Industry News

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OneWeb Announces UK 5G Pilot Test and LEO Trials With Telstra

OneWeb is taking part in a satellite and 5G pilot in the U.K. and performing tests with Telstra in Australia for potential commercial service… Read more


Commpete insists that Telstra-TPG network sharing deal is a merger and may risk competition in regional Australia

Telco industry alliance Commpete has released a comment and flagged serious concerns with the proposed Telstra-TPG merger under review by the ACCC… Read more


Telstra channels Mad Max to lay fibre across Australia

Australian operator Telstra has selected new transport network infrastructure rollout partners and Mad Max-like machinery capable of… Read more


Next Telecom emerging Australian SD-WAN provider

Next Telecom, a well-recognised service provider, began selling SD-WAN services in Australia in late 2020 and… Read more


New Telstra MVNO Konec Mobile launches in Australia

A new Telstra mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Konec Mobile, has launched in Australia as a new low cost telco player… Read more


TPG uses Adtran Gigabit Gfast fiber solutions to upgrade broadband

TPG Telecom Group is using the Adtran Gigabit Gfast fiber solutions to upgrade broadband services to Gigabit speeds and attract new subscribers… Read more


Is Adani getting into telecom sector as he is bidding on 5g spectrum?

Adani is a company based in India, which is not involved in the telecom sector, as of this time. There has been recent speculation that they are bidding on 5G spectrum… Read more


Telstra backs down over spectrum hoarding and impeding Optus’ 5G rollout

Australia’s biggest telco was interfering with the 5G rollout of one of its rivals by registering various 900 MHz around the country at the start of the year… Read more


Vodafone NZ celltowers could be up for sale as Infratil weighs ‘capital release’ options

Vodafone NZ’s cell towers are said to be on the block… Read more


5G Focus: Verizon exceeds 5G rollout targets; Optus, Telstra secure 5G spectrum

5G Focus is a weekly global feature including notable 5G trials, launches, use cases and major equipment supply contracts. It also features in-depth analysis of strategies, expansion plans, business models and other related initiatives… Read more


Telstra’s 5G network reaches 50% of Australian population

Australian operator Telstra said that its current 5G coverage footprint currently reaches over 50% of the country’s population… Read more


Australia’s TPG Telecom accelerates 5G deployment

Australian operator TPG Telecom announced plans to accelerate its 5G rollout over the next 12 months, with over 85% of the population in the country’s six largest cities expected… Read more


Australia’s Optus tests 5G mmWave technology with Ericsson

Optus testing 5G using 26 GHz mmWave band at four sites in Sydney. Australian operator Optus announced it is testing 5G mmWave technology in partnership with Swedish vendor Ericsso… Read more

Telstra Catches 5G mmWave

Australian telecom, Telstra, announced it has established a 5G hotspot that can handle millimeter waves, reports ZDNet.com. “mmWave is going to be a big part of our 5G future and… Read more

Telstra claims 5G first with SA upgrade

Telstra staked a claim to being one of the first operators in the world to deploy standalone (SA) 5G, following a RAN upgrade covering its entire next-generation network. In a stat… Read more

Telstra to launch mmWave 5G spectrum trials with customers

Australian operator Telstra has announced plans to allow customers early trial access to millimeter wave 5G spectrum with the launch of a mmWave 5G-enabled device by mid-year, the … Read more

Optus completes 5G data call using 2.3 GHz spectrum

11 December, 2019

Optus plans to turn on its 2.3 GHz spectrum sometime in 2020. Optus is claiming to have made the world’s first 5G data call using 2.3 GHz spectrum in a trial completed in Sydney … Read more

Telstra, Ericsson complete 5G standalone call in Australia

24 July, 2019

The first end-to-end 5G standalone (SA) call in Australia was successfully completed by Ericsson and Telstra. According to the companies, the call took place at Telstra’s 5G Inno… Read more

Optus switches on six mobile towers in Tamworth region Share

29 March, 2019

Singtel Optus has switched on six new mobile towers across the Tamworth region which will improve the 4G coverage. Optus’ Territory general manager North West New South Wales, Ch… Read more

Optus, Ericsson to deploy 50 5G sites in Sydney and Melbourne

15 February, 2019

The Australian carrier plans to deploy 1,200 5G sites across Australia’s main regions by March 2020. Australian carrier Optus has signed a partnership with Ericsson to deploy 50 … Read more

Optus completes 5G data call using 3.5 GHz spectrum in Australia

16 January, 2019

The carrier aims to launch 5G fixed wireless in the country in the first half of 2019 Australian carrier Optus said it has successfully completed a 5G data call using 3.5 GHz spect… Read more

Australian telco Telstra secures early access to 5G spectrum

21 December, 2018

The carrier said early access to 3.6 GHz frequencies allowed to activate 5G at sites in Melbourne and Sidney. Australian carrier Telstra announced it had been given early access to… Read more

Telstra completes 5G connection with Ericsson, Qualcomm

27 November, 2018

Australian carrier Telstra said it has achieved what it claims to be Australia’s first live 5G connection using a commercial 5G chipset on the carrier’s mobile network. The com… Read more

Telstra selects Ericsson as key 5G technology partner

30 October, 2018

Telstra upgraded existing infrastructure to 5G in the cities of Adelaide, Perth and Canberra. Australian operator Telstra said it has selected Ericsson as its key partner for the d… Read more

Spray-On Antennas and The Future of Networks

10 October, 2018

Highly conductive spray-on antennas created by Drexel University researchers could change the future of antenna installation, Network World reported. Drexel researchers say the tec… Read more

Telstra, Ericsson, Qualcomm push 4G limits

20 September, 2018

Australian market leader Telstra claimed a world first after completing a 2Gb/s data call on its 4G network, in a trial involving Ericsson and Qualcomm. In a statement, the operato… Read more

Calls for better phone coverage across the region

14 December, 2017

LONG-SUFFERING Bundaberg and Burnett mobile phone users fed up with poor connections can take some comfort from Optus’s $7 million investment in the region, including a new m… Read more

Australian regulator fast-tracking upcoming 5G auction at super-high frequency

18 September, 2017

Australia might be getting access to 5G data speeds sooner than expected with the communications regulator fast-tracking preparations to auction the necessary spectrum off to mobil… Read more

Telstra 4G coverage hits 99%, switches on LTE-M

3 August, 2017

Telstra, Australia’s largest mobile operator, announced its 4G coverage now reaches 99 per cent of the country’s population, and it switched on LTE-M on its 4GX network to expa… Read more

Telstra CEO warns of free data within 10 years

28 June, 2017

Operators must prepare for falling consumer data prices to reach zero in the next five to ten years, Telstra CEO Andrew Penn warned during his keynote today. Discussing the need fo… Read more

TPG takes on Telstra, Optus, Vodafone as Australia’s fourth mobile network operator with $1.26b spectrum acquisition

9 June, 2017

TPG has acquired $1.26 billion in 700Mhz spectrum and is set to become Australia’s fourth mobile network operator, announcing plans to build a $1.9 billion mobile network coverin… Read more

Optus full-year profit drops

22 May, 2017

Optus has suffered a hefty drop in full-year profit as content costs and competition weigh on earnings but the second-ranked telco has flagged a $1.5 billion boost to its network s… Read more

One in 4 Aussies in mortgage stress

12 May, 2017

One in four (767,000) Australian households are currently experiencing mortgage stress with just over 30,000 in ‘severe’ stress, according to Digital Finance Analytics. The mor… Read more

5G Coming to Australia with Telstra, Ericsson and Qualcomm

3 March, 2017

Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Telstra have announced a plan to conduct interoperability testing and an over-the-air field trial in Australia based on the expected 5G New Radio (NR) speci… Read more

5G Let Me Drive a Vehicle From 60 Miles Away at Mobile World Congress

2 March, 2017

I’m not going to lie: Remotely driving a vehicle from 60-miles away is pretty cool. It’s the sort of stuff that makes you wonder what’s waiting in the not-very-di… Read more

New system provides 10 times faster data speed than 5G: study

7 February, 2017

Scientists have developed a next generation system which can transmit digital data over 10 times faster than 5G mobile networks, an advance that will pave the way for faster downlo… Read more

5G networks are coming in 2020: here are the speeds and advantages to expect

22 December, 2016

I still remember the day when I first accessed the internet from a mobile device. It was in the early 2000’s, when I owned a Motorola T720 flip phone. Its data connection all… Read more

Australia plans controversial rural NBN levy

13 December, 2016

The Australian government is planning to impose a monthly levy on rival networks to the state-funded National Broadband Network (NBN) to help fund the roll out of the NBN to rural … Read more

Viacom Labs pioneers livestream-to-TV format

1 November, 2016

Viacom Labs has pioneered a breakthrough television format that pulls in livestreams from fans as a curated real-time feed running on-air during a regularly scheduled television sh… Read more

Vodafone Australia and Nokia attain 5Gbps speeds in 5G showcase

12 October, 2016

Vodafone Australia has demonstrated throughput speeds of up to 5Gbps in a public lab trial at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in partnership with network technology giant… Read more

Australia’s second NBN satellite targets remote areas

11 October, 2016

Last week’s successful launch into orbit of the second broadband satellite of Australia’s national broadband network, Sky Muster II, is expected to provide fast broadband s… Read more

Vodafone AU to switch off 2G network in a year

3 October, 2016

Vodafone Australia has revealed plans to switch off its 2G network in just under a year to free up spectrum for 4G. The operator will decommission its legacy 2G GSM network on Sept… Read more

Stormageddon leaves thousands of homes without power after devastating statewide blackout – as South Australians brace for 140kph winds to hit

30 September, 2016

Tens of thousands of homes are left without power after South Australia was hit with a statewide blackout following severe thunderstorms, as residents brace for damaging winds of u… Read more

Telstra, Ericsson live 5G trial attains 20Gbps download speeds

21 September, 2016

Telstra and Ericsson have achieved download speeds of between 18Gbps and 22Gbps during the first live trial of 5G in Australia, with the trials conducted in a real-world outdoor en… Read more

Six futuristic phone designs

20 September, 2016

Cell phone technology continues moving forward year after year, but many of the developments are incremental—a better camera, more storage space, or a faster processor. Six futur… Read more

Northern Territory Aims for More Connectivity

31 August, 2016

The largest telecommunications company in Australia, Optus, is making big moves in rural areas of the continent. It recently announced an expansion of mobile coverage in 12 Norther… Read more

Telstra to monitor mobile network with drones

30 August, 2016

Australia’s largest operator Telstra plans to use drones to remotely monitor its base stations and help quickly restore services in potential disaster-hit communities in northern… Read more

Vodafone Australia announces 5G trials for 2016

25 August, 2016

Vodafone Australia will be conducting demonstrations of 5G on its network in the second half of 2016, CEO Inaki Berroeta has announced, with the Internet of Things (IoT) a major dr… Read more

Nokia, EE testing small cell equipped drones to deliver rural LTE

15 August, 2016

U.K. telecommunications operator EE and Finnish vendor Nokia have carried out a trial to provide LTE services in rural areas of Scotland, Nokia said in a blog post. Both companies … Read more

Spirit Telecom connects first building with ‘superfast’ Internet

5 August, 2016

The “prestigious” Freshwater Place complex of 530 apartments, in Melbourne’s riverside Southbank precinct, has been upgraded to the faster network, 240 of which were already … Read more

Samsung Gets Ready to Shrink 5G Antennas & Chipsets

29 July, 2016

Samsung says that it will soon introduce miniaturized antennas and chipsets aimed at catching the first wave of 5G. 5G is the next-generation wireless technology intended to delive… Read more

Optus Satellite, URSYS team to serve rural Australia

15 July, 2016

Australia’s Optus Satellite has entered an alliance with satellite communications provider URSYS to provide services targeted at complex networks in remote and rural areas of… Read more

Optus commences rollout of VoLTE

10 May, 2016

Australia’s Optus has commenced the rollout of VoLTE technology to Australia’s major capital cities.The Singtel subsidiary revealed that its initial rollout will concen… Read more

Telstra sells 48% stake in Chinese online business Autohome

21 April, 2016

Australian operator Telstra will sell a 47.7 per cent stake in a Chinese online business for automobile consumers, Autohome, for $1.6 billion to Ping An Insurance Group, retaining … Read more

American Tower reports strong growth, SBA minimal

21 March, 2016

In the excitement leading up to and during the recent NATE UNITE 2016 event, it seems the tower industry’s financial update escaped us until now. American Tower reports strong gr… Read more

Telefonica creates infrastructure company

29 February, 2016

Telefonica set up a firm called Telxius to house its global infrastructure assets, with a brief to get involved with growth opportunities “including the possibility of incorporat… Read more

VODAFONE CEO: There’s $25 billion worth of untapped digital business in regional areas

27 February, 2016

Recent research from PricewaterhouseCoopers shows there’s $49.2 billion over 10 years in untapped digital business in Australia, with 53% in areas outside Australia’s inner met… Read more

Sprint to Save $1 Billion by Moving Cell Towers

25 February, 2016

In what may be the first move in a larger round of cost cutting at the fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier, Sprint Inc. (NYSE: S) is expected to slice $1 billion from its expenses… Read more

4G LTE, LTE-A Network Deployment Gain Strong Momentum

30 November, 2015

Long-Term Evolution (LTE), the most sought after next-generation (4G) super-fast wireless communications technology, is gaining rapid momentum worldwide. 4G wireless networks prima… Read more

