BROADBAND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS – AUSTRALIA

ACCC suggests breaking up NBN

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 6-Apr-18

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has called on the Federal Government to break the NBN up prior to selling it. The ACCC noted that it had held this view since the 2014 Vertigan review, which had called for the NBN to be broken up. ACCC chairman Rod Sims says the government should try to expose the NBN to as much competition as possible, and that this should be at the forefront of its thinking when it comes to privatising the NBN, rather than how much profit it can make.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NBN CO LIMITED

NBN ready to pull plug on a million phones

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Anthony Klan
The Australian – Page: 7 : 15-Jan-18

NBNCo has advised that more than 926,000 premises will be disconnected from their existing telephone network in the first half of 2018, having been connected to the National Broadband Network. A spokesman for NBNCo says homes and businesses are given plenty of warning regarding their upcoming disconnection, with up to five letters being sent to them. These letters are in addition to any advice given to them by their telecommunications provider. The rollout of the National Broadband Network is expected to be completed in 2020.

CORPORATES
NBN CO LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD

NBN compo for 60,000 homes

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Supratim Adhikari
The Australian – Page: 15 : 21-Dec-17

TPG Telecom has agreed to compensate nearly 8,000 customers whose NBN internet access speeds did not match those advertised by the telco. Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says the limitations of fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) technology means that many customers were unlikely to get the speeds that had been advertised. Telstra and Optus had previously agreed to compensate customers using FTTN, and the ACCC expects that other telcos will do so as well.

CORPORATES
TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, EXETEL PTY LTD

Cheap and fast NBN service attracts broadband switchers

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Dec-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 15% of Australian households that now have an NBN connection at home either switched to the NBN or switched their NBN fixed broadband service provider in the last 12 months. Some 53.7% of decision makers – those who are considered to be the decision makers in their household when it comes to technology – cited "cheaper rates" as the reason for choosing the new plan in the six months to September 2017, almost double the rate of a year ago (26.9%) and far higher than existing fixed broadband users (28.9%). Fixed broadband decision makers making the switch to a new NBN Service Provider in the last year were also far more likely than a year ago to mention faster data connection/download speeds (31.6% cf. 17.8%) and clear pricing of the plan (29.5% cf. 22.3%). Meanwhile, decision makers that switched to an ADSL or Cable fixed broadband service provider were also just as likely to choose based on faster connection and download speeds (30.5% cf. 31.6% for NBN) although clearly less likely to nominate cheaper rates (38.8% cf. 53.7% for NBN) or clear pricing of the plan (24.2% cf. 29.5% for NBN).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

BHP enters NBN debate as data demand soars

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 2-Nov-17

BHP Billiton is embracing technology such as automation and telematics, which in turn is increasing the amount of data and bandwidth it uses, says chief technology officer Diane Jurgens. She adds that BHP uses both its own data networks and the national broadband network. Jurgens advocates using fibre-to-the-premises for the NBN, arguing that doing so is an investment for the long-term, as demand for bandwidth is set to increase exponentially. Meanwhile, BHP plans to deploy driverless trains on its Pilbara iron ore rail network, a process that Jurgens says will take at least 12 months.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

NBN needs subsidies: Sims

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 1-Nov-17

The national broadband network’s uniform pricing policy means capital city users are effectively subsidising the provision of NBN’s fixed wireless and satellite services in regional and rural areas. ACCC chairman Rod Sims argues that these unprofitable services should instead be subsidised via the Budget, adding that the Federal Government should make a decision on whether to do so in mid-2018. Sims adds that it may be appropriate to write down the value of the NBN.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NBN CO LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

‘Belong’ launch set to shake up mobile category

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Oct-17

Telstra subsidiary Belong has launched its new mobile phone service, and the low-cost brand is set to intensify competition in the 20 million-plus Australian mobile phone market. A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that an estimated 170,000 Australians aged 14+ already use Belong’s fixed broadband service. These customers are a natural first target for the new mobile phone service – deeper analysis of these customers shows that 33% currently have their mobile phone service with Vodafone. In contrast, Vodafone’s share of the mobile phone market is only 17%. Likewise, only 25% of Belong’s broadband customers have a Telstra mobile phone contract, compared to Telstra’s wider mobile market share of 43%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, BELONG PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, AMAYSIM AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX AYS

Crackdown on telcos ‘terrible’ NBN ads

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 22-Aug-17

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will introduce voluntary standards covering national broadband network advertising by ISPs. Announcing the creation of the standards on 21 August, ACCC chairman Rod Sims described the current standard of NBN advertising by ISPs as "terrible", with ISPs not making it clear in their marketing the internet access speed that customers can expect if they sign up to an NBN plan. ISPs have been given three months to be in compliance with the standards.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NBN CO LIMITED

Thousands to get refunds after NBN overcharging

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Anthony Klan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 21-Aug-17

Optus may look to refund customers who signed up for national broadband network (NBN) packages that offered internet speeds that could not be delivered. Telstra made a similar announcement in May, stating that almost 8,000 customers would get refunds. Optus has criticised the $A49 billion NBN project over the high cost of bandwidth, stating that this is making it difficult for it to offer high-speed internet access to some of its customers.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NBN CO LIMITED

Telcos refuse to guarantee speed

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Anthony Klan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 24-Jul-17

NBN Co is imposing high bandwidth charges on telcos, in order to provide the Federal Government with a sound return on the $A49 billion it has committed to the National Broadband Network project. The high charges mean telcos are not buying the required amount of bandwidth, resulting in very slow access times during high usage periods. As a result, telcos such as Telstra, Optus and TPG are refusing to promise that customers who sign for a specific NBN speed package will indeed be guaranteed to receive services at that speed.

CORPORATES
NBN CO LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, DODO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY