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telstra 5g business internet plan

Telstra launches “ridiculously fast” 5G home and business internet plan

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Telstra has officially launched its 5G broadband for home and business which offers super-fast internet speeds to eligible premises within Telstra’s expanding 5G coverage.

Telstra says customers can expect average download speeds of 378Mbps during the busy evening period between 7pm and 11pm.

And Telstra is keeping it simple – there is one plan for home and businesses which costs $85 a month with 1TB of included data which is enough for 330 hours of Netflix streaming.

Download speeds during testing ranged between 50Mbps and 600Mbps with upload speeds between 10Mbps and 90Mbps.

Telstra will supply the modem/router which includes a 5G SIM card that can be simply plugged in without the need for a technician and without running cables.

The included modem will also include a built-in router that will provide a wireless network.

There are no lock in contracts or exit fees. If you don’t like the service, simply send back the modem.

telstra 5g business internet plan

Those who sign up to the new Telstra 5G service will also receive the first month free.

This Telstra 5G offering comes after months of testing among a closed group of customers within Telstra’s 5G coverage map.

“5G Home Internet will allow most households to stream a 4K movie, jump into a video call for work and download a new game for your Xbox at the same time,” says Sanjay Nayak, Telstra’s fixed connectivity group owner.

“This is particularly useful if your existing broadband is not delivering the performance you need.

“5G Business Internet will allow small business customers to have multiple staff working at the same time and give them access to the speeds they need to be competitive and responsive to their customer needs.

“We speak to our current 5G Home Internet customers regularly, and feedback has been extremely positive – they are now able to work from home easier, streaming video is a lot faster, and things just work smoother.

“It couldn’t be easier to get going with Telstra 5G Home & Business Internet either, with no technicians required and a complete plug and play experience.

“Just find the spot in your home or business premise where you get the best 5G signal, plug the modem in, turn it on and you’re good to start browsing the web.”

Optus has been offering 5G home broadband for some time with two plans – $79 with unlimited data and a maximum download speed of 100Mbps or $89 with unlimited data and uncapped download speeds which is states at 210Mpbs typical evening speeds on its website.

The Optus plans also come with the first month free before the monthly fee is charged.

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Telstra unveils $85 1TB 5G home and business Internet service

Telstra has announced a 5G home and business Internet plan with 1TB of data per month for $85 with no lock-in contracts.

Telstra says the service has an average typical download speed of 378Mbps during the busy 7 pm to 11 pm period. The service includes a 5G router in the usual small white brick format of Telstra’s home routers. The first month is free, and there are no contracts or exit fees; simply cancel and return the router if you wish to terminate.

The 5G service uses Telstra's 5G mobile network instead of fixed-line services like NBN or fibre. As such it can reach vastly higher speeds than ordinary residential services, such as NBN’s fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) which still uses copper for the last leg to your premises. Conversely, it’s also subject to fluctuations from weather, mobile tower disruptions, heavy mobile data use in the area, and other issues. Of course, as a cellular service, it’s not affected in any way if someone fails to dial before they dig and tear up phone cables down the road.

Telstra says evening speeds can range from 50Mbps to 600Mbps meaning you can have ridiculously fast Internet or, at the worst end, you’re probably still better off than you would be on an NBN FTTN service. The one downside is fixed-line plans are moving towards unlimited data while this 5G service is capped at 1TB - that’s a marketing terabyte, not a Computer Science terabyte, meaning 1,000 megabytes.

Telstra says that 1TB is enough for over 330 hours of high-definition Netflix streaming. According to AT&T’s Internet data calculator , 1TB is also enough capacity to do all these things in one month:

  • send and receive 40,000 emails
  • play 8,500 hours of streaming music
  • surf the web for 2,000 hours
  • make 5,600 social media posts with photos
  • stream 150 hours of 4K video
  • play online games for 300 hours

So, 1TB is a lot and it's unlikely to be a constraining limit for the bulk of households. You could also use the 5G plan and router in your business, but my view is you would want to be sure you’ve got reliable 5G reception if you’re depending on it for your livelihood.

On that point, Telstra says its 5G network covers over 75% of Australians and the aim is to have 95% of the population covered by the end of June 2025.

No technicians are needed, and it doesn't matter where your phone line (if you have one) comes into your house. Simply place the router anywhere you like, ideally with the best 5G signal, plug it into power, turn it on, and away you go.

According to Telstra's website, new residential customers (but not business customers) will also get three months subscription to Binge TV (provided they are also new Binge subscribers).

The 5G modem includes

  • 4x4 802.11ax Wi-Fi
  • dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz capacity
  • 1x USB 3.0 port
  • 4x gigabit ethernet ports for cabled devices
  • 1x configurable Ethernet WAN/LAN port
  • Inbuilt, pre-activated SIM

The 5G modem does not include a landline service, so you may need to consider that if you want to replace your existing fixed cable Internet service with this 5G offering.

Of course, being a 5G device, you're not restricted to a single premises. Provided you have power and a 5G signal you can take it with you anywhere in Australia, any time you wish.

