The top telco stories of 2020

Govt compares apples to oranges as NBN build nears completion

In June, Communications minister Paul Fletcher made some interesting comments about the Australian Labor Party’s handling of the NBN prior to the Liberal National Party winning office.

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Aussie Broadband boss slams NBN over speeds

In July, Aussie Broadband chief executive Phil Britt took to reddit to criticise NBN Co over its uploads speeds in high-speed tiers.

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Telstra launches Microsoft Teams telephony service internationally 

In July, Telstra launched its Telstra Calling for Microsoft Teams service globally, with expansion set for four countries: Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. 

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TPG finalises merger with Vodafone Australia

In July, after almost two years since the proposal was announced, TPG finalised its merger with Vodafone Australia. 

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Aussie Broadband shuffles board ahead of IPO

In July, Aussie Broadband reorganised its board ahead of its plans to list on the Australian Securities Exchange.

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Huawei Australia slams MacTel chief over Chinese gear ban comment

In July, Huawei Australia engaged in a war of words with Macquarie Telecom group executive Luke Clifton over a LinkedIn post critical of Chinese telco equipment.

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Optus-Amaysim merger would kill mobile competition: research firm

In November, research firm Venture Insights said Optus’ acquisition of Amaysim was a sign of the future decline of mobile virtual network operators in Australia. 

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ACCC says 50Mbps NBN plans enough for most Australians

In May, the ACCC conducted speed tests on different NBN plans how they performed when using streaming video content. They found that most households would be satisfied with 50Mbps connections. 

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Aussie Broadband gigabit NBN smashes sales records

In June, Aussie Broadband reported signing up almost 2300 customers to its new gigabit NBN service, breaking company sales records for three straight days.

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Tangerine Telecom launches 1TB mobile broadband plan

In September, Melbourne-based Tangerine Telecom launched a 1-terabyte wireless broadband plan.

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NBN Co's new wholesale arrangements will bring cheaper internet: ACCC

In November, the ACCC said NBN co’s proposed changes to its wholesale arrangements would give consumers more affordable internet access. 

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Telstra to restructure into three entities

In November, Telstra revealed it would restructure into three separate businesses as part of its ongoing t22 strategy.

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Vocus lays off up to 100 local staff

In July it was revealed Vocus had engaged in workforce reduction measures, with a source saying some 100 staff had been let go.   

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Optus acquires Amaysim, three other MVNOs

In November, Optus acquired its biggest mobile virtual network operator Amaysim for $250 million.

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Aussie Broadband officially lists on the ASX

In October, Aussie Broadband made its debut on the Australian Securities Exchange, trading under the ticker ABB.

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Uniti Group acquires fibre network operator OptiComm

In June, Adelaide-based telco Uniti Group revealed it would acquire fibre network operator Opticomm for $532 million.

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TPG Telecom unveils new corporate leadership team

In August, following the completion of the Vodafone TPG merger, TPG Telecom unveiled its new leadership team. 

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Telstra launches 5G mobile broadband device

In May, Telstra launched a new mobile broadband device to be used on the 5G network.

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Qld govt-owned QCN Fibre to bolster state's NBN backhaul coverage

In October, Brisbane-based telecommunications company QCN Fibre announced plans to expand its fibre network to the whole state of Queensland and provide access to NBN backhaul to more retail service providers.

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NBN Co quietly releases instant quotes for FTTP upgrade

In early December, NBN Co launched free instant quotes on its website for customers interested in upgrading their NBN connections to fibre-to-the-premises.

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