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Tag: Australia

  • Aussie mobile customers’ private data up for sale

    Aussie mobile customers’ private data up for sale

    Private information on Australian mobile subscribers are being sold off by unscrupulous members of offshore call centers, according to an investigative report.

    The private details of customers from the market’s three operators – Optus, Telstra and Vodafone – are being offered for sale by a call center business named AI Solutions, run by Indian businesman Imran Khan.

    Information including home addresses, dates of birth, alternative numbers, billing statements and call history are being offered for between A$350 ($260) and A$1,000, the report states. Prices are higher for VIPs , politicians, police and celebrities.

    Security industry sources spoken to for the report say the practice of call center workers selling off Australian customer details has been long-standing, and potentially involves more than one company.

    In a press statement, a Vodafone Hutchison Australia spokesperson said the company is “aware there are individuals who do attempt to illegally access data through various channels from companies and organisations which hold customer information,” and has “invested millions of dollars over recent years in security systems and processes, and have a number of safeguards in place to prevent unlawful access of customer information.”

    For offshore call centers, security safeguards include paperless offices, a no mobile phone policy, no access to third party websites, email monitoring, role based systems access, continuous agent training and disciplinary process.

    An Optus spokesperson said the company has referred the matter to federal police, and Telstra said the company does everything it can to protect customer data.

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  • SIA delays launch of Jakarta-Sydney route after Indonesia withdraws approval

    SIA delays launch of Jakarta-Sydney route after Indonesia withdraws approval

    Flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Wednesday (Nov 9) it has delayed plans to launch a new route linking Singapore, Jakarta and Sydney, after Indonesia withdrew its approval due to runway maintenance work.

    The airline had earlier announced that it planned to launch the thrice-weekly Singapore-Jakarta-Sydney route on Nov 23. SIA said Indonesia’s civil aviation authorities had issued written approval, and the airline had secured the necessary airport slots.

    However, Indonesian authorities have informed the airline that they are now unable to approve the flights due to runway maintenance work at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, SIA said. The runway work also affects other airlines, it added.

    In response to media queries, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said it was aware of the delay in the launch of the new route.

    “SIA’s new service will enhance air connectivity between Singapore, Jakarta and Sydney, which will facilitate people and trade flows between these cities,” CAAS said.

    “We hope the Indonesian civil aviation authorities can give approval for this new service as soon as possible so that it can be launched.”

    SIA said it will contact customers with bookings on the route and transfer them to other flights. “The airline apologises for the inconvenience caused to our customers,” it said.

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  • Indonesia, Australia discuss free trade agreement

    Indonesia, Australia discuss free trade agreement

    Australian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo has met Indonesian Minister of Trade Enggartiasto Lukita in Australia on Sunday to discuss free trade agreements.

    Press releases from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia received by ANTARA here on Sunday said that Minister Enggartiasto is visiting Australia to discuss the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).

    IA-CEPA will generate economic framework which is expected to make closer relations between Indonesia and Australia besides opening up markets and new opportunities for both countries.

    According to Ciabo, the negotiations are going forward as the two countries continue to work to finalize the deal.

    “Minister Lukita and I have agreed to make ambitious and high quality deals,” Ciabo said, adding that the IA-CEPA can transform Australia and Indonesia economic partnership.

    Indonesia is Australias important neighbor and great regional partner, with the value of two-way trade between Australia and Indonesia amounting to US$15 billion in 2015, Ciabo noted.

    “IA-CEPA will bring our economies closer and allow Australian and Indonesian businesses to take advantages,” he said.

    IA-CEPA will create business opportunities for Australia and Indonesia to jointly work on those opportunities that will continue to develop in the future.

  • Australia leads top ten sources of tourist arrivals in Bali

    Australia leads top ten sources of tourist arrivals in Bali

    Australia led the ten top sources of tourist arrivals in the resort island of Bali in the January-September 2016 period, an official said.

    “The number of Australian tourists visiting Bali in the first nine months of this year reached 850,326, up 16.85 percent from 727,678 in the same period last year,” chief of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Office in Bali, Adi Nugroho said here on Sunday.

    Most of the Australian tourists traveled to Bali by direct flights. Only 18,554 of them went to the island by cruise liner.

    More and more Australians visited Bali as they regarded it as their “second home”, he said.

    Australia contributed 23.36 percent of the overall tourist arrivals in Bali at 3.63 million over the period, up 21.69 percent compared to the same period last year when the figure was recorded at 2.99 million.

    Adi Nugroho said nine of the ten top sources of tourist arrivals in bali saw a significant increase in the number of tourist arrivals in Bali. Only the number of Malaysian tourists fell 6.64 percent to 138,203 from 138,203.