To help make sure 5G is a good choice, Telstra offers a service qualification tool that looks up your address to give you the best information, for both residential and business customers. I put in my address and the site duly informed me “woohoo,” and that I can get “ridiculously fast 5G.” It didn’t quantify what this meant, so I recommend you also look at Telstra’s 5G coverage map for greater clarity. That site tells me I am “predicted” to get 5G coverage which still doesn’t numerically indicate what I can receive, but at least it gives a helpful map that highlights precisely where 5G is available. The site also notes Telstra 5G devices will drop down to 4G and even 3G where 5G (or 4G) is unavailable.

Still, with one month's free and no contract it's dead easy to try it for yourself. Order one, see what the coverage is like. If you’re happy, pay by the month. If you’re not, don’t continue after the first month. All you need is a power point.

For more information, and to sign up, check out Telstra's 5G service for residential and business  online.

telstra 5g business internet plan

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David M Williams

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David M Williams

David has been computing since 1984 where he instantly gravitated to the family Commodore 64. He completed a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from 1990 to 1992, commencing full-time employment as a systems analyst at the end of that year. David subsequently worked as a UNIX Systems Manager, Asia-Pacific technical specialist for an international software company, Business Analyst, IT Manager, and other roles. David has been the Chief Information Officer for national public companies since 2007, delivering IT knowledge and business acumen, seeking to transform the industries within which he works. David is also involved in the user group community, the Australian Computer Society technical advisory boards, and education.

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Air Canada has been ordered to compensate a passenger who was misinformed by the customer assistance chatbot on their website, after initially denying responsibility.

A grieving Air Canada customer was advised by a chatbot he could buy a full-price ticket and submit a request within 90 days for a part refund for bereavement purposes. However, the airline claimed the chatbot on its own website was mistaken, and that they had no obligation or responsibility to honour its claims.

However, Air Canada failed to persuade the Civil Resolution Tribunal and has been ordered to reimburse the customer.

That customer was Jake Moffatt, whose grandmother passed away on Remembrance Day (November 11) 2022. That same day Moffatt visited Air Canada's website to purchase return airfare tickets to Toronto to support his grieving family. Like nearly any website today, he was greeted by a support chatbot. Asking about bereavement rates, the chatbot explicitly stated, "If you need to travel immediately or have already travelled and would like to submit your ticket for a reduced bereavement rate, kindly do so within 90 days of the date your ticket was issued by completing our Ticket Refund Application form."

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With this assurance, Moffat purchased a full fare of $1,630.36. However, on return and after attempting to receive a partial refund based on bereavement rates he was refused by Air Canada. The airline stated it did not, in fact, offer any such partial refund on travel that had been completed. It pointed Moffatt to a policy listed elsewhere on their website that stated this.

Moffatt referred Air Canada to the chatbot transcript. A representative from the airline conceded the chatbot had uttered "misleading words" but still denied any obligation to refund Moffatt, on the basis it had a stated policy in a different section of its website. The representative did, however, say they would use Moffatt's feedback to better train the chatbot.

Moffatt was unimpressed and launched legal action against Air Canada in the Canadian Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT). Air Canada argued in its defence that it cannot be held liable for the information provided by its agents, servants, or representatives, which includes chatbots as well as human operators. Further, Air Canada argued the chatbot was a separate legal entity, which is responsible for its own actions.

If that argument makes you do a double-take, you're not alone. CRT member Christophers Rivers stated, "this is a remarkable submission."

Air Canada additionally argued the correct policy details were available on their website, albeit in a different section to the chatbot.

The CRT released its decision this month , and ordered Air Canada to refund Moffatt $812, which covered the difference between the full fare he paid, and the reduced bereavement rate along with interest and CRT fees. The Tribunal was unimpressed by Air Canada's case, and found the airline provided no credible support for its assertion it cannot be liable for the information provided in its name.

"While a chatbot has an interactive component, it is still just a part of Air Canada's website. It should be obvious to Air Canada that it is responsible for all the information on its website. It makes no difference whether the information comes from a static page or a chatbot," Rivers said.

And with respect to the policy document located elsewhere, Rivers stated, "there is no reason why Mr Moffatt should know that one section of Air Canada's webpage is accurate, and another is not."

It's a sombre lesson to organisations of all sizes around the world; with artificial intelligence the hot topic of 2024, it's imperative to embrace responsible AI. Otherwise, if your chatbot is prone to hallucinations you might find yourself in the same plight of Air Canada.

"I find Air Canada did not take reasonable care to ensure its chatbot was accurate," Rivers said.

The matter falls under "negligent misrepresentation". Rivers said, which he clarified by saying, "Negligent misrepresentation can arise when a seller does not exercise reasonable care to ensure its representations are accurate and not misleading."

"I find Mr. Moffatt has made out their claim of negligent misrepresentation and is entitled to damages," Rivers said in his decision.

Aussies have reported more than 250k potential SMS and MMS scams related to parcels or delivery to 7223 since May 2023, according to telecommunications company Telstra.

Telstra said customers report more SMS or MMS message scams on Thursday, more than any other day of the week.

