NBN reveals new SAU proposal

A week after withdrawing its previous special access undertaking (SAU) variation proposal, NBN Co submitted a revised version to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The changes are:

• In addition to the previous commitment to remove connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) charging and introduce AVC-only pricing for the NBN Home Fast (100 Mbps) and above wholesale speed tiers by 1 July 2023, commitment to a firm timeframe for the complete removal of CVC charges and introduction of AVC-only pricing across the 12, 25, 50 Mbps wholesale speed tiers by 1 July 2026
• Significant wholesale price reductions to AVC-only pricing on key higher speed tiers by 1 July 2023
• Reduced wholesale bundle charges or additional data inclusions on 12, 25 and 50 Mbps wholesale speed tiers
• Introduction of a weighted average price cap (WAPC) that will initially cap NBN’s overall pricing on average at CPI
• Further limitations on drawdown of the initial cost recovery account (ICRA)
• Setting benchmark service standards for each regulatory period, with ACCC oversight
• Automatic expiration of SAU before 2040 if a future government relinquishes control of NBN.

Auckland’s 5G is faster than Sydney’s

Auckland registered 280.7Mbps 5G download speeds between 1 April and 29 June 2022, while Sydney reached 212.4Mpbs, according to data from Opensignal, which analysed 5G speeds across Asia-Pacific. Auckland also had faster 5G uploading speeds of 27.9Mbps while Sydney got to 17.3Mbps. Despite Auckland coming fourth place in the upload speeds tally, its speed was way below Kuala Lumpur, which topped the list with 52.8Mbps.

To read this article in full, please click here

Telstra deregisters sites so Optus can roll out 5G

Telstra will deregister 162 radiocommunication sites in the 900 MHz spectrum it registered with the Australian Communications and Markets Authority (ACMA) in January 2022. The decision came after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched an investigation as it was “was concerned that the decision was made for the substantial purpose or had the likely effect of hindering Singtel Optus Pty Limited (Optus) in rolling out its 5G network”.

Telstra currently holds a licence for the sites in question until June 2024, however, the ACCC argued that the telco had not registered a new site since 2016.

To read this article in full, please click here

Telstra closes Digicel Pacific acquisition

Telstra has finalised the acquisition of Digicel Pacific, provider of communications services across Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Telstra, which contributed with US$270 million, now owns 100% of Digicel Pacific, while the Australian government provided the remaining US$1.33 billion through a combination of non-recourse debt facilities and equity like securities.

Digicel Pacific had around 2.8 million subscribers and 1,700 employees generating US$466 million in service revenue for the financial year ended 31 March 2022, according to Telstra.

Digicel Pacific will continue to run as a standalone business with the same employees and operated by Telstra International.

To read this article in full, please click here

Australia federal budget 2022-2023: telecom spending

The Australia federal government has announced $1.3 billion in funding to improve regional telecommunications infrastructure and connectivity in regional, rural, remote, and peri-urban areas as part of the 2022-2023 budget.

$811.8 million will go towards the Connecting Regional Australia Initiative to expand mobile coverage and improve connectivity, resilience, and affordability. It will expand regional mobile coverage and address black spots on as much as 8,000km of roads and adjacent households, businesses, and tourist hot spots.

South Korea has an above-average 5G mobile download speed, with the highest 5G download speed, 5G peak download speed, and 5G upload speed across Asia-Pacific, according to recent findings from consultancy Opensignal.

South Korean download speeds reached 438Mbps, while Taiwan, which came second in all measures, reached 263Mbps. Taiwan shares its second place for 5G download speeds with New Zealand, as Opensignal considers 263Mbps and New Zealand’s 253Mbps a statistical tie. For peak download speeds, Taiwan reached 614Mbps and Australia 597Mbps, also considered a statistical tie. South Korea reached a whopping 866Mbps in peak download speeds.

These results do not account for one important factor: that countries in Southeast Asia have only limited availability of new 5G spectrum. According to GSMA’s 2019 Roadmap for C-Band spectrum, the Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to assign the 3.5GHz 5G band, while Myanmar and Singapore gained access much later; Brunei will only get access in 2022 or later.

To read this article in full, please click here

Optus connects its first 5G site in Tasmania

Optus has connected the first of nine 5G sites to be connected in Hobart, Tasmania. This means Optus mobile customers who have compatible phones—the Samsung S21/22 series and Oppo Find X3—can now connect to the Optus 5G network.

Optus, in partnership with Ericsson, used a 5G frequency division duplex (FDD) carrier with massive MIMO capability on a dual-band 1800MHz/2100MHz 4G/5G active antenna integrated radio unit (AIR 1641). According to Optus, this allows the telco to offer 5G services, with both high capacity and coverage, in areas where 5G 3.5GHz spectrum is currently unavailable.

The remaining sites will be delivered by June 2022.

To read this article in full, please click here