    Meanwhile, China occupied the second place with 35.84 percent of the total budget fund.

  • Indonesia, Australia Cooperates on Mining Gold, Copper

    Indonesia, Australia Cooperates on Mining Gold, Copper

    National mining company PT. Aneka Tambang (ANTAM) and Australian mining company Newcrest Mining Ltd. are building a partnership in order to explore gold and copper potential in Indonesia.

    A statement released by the Australian Embassy on Sunday, November 6, 2016, mentioned that the collaboration document between both countries was signed by Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita and Head of the Investment Coordinating Board Thomas Lembong in Sidney.

    Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson, who was present during the document signing, also welcomed the collaboration. “Two-way investment is a form of acknowledgment that both countries’ economics have many potential to offer,” Paul said.

    Indonesia and Australia have decided to raise economic issues in both countries’ bilateral partnership by reviving the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IACEPA), according to Grigson.

    “More investment means joint prosperity,” Grigson said, while adding that increasing investments will create new job opportunities for both countries.

    Indonesia-Australia partnership in the gold and copper mining sector has been established since late 2015 in the form of preliminary studies.

    The preliminary studies were later followed up with a joint exploration in Indonesia.

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  • Goldman’s Instructed by ANZ

    Goldman’s Instructed by ANZ

    It has been an interesting week for Australian bank ANZ. On Monday it agreed a deal with Singaporean bank DBS to dispose of its Asian wealth units. Now it appears the bank has hired Goldman Sachs for another deal.

    According to a report the bank has appointed Goldman Sachs to lead the sale. Also involved in any transaction will be the Melbourne-based boutique Flagstaff Partners.

    Insurance Units Next to go?

    Flagstaff has worked with ANZ on several occasions including as a financial adviser to the ANZ Banking Group on the sale of ANZ Trustees to Equity Trustees. It also acted as a financial adviser on the acquisition of the remaining 51 percent shareholding in the ANZ-ING wealth management and life insurance joint venture.

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  • Singapore’s MyRepublic launches in Australia

    Singapore’s MyRepublic launches in Australia

    Singapore-based ISP MyRepublic will launch in the Australian market later this month over the national broadband network (NBN), as part of the company’s ongoing regional expansion.

    MyRepublic will launch an unlimited data service at the fastest NBN speeds available in that area at the single price of A$59.99 ($46.10) per month.

    Unlimited data plans are still relatively rare in the Australian market due to a lack of competitive fixed-line infrastructure, even as the NBN wholesale network is progressively deployed.

    MyRepublic Australia managing director Nicolas Demos said the company plans to differentiate by offering the best speeds possible with unlimited allocations.

    “It is time to educate Australians on the value of quicker speeds without the restrictions of data caps,” he said.

    “Australia has the 48th fastest average internet connection speed in the world. Over 80% of Australian customers on the NBN are currently running on speeds similar to ADSL technology. We will deliver customers the best speed they can get – at their location – with our unlimited plan offer with local support at a fair price.”

    MyRepublic was founded in 2011 and was the first company is Singapore to offer 1Gbps broadand services for under S$50 ($36) per month. The company has been pursuing regional expansion, and has so far also launched services in New Zealand and Indonesia. At home, the company is vying to become Singapore’s fourth mobile operator.

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  • Vodafone plans to launch world’s first NB-IoT networks

    Vodafone plans to launch world’s first NB-IoT networks

    Vodafone has revealed plans to launch what it expects will be the world’s first live commercial narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) networks in early 2017.

    The operator will launch LPWA NB-IoT networks in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain during the first three months of the year.

    Vodafone said it will be able to implement the NB-IoT rollout by way of a software upgrade to its existing 4G base stations, allowing the company to deliver nationwide coverage almost immediately in the four markets.

    The operator plans to roll out the technology to additional markets later in the year, and provide full coverage of the operator’s global network by 2020.

    In preparation for the launch Vodafone has been conducting testing of the technology. Last week Vodafone Spain completed the first test of an NB-IoT connected product on a commercial network, by burying a parking sensor in a space within Madrid’s Vodafone Plaza. A smartphone app was able to display that the space was occupied when a car was parked in it.

    “The questions of battery life and deep in-building penetration have now been answered by NB-IoT,” Vodafone’s director of IoT Ivo Rook said.

    “The low cost of the modules means we can expect a new wave of connected devices and soaring market demand. Vodafone’s world leading expertise and experience in IoT will prove invaluable in shaping this exciting market.”

    Singapore’s M1 has also announced plans to deploy a commercial NB-IoT network in 2017, but did not specify the time during the year that the company plans to launch.