Telstra is therefore dubbing this day, 29 February, as ScamBuster Thursday to encourage all Aussies to use the extra day in the calendar to leap action and report dodgy texts or emails.

Aussies lost more than $1.3 million a day to scams in 2023, according to Scamwatch.

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Scamwatch also estimated that $476 million was lost due to scams in 2023.

In 2023, there were more reports of scams being sent via text than phone or email. Scamwatch reported that 109,624 scams were sent via text followed by 85,941 via email and 55,415 via phone in 2023.

While Telstra claimed that it has blocked 11 million SMS scams each month through its Cleaner Pipes Program, it acknowledged some still get through.

Telstra cybersecurity expert Darren Pauli urges the public to report the scams so Telstra can block and prevent them from reaching victims.

Pauli listed top reminders for reporting a scam: - If you've got an iPhone, select "Report Junk" or "Report Spam" within the message. For Android users or any Telstra customer, forward the message to 7226 (SCAM) then delete the message. Remember only send legitimate scams and no screenshots. Detailed instructions here on how to forward a message. - Mark spam or report junk to help train your email service’s spam filter. - Urgency is key – don’t wait until Thursday (even though we know you love to report on that day!). - The minute you see a scam, report it. The faster we see it. The quicker we can act. - Finally, remember to report a scam directly to the organisation, your telco and, if you can ScamWatch.

Unified security platform provider Genetec has officially opened its brand new office and experience centre at 477 Pitt St, only a short walk from Central Station.

Genetec has enjoyed rapid growth in the ANZ region, with customers including the Sydney Cricket Grounds, TK Maxx, Transurban, and many more across retail, transportation, the public sector, and other industries.

As well as building and opening its experience centre in Sydney - the eighth globally - Genetec announced last week that its brand new Security Centre SaaS product would initially launch from four data centres around the world, with two in North America, one in Europe, and again one here in Australia. These investments in our region reflect Genetec's current growth and adoption locally, as well as its commitment to leveraging ANZ as a pillar for continued expansion.

"Australia and New Zealand are highly sophisticated markets," said Genetec VP of marketing Andrew Elvish . "When we look at the sophistication of the ANZ end user we see such a demand for our tech, who want to consume it in a more modern way."

Genetec provides a unified security platform for physical devices. What this means in simple terms is that all your security cameras, door access controls, vehicle recognition systems, and other IoT devices such as HVAC systems, can be monitored and managed all within a single system and set of dashboards, reports, and tools. There is no need for a diverse suite of products, and the key is unification vs. integration. A unified platform like Genetec brings the individual and diverse hardware elements into a single pane of glass, while an integration means separate software products are linked so they can communicate together by introducing a third piece of software into the middle.

GenetecSOCAE

Additionally, while you can always add more devices - the Sydney Cricket Ground has 650 cameras, for example - companies may not be adding more operators to keep an eye on all these devices. Hence, Genetec's built-in smarts can greatly aid in tuning out the noise and being able to zero in right away on incidents or persons of interest.

However, there's more to it than this; Elvish's comment about "a more modern way" hints at the Genetec (not so) secret sauce, where they can provide a solution that works equally well whether on cloud or on-premises or any hybrid combination. Competing security products fall into an all-in camp, whether cloud or on-premises and offer no great choice for customers. Instead, Genetec has worked hard to containerise its software to ensure the most flexible offering.

"It's really delivered dividends for us," Elvish said. And, so much so, that "Genetec is being recognised for the work we've put into building the business as a real contributor to building the economy."

This economic contribution was noted at the opening of the Genetec Sydney office, and the Sydney experience centre, with the NSW minister for industry and trade The Hon. Anoulack Chanthivong attending, along with His Excellency Mr Mark Glauser , the High Commissioner for Canada.

GenetecOpening

The new Genetec facilities are named SYXC, for Sydney Experience Centre, and are located within the Sydney Tech Central precinct at 477 Pitt St. Genetec is primarily channel-focused, and partners Convergint Technologies, Fortis, and ACG Integration also attended the unveiling.

Genetec 35

"This is another vote of confidence in NSW as the premier destination in Australia for global businesses to invest and grow. Tech Central is Australia's largest technology and innovation hub, and we welcome Genetec to its growing community of members," said The Hon. Mr. Chanthivong.

"Fostering innovation growth through international collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge technology is critical to future-proofing the state. We welcome the Genetec commitment to creating jobs and investing in NSW and look forward to working with them to lock in future growth."

"Genetec is investing significantly and playing a lead role in supporting Australian and New Zealand private sector organisations and government agencies to strengthen and bolster their physical security operations," said Genetec APAC MD Daniel Lee . "With the opening of the Sydney Experience Centre, Genetec is continuing to expand its global footprint to allow channel partners, technology partners, and end users to experience first-hand the innovative technology and solutions that Genetec has to offer."

The state-of-the-art Experience Centre will operate as a fully functioning Security Operations Centre and include an Internet of Things (IoT) wall, providing an immersive experience for customers in any industry to see how Genetec solutions can directly enhance their security and operations. Other features include a training centre and a modern workspace to accommodate the fast-growing Genetec ANZ team.

Genetec 36

"Genetec will showcase video management, access control, license plate recognition, security and communications management, and secure cloud services to protect people and places. We encourage organisations interested in viewing the innovative physical security technology and solutions in action to contact us for a personalised tour," said Genetec country manager ANZ George Moawad .

In other news, Genetec VP of Marketing Andrew Elvish revealed exclusively to iTWire that the new Security Centre SaaS product will offer eight-device and 20-device bundles at competitive pricing.

Previously, iTWire announced Security Centre SaaS will be available in two tiers , standard and premium, with a fixed price per device based on the tier. Elvish also revealed exclusively to iTWire that pricing will be localised for Australia; the per-device pricing will not simply be pegged to the US dollar. This is sure to bring a smile to CFOs nationally, meaning the Genetec price will be a reliable, budgetable quantity and will not fluctuate month-to-month as we in Australia commonly experience with many other monthly cloud subscriptions or software licensing.

Security Centre SaaS will be officially launched at the ISC West 2024 conference in April.

GenetecLaunchPeople

Pictured: Genetec chief product officer APAC Leon Langlais, iTWire enterprise technology editor David M Williams, Genetec VP of marketing Andrew Elvish

After a competitive tender process, the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care has selected Google Cloud to consolidate its data assets for greater regulatory compliance, cost savings, and faster innovation. The rationalisation of data assets on Google Cloud is expected to yield substantial savings and efficiencies.

The Department selected Google Cloud for its strong compliance and security credentials, platform-level implementation of zero-trust security, data sovereignty controls, commitment to open standards, and the speed and scalability of its analytic capabilities. Google Cloud holds the Australian Government  Certified Strategic Status  for cloud services.

The initial plan is to migrate the Department's Hadoop workloads to Google Cloud before unifying data assets from a range of internal sources on a single repository managed by  BigQuery . This first project expects to achieve major cost savings and faster time-to-market for new requirements and features.

BigQuery will continue to be a core part of the Department's new enterprise data and analytics platform, while Google Cloud acts as a pillar of the Department's multi-cloud strategy.

“Consolidating the Department's data and analytics capabilities has the potential to generate substantial savings while further bolstering compliance and security across sensitive national healthcare data — both key themes for the Australian Government’s long-term digital strategy,” said Google Cloud ANZ senior director public sector Brian Senior. “We’re delighted the Department of Health & Aged Care has selected Google Cloud to help govern and secure citizens’ personal data against increasingly sophisticated threats, while also creating a more conducive environment for digital innovation and skills development within Australia’s public sector.”

Additionally, Google Cloud will train up to 70 department staff to take full advantage of the analytics platform within four months.

“The skills required for open source environments like Google Cloud’s are both more widely available and transferrable, expanding the career progression opportunities for public servants and improving government agencies’ ability to attract top talent,” Senior said.

The partnership builds on Google Cloud’s existing track record in helping the Australian public sector achieve regulatory compliance without compromising innovation and accessibility, including work with Australia Post, CSIRO, and the NSW Department of Customer Service.

Melbourne-based adtech startup Vudoo has brought in Billy Kinchin as chief product officer to align Vudoo's offerings with the evolving needs of the advertising technology and e-commerce space.

Previously Kinchin spent over 15 years at Google in several strategic engineering and product roles across APAC and the UK. He also served as the head of APAC for Oovvuu, a publishing technology scale-up.

Vudoo  began life in Melbourne but has expanded its global footprint, opening offices in North America and London in 2023. Kinchin joins other recent senior appointments. The company has partnerships with publishers including News Corp, Are Media, and New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME). Global clients include S&P Global, Kohler, and Forever New, along with campaigns across brands such as Burberry, Dyson, Samsung, Hilton, Lexus, Hotel Clicquot, Sunday Riley, and Moët & Chandon.

Vudoo is a pioneer in content commerce and in-stream checkout, and Kinchin's responsibilities will include aligning Vudoo's offerings with the evolving needs of the advertising technology and e-commerce space, and ensuring Vudoo's solutions provide high value and relevance to its global clients.

Through his deep expertise in digital advertising, video solutions, and publisher monetisation, Kinchin has built trusted C-level relationships with the industry, utilising his grasp of the intricacies of product development, policy, and process to forge strong partnerships and drive revenue growth.

"Billy's extensive product experience, strategic mindset, and passion for technology will make him an invaluable asset to our company," said Vudoo CEO Nick Morgan. "His expertise is perfectly aligned with Vudoo's mission to help clients benefit from the new paradigm shift in advertising and e-commerce towards off-platform ‘retail everywhere’ shopping experiences driven by the likes of TikTok and Amazon Anywhere.”

Kinchin said: "Vudoo is shaping a new content commerce category with its unique technology which takes advertising and elevates it to harness the power of e-commerce. I'm looking forward to helping the industry extract more value from video so advertisers, publishers and consumers can get the full benefit of these next-generation e-commerce experiences."