Optus launches tri-band carrier aggregation

19 August, 2015

Optus has switched on tri-band carrier aggregation in suburbs of Newcastle, NSW. The telco revealed is had achieved speeds of up to 317 megabits per second using a combination of 1… Read more

Telstra committed to staying ahead of the pack

23 July, 2015

Telstra chief executive Andy Penn says he will sacrifice margins and revenue growth if it means the telco giant can maintain its supremacy in the domestic mobile business while he … Read more

Internet Australia joins outcry at telco infrastructure security bill

5 July, 2015

Internet Australia has joined representatives of the telecommunications and ICT industries in condemning a draft bill the government says is intended to boost the security of Austr… Read more

Telstra’s Wi-Fi network ‘Telstra Air’ launches on Tuesday

June 26 2015

Over a year since first announcing the network, Telstra is officially launching its AU$100 million national Wi-Fi network known as Telstra Air on Tuesday. In partnership with Fon, … Read more

Metadata and telcos: Get ready for casualties

30 March, 2015

The Coalition’s controversial data retention legislation has sailed through the parliament with a minimum of fuss. An entirely predictable outcome after the Labor opposition … Read more

Telstra to buy Globecast Australia

25 March, 2015

Telstra is set to acquire Globecast Australia, a leading provider of media services for broadcasters in Australasia. The acquisition is subject to ACCC review prior to completion. … Read more

Telco chiefs ramp up pressure over cost of metadata retention amid silence from ministers

20 March, 2015

A coalition of high-powered chiefs from major Australian internet and phone companies demanded in a letter on Monday that the Abbott government outline how much money it is going t… Read more

Australian 4G speeds not improving

18 March, 2015

But coverage getting better. Australia mobile customers get some of the best 4G LTE coverage in the world but are receiving less than impressive data speeds, large-scale user resea… Read more

Illegal mobile phone signal boosters causing problems for other network users

11 March, 2015

Poor mobile phone reception is a part of life for many people living in regional Australia, and a growing number of residents are turning to crime to combat the problem. Consumers … Read more

Optus records 480 Mbps download speeds to single user device

9 March, 2015

Optus has achieved download speeds of 480 megabits per second (Mbps) to a single user device. The capability was achieved on one of Optus’ “Gigasites”, which are used by Optu… Read more

Telstra to deploy Ericsson LTE-Broadcast capability on 4GX

4 March, 2015

Telstra is boosting the bandwidth, capacity and functionality of its 4GX coverage with a series of technology alliances including Ericsson, Qualcomm and Netgear. The company will d… Read more

Telstra, Ericsson to partner on 5G

4 March, 2015

Telstra will partner with its long-term equipment supplier Ericsson to define 5G technology in an effort to launch the network for commercial use in 2020. The technology will event… Read more

Six things David Thodey did to change Telstra

2 March, 2015

David Thodey has stepped down as chief executive of Telstra, after six years in the top job. He will be replaced by Andrew Penn in May. Since Thodey became chief executive in 2009 … Read more

Telstra kills mobile market; Optus, Vodafone wilt

25 February, 2015

The nation’s largest telco Telstra has continued its incredibly strong drive to take back a huge slice of Australia’s mobile market, adding 739,000 customers in a period in whi… Read more

Crown is exploring sale of its Australian towers and settling in the US

20 February, 2015

Crown Castle International Corp. announced today that it plans to explore the potential sale of its Australian subsidiary. “In light of recent unsolicited offers we have rece… Read more

ACMA lobbies to reallocate regional 1800 MHz

20 February, 2015

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has begun lobbying Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to reallocate regional 1800MHz spectrum for use with 4G LTE ser… Read more

Vodafone declares turnaround complete

19 February, 2015

Australia’s third largest telco Vodafone has completed a three-year turnaround effort initiated following large-scale network and customer service issues in 2010. Vodafone declar… Read more

Singtel-Optus chief pledges to break Telstra’s stronghold

18 February, 2015

SingTel-Optus’ new chief executive Allen Lew has pledged to break Telstra’s mobile service dominance and build the nation’s leading network in a move that could t… Read more

Canberra 4G mobile coverage expanded as Telstra upgrades

17 February, 2015

Mobile coverage for Canberrans has had another boost with both major telcommunication companies now offering a higher speed 4G service. Telstra switched on its 4GX service on the 7… Read more

Vodafone CEO puts data and content first in comeback plans

16 February, 2015

The combination of a solid 4G network, data-focused plans, content bundling, and improved customer service will see Vodafone Australia’s long-awaited return to growth in 2015… Read more