These Aussie telco upstarts are shaking up the sector

While the largest carriers in Australia have grappled with a challenging first six months of the year, a range of smaller operators have been looking to capitalise on disruption of the telecommunications sector.

From Australian companies building their own high-speed networks, to acquisitions among communications players, to smaller telcos and MVNOs expanding their plans, the telco scene has been a hotbed of activity.

Click and swipe through for a recap of news on the upstart operators trying to find success in this fast-paced and highly competitive sector.

Speedcast ousts Telstra with $4 million satellite deal in Australian Antarctic

12 January

Sydney-based Speedcast has replaced Telstra as the provider of satellite communications for the Department of the Environment and Energy’s Australian Antarctic Division (AAD).

Speedcast is an Australia-based multinational communications and IT services provider. Telstra had been providing satellite services to the division since December 2006.

An AAD spokesperson cited cost efficiency, effectivity and upgraded bandwidths as its reason for selecting Speedcast, which won a “very competitive” open tender process.

Read more in the original story.

Speedcast to provide IT comms to drilling giant Noble

19 January

Sydney-based Speedcast landed a contract with multinational offshore drilling firm Noble to provide IT communications equipment and connectivity services to its global fleet.

Speedcast will use a combination of very small aperture terminals (VSAT) and 4G/LTE for the end-to-end managed communication services that will be deployed to Noble’s vessels and rigs.

The contract includes a technology change-out of the fleet’s entire hardware infrastructure, with installations of dual-band antennas and technologies to maximise throughput, security and redundancy.

Read more in the original story.

Pennytel relaunches after switching from Vodafone to Telstra's 4G network

22 January

Mobile virtual network operator Pennytel relaunched earlier this year, with the company revealing a new branding, website, mobile plans and improved customer service.

The move follows the company’s switch from the Vodafone to Telstra’s 4G network, revealed in September 2017.

SIM-only plans start at $20 per month, which includes 1GB of data and unlimited calls and texts in Australia.

Read more in the original story.

Swift Networks lands content services deal for 10 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico

30 January

Telco Swift Networks scored a deal to provide content services to 1000 rooms across 10 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

The five-year deal was done with internet protocol television (IPTV) platform provider Tripleplay Services, whose existing infrastructure on the oil rigs will deliver the content from Swift.

Swift said the deal would be its first major one in the Americas, and would potentially lead to further deals as the company expanded its reach in that region.

Read more in the original story.

Amaysim starts reselling Apple, Samsung wearables, Google Home

2 February

Amaysim has added products from Apple, Samsung, Google and Huawei as it expands its online device store into wearables and other accessories.

The mobile provider is claiming customers can make savings of up to $100 on selected devices compared to Australian retail prices.

Amaysim devices commercial director Darren Bell said the company had added smartwatches, speakers, headphones and other accessories to its catalogue and would soon offer "an even wider spectrum of thousands of the latest in consumer electronics at highly competitive prices".

Read more in the original story.

VPN Networks acquisition boosts Brisbane telco Over The Wire's half-year results

19 February

Brisbane telco and IT services provider Over The Wire has maintained revenue and profit growth on the back of its ongoing acquisition spree.

The company made its fifth acquisition since 2015 in November last year, when it acquired Cisco partner VPN Solutions for $15.6 million.

Revenue for the half-year ending 31 December 2017 came in at $24 million, up 72 percent from the same period in the previous year, while net profit after tax was $2.18 million, up 39 percent.

Read more in the original story.

Cirrus Communications launches fixed wireless service to compete with NBN

20 March

Wholesale fixed wireless provider Cirrus Communications has entered the retail market with a business-facing NBN alternative.

The wireless broadband wholesaler launched C2 Direct, which Cirrus chief executive and co-founder Eric Heyde said addressed a gap in the market left by NBN dissatisfaction.

“NBN certainly meets a need in the market, but it is a very long way from offering a compelling solution to businesses dependent on service availability,” he said. “Frankly their services are either residential-grade or very expensive.

Read more in the original story.

Catch.com.au opens budget telco on Optus 4G network

21 February

Catch Group, the Australian online retail giant that owns Catch.com.au, has launched its own mobile telco on the Optus 4G network.

The new telco, dubbed Catch Connect, will start by offering a handful of prepaid mobile plans on 30 and 90-day cycles.

Plans start at $15 for 2 GB of data for 30 days, or $39 for 6 GB for 90 days. The biggest plan goes up to $89 for 45 GB for 90 days. All plans come with unlimited calls and texts to standard Australian numbers.

Read more in the original story.

SME banking startup Judo Capital taps Over The Wire for telecommuting network

29 March

Telco and IT services provider Over The Wire has secured a deal with startup small business lender Judo Capital to build a network to enable staff to work remotely.