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Telstra launches first 5G home and business plans

Telstra launches first 5G home and business plans

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Telstra has launched its first generally available 5G internet plan for homes and businesses, with some caveats.

There is a single plan available each for homes and businesses, although, from the telco’s website, there appears to be no difference between the two.

The plans both offer download speeds between 50Mbps and 600Mbps (378Mbps average) and upload speeds between 10Mbps and 90Mbps (46Mbps average) at $85/month.

These speeds were measured “during the busy evening period between 7pm – 11pm over a representative time period,” Telstra said in a statement.

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A Telstra spokesperson said of the wide range quoted for speeds, “As there are a number of factors that play a part in performance we provide this range as a guide. With that being said, we’re seeing an average of 378Mbps download and, as we grow our base of customers, we’ll update speed ranges and averages.”

Both plans also include a 1TB data cap, which, a statement from Telstra fixed connectivity group owner Sanjay Nayak said is “enough for over 330 hours of HD Netflix streaming.”

The spokesperson told CRN that they may roll out plans with different data caps in the future.

By comparison, Telstra has two NBN business plans – a 50Mbps down / 17Mbps up plan at $110/month and a 100Mpbs down / 32Mbps up plan at $140/month. 

Both the business and home plans use the same Arcadyan-supplied 5G modem.

There were no specifics offered about the latency of the connection, the spokesperson said it “Depends on a range of factors including signal strength, distance from 5G site, server, applications and in-home factors.”

The connection setup is “a complete plug and play experience. Just find the spot in your home or business premise where you get the best 5G signal, plug the modem in, turn it on and you’re good to start browsing the web,” Nayak’s statement said.

He added that there are a limited number of connections available “per post code”.

Telstra has “Australia’s largest 5G network, covering over 75% of Australians” and aims “to deliver about 95% population coverage by FY25 and we’ll continue to roll out our 5G network," the statement said.

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Telstra brings 5G internet to home, business

Telstra’s flavour of 5G isn’t just something you can get on a phone, as its high-speed mobile tech comes home and to a few workplaces.

Even though Telstra was the first Australian telco to launch 5G for phones, it wasn’t the first to launch 5G for broadband. That honour was bestowed to Optus, which did the reverse of what Telstra did, launching 5G broadband before it launched 5G in phones.

But Telstra is ready with its own flavour, leveraging its own 5G network from this month for a select few who’ll be able to use it, limiting the numbers in the beginning before scaling out over time.

Officially, it’s coming as one plan, launching as “Telstra’s 5G Home and Business Internet Plan”, with the service providing a modem and wireless router for accessing the 5G service for $85 per month and a maximum data amount of 1TB data monthly.

Operating on its 5G network, Telstra says you can achieve speeds typically ranging from 50 and 600Mbps (technically translated as 6 to 75 megabytes per second), but that the average typical download speed on its 5G network from 7pm to 11pm is 378Mbps (47MB/s). Meanwhile, upload speeds range from 10 and 90Mbps (1 to 11MB/s), but more typically sit around the 46Mbps mark (5MB/s).

It won’t be available to everyone, however, with two factors still being critical: 5G reach and gradual rollout.

As it is, the Telstra 5G network is currently covering over 75 percent of Australians, much of which can be found in major cities across the country, but that may not be enough to get everyone interested on its 5G broadband network. Telstra also notes only a limited number of services will be available per post code, so even if you’re interested, you still mightn’t be able to get this wireless broadband plan where you live.

“We want to make sure our customers are able to get a great experience, so we’ve developed a comprehensive service qualification that checks things like capacity and strength of Telstra 5G signal. Over the next 3-5 years, we will continue rolling out our 5G network and the doubling of metro cells to increase density for greater capacity and speed,” spokesperson for Telstra told Pickr.

It’s also not necessarily going to be quite as compatible as the rest of Telstra’s broadband hardware.

While Telstra has its Smart Modem for connecting any NBN service, a modem that works with its EasyMesh WiFi Boosters for spreading the connection better around your home, the company confirmed with Pickr that the modem used in its 5G Home service will not be compatible with either EasyMesh or Telstra’s Smart WiFi Boosters , of which there was a recent update to the line .

That means if you want 5G internet from Telstra spread around your home, you not only need to qualify, but you may want to bring your own WiFi router to the equation, of which there are clearly plenty out there .

Beyond that, Telstra is talking up a fairly easy approach for its first 5G home broadband plan, more or less saying that you just find the spot for the best 5G signal, plug it in, and you’re good to go. In the beginning, you’ll even be one of a limited number of services in your post code, and something not many others can say they have.

Telstra’s 5G Home and Business internet plan is available now.

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Telstra launches their 5G Home & Business Internet service, promising over 350Mbps in peak periods

Posted by Scott Plowman | Nov 3, 2021 | News , On The Radio , Tech

Telstra launches their 5G Home & Business Internet service, promising over 350Mbps in peak periods

5G was meant to solve all of our problems, especially those having NBN issues. Now it seems that a possible solution is finally here in the form of Telstra’s new 5G Home & Business Internet service.