  • Vodafone Australia to offer fixed broadband services

    Vodafone Australia to offer fixed broadband services

    Vodafone Australia has revealed plans to branch out into offering fixed broadband services over the national broadband network (NBN).

    The operator plans to extend into fixed-line broadband to give its mobile customers more access to data both at home and on-the-go.

    While the NBN rollout is not scheduled for completion until 2020, around three million premises have access to the network and more than 1.1 million have signed up.

    At a press briefing, Vodafone Australia CEO Inaki Berroeta said the move into fixed broadband is a “natural progression” for the company, and it’s the right time to make the move because the NBN project is reaching the scale required to deliver an NBN service that complements its mobile network. It is expected that 4 million premises will be NBN-ready by the end of the year.

    Vodafone plans to make its first commercial NBN services available next year.

    Market research from Roy Morgan indicates that 550,000 of Vodafone’s mobile customers already intend to switch fixed broadband provider over the next 12 months, giving the operator a large potential market at the ready.

    Vodafone’s customers are also over 50% more likely than average to be dissatisfied with their current fixed broadband provider, and are statistically 10 percentage points less likely than the national average to have market leader Telstra as a fixed broadband provider.

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  • Australia may refarm 1.5-GHz, 3.6-GHz for MBB

    Australia may refarm 1.5-GHz, 3.6-GHz for MBB

    Australian telecoms regulator ACMA has proposed refarming spectrum in the 1.5-GHz and 3.6-GHz bands for mobile broadband, including potentially in future 5G networks.

    In a discussion paper, the regulator has proposed re-planning the spectrum bands in light of the international interest in utilizing them for mobile broadband by the ITU-R and APT, as well as individual countries. The regulator is seeking feedback from the industry and other stakeholders.

    ACMA said the bands are currently used for a range of other services – including satellite and fixed broadband services in the 3.6-GHz band, and defence use and fixed services in the 1.5-GHz band.

    “There are international standards that support 4G technologies in both the 1.5-GHz and 3.6-GHz bands. Importantly, the 3.6-GHz band is also being looked at internationally as an early band for 5G and the ACMA has decided to bring forward discussion of its future use,” ACMA chairman Richard Bean said.

    “This paper gives current users of the bands as well as potential new entrants an opportunity to help us better understand the issues relevant to each band. Their views will help us to determine what, if any, frequencies and geographical areas should be considered in a possible future re-farming of the bands for mobile broadband.”

  • Telstra close to launching Gigabit-class LTE

    Telstra close to launching Gigabit-class LTE

    Telstra has worked with Qualcomm, Ericsson and NETGEAR to develop the world’s first Gigabit-class LTE mobile device and Gigabit-class commercially ready LTE network.

    A new NETGEAR mobile router based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X16 LTE modem and Wi-Fi equipment will enable download speeds of up to 1Gbps over Telstra’s upgraded LTE network, which uses equipment supplied by Ericsson.

    Telstra now plans to conduct device, network and user testing ahead of a commercial launch, which is expected within the next few months.

    Combined, the equipment is capable of delivering Gigabit-level LTE speeds through a combination of 3x carrier aggregation, 4×4 MIMO on two aggregated carriers and 2×2 MIMO on the third, as well as 256-QAM.

    “We pride ourselves on our connectivity expertise and we continue that tradition today by completing the first commercialization of a Gigabit Class LTE network and device,” Telstra group managing director of networks Mike Wright said.

    “With the world’s first Gigabit Class LTE network, we have substantially improved our network capacity and increased real-world LTE download speeds, while also gaining a distinct advantage over competitors as we can now offer an entirely new class of LTE service.”

    Ericsson head of RAN products Per Narvinger added that “Telstra’s commercial ready Gigabit Class LTE network and device is an important milestone as it paves the path to 5G.”

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  • ACCC likely to continue regulating ADSL access

    ACCC likely to continue regulating ADSL access

    Australian competition regulator the ACCC has made a draft decision to continue regulating access to Telstra’s wholesale ADSL network for a further five years.

    Former government monopoly Telstra is required to provide access to its ADSL network to competitors due to its dominant position in both the wholesale and retail ADSL markets. When a commercial agreement cannot be reached, Telstra must provide access at regulated prices.

    The ACCC had been investigating whether regulated access was still necessary given the progress of the rollout of the national broadband network (NBN).

    “Telstra retains its dominant position in both the wholesale and retail markets for the supply of ADSL fixed-line broadband services on a national level,” ACCC commissioner Cristina Cifuentes said.

    “Continuing regulation will ensure network providers continue to have access to Telstra’s copper network at reasonable prices. This will encourage them to continue competing in the retail market to develop and offer different ADSL broadband products to meet the needs of customers as they prepare to shift to the NBN.”

    A final decision on the matter is expected in early 2017, before the current access declaration expires.

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  • Nokia teams with Optus on 5G development

    Nokia teams with Optus on 5G development

    Nokia has signed an agreement with Australia’s Optus to collaborate on 5G development, and revealed it is working with KT to deploy the world’s first 5G commercial trial network in 2017.

    Optus announced that the two companies plan to jointly conduct a 5G trial using Optus’ 3500-MHz spectrum. Optus andNokia will develop an early 5G prototype in the spectrum by 2017.

    The companies have already conducted initial closed tests at Optus’ Sydney headquarters over a new 5G radio test bed on Nokia’s Airscale product, highlighting the capability of 5G to deliver virtual reality video content at the required speeds.

    “There is a global race to explore and develop 5G technology, and in Australia, Optus is well positioned to lead in this space with our ownership of 3.5GHz, and close partnerships with our vendors including Nokia,” commented Tay Soo Meng, CTO of Optus’ parent company Singtel.

    In a blog post, Nokia project manager for 5G development research Jani Moilanen separately detailed the steps Nokia and KT are taking to deploy a 5G commercial trial network in the 28-GHz band next year.

    Nokia Bell Labs and the Nokia Korea Advanced Technology Center have developed initial network plans using 3D maps, accurate ray-tracing simulations and other technologies to address the potential for blockages of the 28-GHz band, including human bodies blocking line of sight between device and base station.

    The company is also working to address other key network planning challenges, including sufficient non-line-of-sight coverage in outdoor areas.

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  • Telstra to launch mobile broadband capability for ESOs

    Telstra to launch mobile broadband capability for ESOs

    Telstra plans to introduce a national public safety mobile broadband capability for emergency services organizations (ESOs) this summer.

    Alex Stefan, Telstra’s national general manager public safety and security, said the technology behind Telstra LANES Emergency allows ESOs to communicate with each other, and it could also provide governments with significant cost savings.

    “Preserving the safety, security, and prosperity of Australian communities is an essential role provided by our emergency services and Telstra is committed to providing innovative solutions and capabilities to support them,” he said in a statement.

    Telstra developed the LANES Emergency solution in collaboration with Ericsson primarily to help ESOs increase their network capability, coverage and reach, without building their own private network but by offering them priority access on Telstra’s LTE network.

    Telstra LANES Emergency will be available in two forms – Telstra LANES Emergency Priority, which will provide access to Telstra’s LTE spectrum; and Telstra LANES Emergency Tailored, which will consist of customer-owned dedicated spectrum and access to Telstra’s LTE spectrum or enhancements to Telstra’s LTE network.

    “Through LANES we can offer Emergency Services priority data access on our 4G network or on a dedicated and partitioned spectrum for their exclusive use. On the wireless highway it is like offering Emergency Services their very own express lane,” explained Stefan.

    A recent report from the Australian Productivity Commission indicated that a commercial public safety solution like LANES has the potential to save ESOs $4 billion over 20 years over the cost of running their own systems, and provides them with access to more easily updated technology and innovations.

    “Telstra will be initially providing access to up to 160MHz of Telstra LTE spectrum, including our 700-MHz band, for use by ESOs under this new offering,” Stefan said.

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  • Vodafone Australia to switch off 2G network in a year

    Vodafone Australia to switch off 2G network in a year

    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 September 30 2017, following a 12-month campaign to move its remaining 2G users off the network.

    Announcing the decision, Vodafone said its 2G network currently carries less than 1% of the operator’s data traffic and around 2% of its voice traffic. By contrast, Vodadone’s 4G network carries nearly 80% of the company’s total data traffic.

    Vodafone first launched 2G services in Australia in 1993. More than 600,000 customers have been migrated from 2G since January 2013, but the company did not state how many remain.

    “There has been a natural drop-off of 2G traffic as 4G smartphones have become more affordable. This has led to many customers upgrading their phones of their own accord,” Vodafone CTO Kevin Millroy said.

    “We are continuing to enhance our network with features including Voice over 4G which provides clearer voice calls, shorter call connection times and the ability to use 4G data while making or receiving a call. With the IoT on our doorstep, it is paramount we manage spectrum efficiently and reallocate capacity to our more advanced networks to help more of our customers have a better experience.”

    Vodafone will be the last Australian operator to shutter its 2G network – Telstra plans to switch off its own 2G network in December, and Optus plans to follow suit in April 2017.