The telco will integrate its private network, voice and network security capabilities with Judo’s telecommuting network, allowing staff to work from anywhere.

The network will also allow the lender to roll out its offerings to customers through pop-up offices and roaming team members.

Read more in the original story.

Challenger telcos combine to take share from Telstra, Optus and TPG

9 April

A coalition of eight “challenger” telecommunications companies are calling for an increase in market share to reverse market concentration and reignite competition.

The newly rebranded Commpete, formerly known as the Competitive Carriers Coalition, is composed of Amaysim, Inabox, Macquarie Telecom, MNF Group (MyNetFone), MyRepublic, Southern Phones, TasmaNet and Vocus.

Commpete is pushing for a 30 percent market share for telcos outside of the top three — Telstra, Optus and TPG — so customers won’t “lose out”.

Read more in the original story.

Ovo beefs up mobile broadband with 150GB prepaid plan on Optus network

9 April

Ovo Mobile has continued to beef up its data-heavy offerings with a 150 gigabyte prepaid mobile broadband plan, up from its 100GB plan released last year.

The new broadband-only offering will be $89.95 per 30 days on the Optus 4G network with no lock-in contracts. The plan is BYO, but mobile routers are also sold separately by Ovo.

In comparison, the 100Gb plan launched in September last year costs $100 per month.

Read more in the original story.

Amaysim partners with fibre-to-the-home provider LBNCo to expand home broadband

10 April

Amaysim has partnered with Sydney fibre-to-the-home provider The Local Broadband Network Company (LBNCo) to expand its home internet plans to more communities

Through the partnership, Amaysim’s home internet plans are now available to local communities across Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

LBNCo is a builder and operator of Open Access networks and claims to be Australia’s first fibre-to-the-home operator.

Read more in the original story.

Catch Connect is slinging a year's worth of mobile data for $139

8 May

Australia's newest mobile telco Catch Connect has joined the likes of Aldi by offering up three plans on a 365-day cycle including data and unlimited calls and texts.

The telco, which is owned by online retailer Catch Group, opened in February with mobile services on the Optus 4G network.

The three plans charge customers for a block of mobile downloads which can be used anytime throughout the year. Catch is also running a promotion with a 30 percent discount on 365-day plans until 2 July.

Read more in the original story.

DXC Connect and Swift Networks land multi-million dollar contract

9 May

Telco Swift Networks has landed a five-year, multi-million dollar service contract through its partnership with DXC Technology, its largest contract win since listing on the ASX.

The contract starts with a $1.5 million upfront payment for the provision of services for oil and gas industry personnel, including network infrastructure, crew welfare solutions and digital entertainment systems for up to 4600 rooms per year in onshore and offshore locations through Australia’s northwest.

Swift will also be providing messaging and alerts, health, welfare and training material, free to air television and pay TV integration to the sites, in addition to 24x7 support throughout the contract’s term.

Read more in the original story.

Melbourne telco Binary Networks takes fixed wireless to 'underserviced' Goondiwindi

8 June

A Melbourne-headquartered telco is hoping to win the hearts and minds of a Queensland community it says has suffered a rocky 12 months of connectivity.

Binary Networks will officially launch its fixed wireless offering in Goondiwindi, 340km from Brisbane, this weekend, where chief executive Michael Diamond hopes to reassure the town’s residents they can still access high-speed internet despite their distance from the nearest city.

“This region contributes about $18.7 billion to Australia’s gross regional product in terms of exports in things like cotton, beef and grain. But it has been under-served by the incumbent telcos that have operated here,” he said.

Read more in the original story.

Former CRN Fast50 winner Vonex completes $6 million IPO to list on ASX

14 June

Vonex, the 2014 CRN Fast50 winner based in Brisbane and Perth, has successfully listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, following more than two years of ups and down in a bid to list and fund the development of a key piece of intellectual property.

The company announced on Wednesday it had commenced trading on the ASX under the code VN8, and that the listing represented the culmination of “hard work and support from various stakeholders and management firmly believes will be transformational for the business”.

The listing was funded to the tune of $6 million, which it will invest in its business units as well as new products.

Read more in the original story.

Sydney telco Vertel enters push-to-talk over cellular market with Tassta partnership

26 June

Australian carrier Vertel is targetting enterprise customers that need critical communications with a new service that allows mobile phones to work like two-way radios or walkie-talkie with unlimited range.

Vertel has partnered with German telecommunications vendor Tassta to develop a push-to-talk (PTT) over cellular solution, which allows a user to communicate with a specific group of people with a single button press without needing multiple telephone calls to coordinate.

Aside from mobile phones, the technology can also be used through PCs and tablets, as well as dedicated push-to-talk mobile handsets sold by Tassta.

Read more in the original story.