The new 5G home and business service is set to create a new standard in home internet with typical evening download speeds ranging between 50Mbps and 600Mbps resulting an average speed of 378Mbps. These speeds were recorded during the usual peak busy times of between 7pm and 11pm.

The new service is available for households and businesses with the speeds capable of keeping everyone in the house or business streaming and working at high speed. To hook up is simple with the new modem a basic plug and play experience.

telstra 5g business internet plan

Of course to take advantage of the new 5G home and business service you will have to have 5G reception at your location but with over 75% of the Australian population covered by Telstra’s 5G network much of Australia can be served. Telstra’s aim is to have 95% of Australia’s entire population covered by FY25 with even more metro cells being rolled out in the meantime for increased density for greater capacity and speed.

telstra 5g business internet plan

Our goal is to always offer the right internet connection to deliver the best experience for customers based on their data needs, location, and what technology is available. To ensure 5G Home & Business Internet is right for you, we have our Service Qualification tool that verifies eligibility based on your address and we look forward to adding more addresses as our coverage expands.

telstra 5g business internet plan

There is some fine print involved with the 5G Home & Business Internet only available in select areas and eligible customers only with a limit to the number of services available per post code so get in quick if you are interested. You can check your address for 5G Home Internet or 5G Business Internet over at the Telstra website.

Telstra has also decided to keep it simple with just a single Telstra 5G Home & Business Internet plan on offer — 1TB (1000GB) of data for $85 per month, with your first month free. There are no lock in contracts so if you decide you don’t like it just return the modem to Telstra without any exit fees.

About The Author

Scott Plowman

Scott Plowman

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Telstra’s 5G Home Internet Service Costs Less Than Its NBN 50 Plan

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The new offering uses Telstra’s 5G coverage. It says it’s particularly useful if your existing broadband is not delivering the performance you need.

“When we say ridiculously fast, we mean it, with the average typical download speed of 378Mbps during the busy 7 pm – 11 pm period,” it says.

There’s just one lone 5G Home & Business Internet plan. It offers  1 TB of data for $85 a month . The first month is free, however. Also, with no lock-in contracts or exit fees, Telstra says you can just return the modem if you aren’t happy. (You’ll probably be happy, providing you can find the spot in your home with the best 5G signal).

Telstra says its 5G network currently covers over 75 per cent of Australians (not 75 per cent of Australia) and it aims to have 95 per cent of Aussies covered by 2025.

Telstra has been trialling 5G home internet plans, but they were sold on an invite-only basis . Today, it’s opened it up .

Telstra 5G Home Internet Service

Telstra 5G Home Internet vs NBN plans

Telstra’s existing NBN plans are:

  • NBN 25 for $80 a month
  • NBN 50 for $95 a month
  • NBN 100 for $110 a month
  • NBN 250 for $140 a month
  • NBN 1000 for $180 a month

5G Home & Business Internet plan is $85 a month for  1 TB of data .

For comparison, on the NBN 50 plan, you will get unlimited data with typical speeds of 50Mbps during peak periods.

Typical evening speeds for the Telstra 5G Home internet can range between 50Mbps-600Mbps.

How does it stack up?

TPG in early September started offering 5G home broadband , with two plans, Premium and Max. On Premium , customers get unlimited data , pay $0 in upfront fees and receive up to a maximum of 100/20Mbps for $69.99 a month . The Max plan is similar, it just doesn’t have a cap on maximum upload and download speeds and costs $79.99 a month .

Vodafone unveiled its 5G fixed wireless home internet service in September, too, offering two 5G services : an unlimited download plan with speeds up to 100Mbps at $75 a month , as well as an unlimited download plan with speeds at the maximum 5G speed for $85 a month .

The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

Canstar Blue

At last, Telstra launches 5G home internet for everyone

Posted by Tara Donnelly 05/11/2021

After quietly offering 5G broadband to selected customers on an invite-only basis, Telstra is finally opening up its ultra-fast internet service to all takers.

From this week, both home and business customers in eligible areas can sign on for Telstra’s all-new 5G Internet Plan, featuring one terabyte (or 1000GB) of full-speed 5G data each month. Telstra is pricing its plan at $85 per month, with no set-up fees or modem costs and no lock-in contracts.

Telstra 5G: fast speeds and no lock-in contracts

While Telstra has offered 5G mobile broadband since mid-2019, this is the first time the telco has made 5G home internet publicly available. Unlike mobile broadband, home internet (also known as home wireless broadband) is designed to be used in one location, and to replace a fixed internet connection such as NBN.

Although Telstra’s 5G plan doesn’t include unlimited data – unlike competing plans from Optus, Vodafone, and TPG – the one terabyte allowance should more than cover the average household’s monthly usage. According to Telstra, the plan includes enough fast data to stream over 330 hours of high-definition Netflix each month (that’s over 10 hours of streaming each day).

If you do burn through those one thousand gigabytes of 5G data, your speeds will be restricted to 25Mbps for the rest of your billing cycle – so there’s no excess data fees or hard caps if you exceed your usage.

Telstra 5G Home Internet Plans

The following table shows a selection of published Telstra 5G internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.

