; Albany Creek in Queensland or Gepps Cross in South Australia could soon have more fibre to play with.

Source: ARN

NBN Co’s earnings surge despite CVC capacity freebies

Do NBN Co’s latest financials suggest that the company got its CVC pricing wrong from the outset?

Source: ARN

NBN Co names more FTTN cities and towns in path for fibre upgrade

NBN Co has unveiled the second group of suburbs and towns that are currently served with fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) but will now be partially overbuilt with fibre. 

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra and Southern Phone saw complaints rise over 2020

Over the course of 2020, two Australian telcos saw their complaints per 10,000 services in operation (SIO) increase while the others fell, according to the latest Communications Alliance Complaints in Context report covering October to December 2020.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Almost one Australian every minute is asking NBN Co for a fibre internet upgrade, but soon some will get it for free

Eight thousand Australians in the past week alone have sought quotes from NBN Co for a fibre upgrade. But waiting longer could mean getting a fibre upgrade for free.

Source: ABC News

Southern Phone takes top billing in latest telco complaints tally

Southern Phone has held onto the top spot for the most new complaints to the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman per 10,000 services in operation, new data shows.

Source: ARN

Tue, 09th Feb 2021

Another 100,000 premises to get fibre as NBN Co rollout progresses

National broadband network operator NBN Co has announced the extension of its fibre network rollout, with the second tranche to pass 100,000 premises on the way to the goal of 2 million premises with fibre by the end of 2023.

Source: iTWire

Australians can now pre-order Elon Musk's space internet

Astrology girl's stock market boyfriend is doing something with the internet.

Source: WhistleOut

Telstra is replacing its postpaid SIM-only plans next week with prepaid-like Upfront options

Telstra will discontinue its current range of postpaid SIM-only plans next week, replacing them with a family of "Upfront" plans where customers now pay ahead of each billing month.

Source: WhistleOut

Australian police, regulators continue unlawfully accessing metadata

Ten agencies, including Commonwealth and state law enforcement, accessed telecommunications metadata “without proper authority” in the 2018-19 financial year, the Commonwealth Ombudsman has found.

Source: iTnews Australia

Cheap nbn™ plans under $50

Looking to get a cheap NBN plan? There are plenty of top quality budget plans on the market to choose from.

Source: WhistleOut

Fri, 05th Feb 2021

Telstra's Group CTO makes quiet exit

Telstra’s group CTO of almost four years Håkan Eriksson quietly left the telco at the end of last year.

Source: iTnews Australia

Thu, 04th Feb 2021

Optus has new discounts for regional Australians

Optus is hoping to woo regional Australians onto its network with a whole stack on new discounts. Anyone with an eligible postcode is able to pick from a discounted SIM-only plan or pick up an iPhone SE or Samsung Galaxy A51 for at least 50% off.

Source: WhistleOut

NBN reconnects Mallacoota following Black Summer fire damage

13 months after the residents of the East Gippsland town of Mallacoota were evacuated by the Royal Australian Navy to flee devastating bushfires, the town is able to use the NBN again.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Govt details round one of $20M 5G commercial trial grant program

The federal government is to open round one of its $20 million grant program for commercial trials of 5G technology from 19 February, offering individual grants up to $2 million.

Source: ARN

Telstra proposes 'net reduction of up to 1425 roles'

Telstra has lifted a year-long pause on job reductions under its T22 transformation program, briefing teams yesterday on plans for a “net reduction” of up to 1425 roles.

Source: iTnews Australia

Wed, 03rd Feb 2021

Comms Alliance says telco industry welcomes 11.2% drop in customer complaints

Australia's Communications Alliance has "welcomed the announcement by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) that complaints dropped by 11.2% in the most recent quarter."

Source: iTWire

All but one Telstra prepaid plan to lose 5G access

As of today, Telstra has rescinded 5G network access on all but one of its prepaid recharges.

Source: WhistleOut

Nokia, Vodafone show off 100Gbps fibre broadband in laboratory

Finnish telecommunications equipment vendor Nokia has teamed up with Vodafone to demonstrate a new passive optical network technology that can deliver speeds of up to 100Gbps on a single wavelength.

Source: iTWire

Tue, 02nd Feb 2021

Telstra to power its sports streaming with Kayo

Telstra is set to change the way it streams sports to its customers, striking a long-term partnership with Foxtel and Kayo rather than continue with its own 'Live Pass' services.

Source: iTnews Australia

Mon, 01st Feb 2021

NBN Co to stop taking new HFC orders for 'several months'

NBN Co will stop taking new orders for hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) services from tomorrow due to a global shortage of chips used in the network termination devices that are installed at customers’ premises.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus completes $250m amaysim acquisition

Optus has completed its purchase of amaysim’s mobile business with its 1.2 million subscribers for $250 million.

Source: iTWire