As for the speeds you’ll get on Telstra 5G internet, the telco is citing an average download speed of 378Mbps during the busy 7pm-11pm evening hours, with a typical speed range of between 50Mbps to 600Mbps – up to six times faster than the NBN speeds available to many Australian households.

While speeds will vary depending on factors such as your location, network congestion, and where your modem is placed, Telstra is confident that your real-world results will remain within the above ranges. Telstra has also listed typical upload speeds of 46Mbps, making 5G ideal for transferring files or making video calls.

Telstra’s 5G Internet Plan comes with an included 5G Home Modem, featuring an inbuilt and pre-activated SIM, WiFi 6 support and 4G network backup. The plug-in-and-play modem connects to Telstra’s 5G network wirelessly, but it will be geo-locked to your home or business address, meaning you can’t take your 5G service on the road. If you do move the modem outside your home area, your download speeds will be restricted to a maximum of 1.5Mbps.

The 5G modem is free with your plan, and yours to keep if you stay connected for 24 months. If you cancel your plan earlier, simply return your modem to Telstra to avoid a no-return fee of up to $696.

Right now, Telstra is offering customers their first month of 5G home internet free, as well as throwing in three months of free BINGE Standard streaming, and two months of complimentary Device Protect security.

5G home internet: plans compared

Telstra’s 5G home internet launch sees the company now competing against Optus, Vodafone, TPG and SpinTel in the 5G broadband space. One point of difference is that, unlike the above telcos, Telstra is only offering one 5G plan, with no restrictions on speeds (but with a 1TB fast data limit).

  • Vodafone 5G

TPG 5G Home Internet Plans

The following table shows a selection of published TPG 5G home broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest.

Vodafone 5G Home Internet Plans

The following table shows a selection of published Vodafone 5G home broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.

Optus 5G Home Internet Plans

The following table shows selected published Optus 5G home internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest.

In comparison, Optus, Vodafone, TPG and SpinTel each give customers two choices: a cheaper 5G internet plan with a maximum speed of 100Mbps, or a higher-priced option with no speed restrictions. You’ll pay a starting price of around $69 per month for speed-capped 5G, depending on provider, with ultra-fast plans priced at $80-$90 monthly (similar to the $85 per month price of Telstra 5G).

All Optus, Vodafone, TPG and SpinTel plans include unlimited data, so you won’t need to keep an eye on your usage. As for speeds, Optus cites a typical busy period download speed of 210Mbps on its max speed 5G Internet Entertainer plan, while SpinTel – which also uses the Optus 5G network – lists 225Mbps.

Vodafone and TPG have yet to confirm average 5G speeds, but customers can probably expect something similar on unrestricted speed plans. However, customers should keep in mind that the Vodafone 5G network – which services both Vodafone and TPG – is behind in roll-out when compared to Telstra and Optus.

You can check 5G coverage at your address via Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, TPG and SpinTel’s websites. If you’re not yet covered, but unhappy with your NBN connection, you may still be eligible for fast 4G home broadband: you can compare plans below.

  • Southern Phone

iiNet Wireless Broadband Plans

The following table shows a selection of published iiNet home wireless broadband plans from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.

TPG Wireless Broadband Plans

The following table shows a selection of published TPG home wireless broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.

Optus 4G Home Internet Plans

The following table shows a selection of Optus 4G Home Internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.

Vodafone 4G Home Internet Plans

The following table shows a selection of published Vodafone 4G home broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest.

Southern Phone Wireless Broadband Plans

The following table shows a selection of published Southern Phone wireless broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.

telstra 5g business internet plan

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Telstra 5G home internet plans vs Telstra NBN plans: How do they compare?

It may not be as straightforward as choosing between the two, but there are some important differences between Telstra NBN and Telstra 5G home internet.

Telstra NBN modem

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Tossing up between Telstra NBN and Telstra 5G home internet? You're probably not the one sizing up Australia's latest NBN alternative as an substitute for a traditional fixed line connection.

Most homes in Australia can comfortably sign up to plans up to and including NBN 100 . But eligible homes can potentially access faster speeds from 5G home internet plans , and one of the fastest providers of both NBN and 5G home internet is Telstra.

Before we delve into the nitty-gritty of how Telstra NBN stacks up against Telstra 5G home internet , here’s a look at popular NBN plans from our comparison engine.

And here’s how the most popular 5G home internet plans look.

Telstra 5G home internet vs NBN plans: Pricing, plans and contracts

For starters, let’s look at the solitary Telstra 5G home internet plan.

At the time of writing, the Telstra 5G home internet plan cost $85 a month. To get around that price point with a Telstra NBN plan, you’re looking at a slightly cheaper Telstra NBN 25 plan.

If you don’t mind spending more than the cost of the Telstra 5G home internet plan, you’ll get significantly faster speeds from the Telstra NBN 50 plan.

NBN 100 plans are the fastest available to most homes in Australia, and here’s how the Telstra NBN 100 plan looks in terms of price.

Eligible Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) and Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) homes can sign up for a Telstra NBN 250 plan.

Except for the NBN 25 plan, every other Telstra NBN plan costs more than the Telstra 5G home internet plan. If cost is most important—particularly relative to expected speeds—Telstra 5G home internet is a great pick.

Telstra doesn’t have contracts for its NBN and 5G home internet plans.

Telstra 5G home internet vs NBN plans: Availability

Before we get into anything else, let’s talk about the availability elephant in the room. Telstra NBN plans are available to fixed-line NBN homes, which is more than 11 million homes connected via FTTP, HFC, Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC) , Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) and Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) . Practically speaking, most Australians have access to Telstra NBN.

For Telstra 5G home internet, there are more disclaimers to consider. At the time of writing, the Telstra 5G network had coverage for 85% of Australians. But even if you’re in an area with Telstra 5G coverage, Telstra limits the number of homes that can sign up for a 5G home internet plan to preserve speeds.

Use the coverage map below to see if you’re in a Telstra 5G area. Alternatively, enter your home details into the ‘Enter Street Address’ field of our comparison engine and hit the orange ‘Search’ button. Click or tap on the ‘Wireless’ dropdown option and select ‘5G’ to see which 5G home internet plans may be available in your area, including Telstra 5G home internet.

Telstra 5G home internet vs NBN plans: Speeds

Telstra 5G home internet is the clear winner when it comes to download and upload speeds, particularly in terms of monthly costs. The table below shows how Telstra 5G home internet speeds compare to Telstra NBN downloads and uploads.

Telstra 5G Home internet speeds may reach as high as 600Mbps download and 90Mbps upload. While those slower-end speeds are on par with NBN 50 download speeds, only the Telstra NBN 250 plan has comparable download speeds (and slower upload speeds) than Telstra 5G home internet.

The main disclaimer for Telstra 5G home internet’s speed dominance is latency . After a year of testing, we found that Telstra 5G home internet typically had latency scores between 20 milliseconds (ms) and 30ms.

According to recent ACCC data, Telstra NBN latency is under 12ms. In fairness, that’s not a huge difference for most internet use cases. Still, competitive online gamers looking to eke every possible edge may favour the reliability of Telstra NBN’s latency over Telstra 5G home internet.

For a sense of how this compares to the fastest internet plans for each speed tier, check out the widget below.

Telstra 5G home internet vs NBN plans: Data limits

A sister helps her brother with homework on the computer

Telstra NBN takes the cake with data limits given it doesn’t have any for its NBN plans: all Telstra NBN plans have unlimited data.

The Telstra 5G home internet plan, however, has a 1TB monthly data limit. While faster speeds can lead to increased data usage, 1TB is a reasonable amount of data. According to the ACCC’s Internet Activity Report from December 2022, average NBN data usage was around 450GB. Telstra’s 5G home internet monthly data allowance is comfortably above that number.

Telstra 5G home internet vs NBN plans: Modems

Telstra 5G modem 2 background

Telstra 5G home internet needs a different modem to get you online compared to Telstra NBN. For the latter, Telstra will send you a Telstra Smart Modem 3 . For the former, you’ll be sent a Telstra 5G Home Modem. Note that while the Telstra Smart Modem 3 is compatible with the Smart WiFi Booster 3, the Telstra 5G Home Modem isn’t compatible with any WiFi extenders .

Outside of this disclaimer, both Telstra modems have similar specs, including dual-band WiFi 6 and four gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections in the home. The new Telstra 5G Home Modem has a faster USB 3.0 port compared to the Telstra Smart Modem 3’s USB 2.0 port, but both have dual ports for home phone lines. In terms of connectivity, the Telstra Smart Modem 3 has 4G backup if there’s an NBN outage.

Telstra 5G home internet vs NBN plans: Perks and extras

Telstra Spotify Perk

Plan extras may vary based on limited-time promotions and other considerations. For instance, at the time of writing, Telstra was giving away time-limited Telstra Device Security, Binge and Spotify inclusions across NBN and 5G home internet plans.

Outside of limited-time promotions, Telstra customers can take advantage of the Telstra Plus rewards program . Telstra customers earn points for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed in the rewards store. Additionally, Telstra Plus offers a few ticket perks: cheap movies, pre-sale concert access and discounted sporting events.

Telstra 5G home internet vs NBN plans

Which is best.

It’s a close contest between Telstra 5G home internet and Telstra NBN. For better value and faster potential speeds , Telstra 5G home internet is the top choice. That said, for availability, unlimited data and a modem with 4G backup , Telstra NBN is the way to go.

If you can get it, Telstra 5G home internet is the better pick; but for most people, Telstra NBN is the more straightforward choice.

Telstra 5G home internet vs NBN frequently asked questions

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Disclaimer: The information featured in this article is based on our best estimates of pricing, package details, contract stipulations, and service available at the time of writing. This is not a guarantee. All information is subject to change. Pricing will vary based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the customer’s location, package chosen, added features and equipment, the purchaser’s credit score, etc. For the most accurate information, please ask your customer service representative. Clarify all fees and contract details before signing a contract or finalizing your purchase. Each individual's unique needs should be considered when deciding on chosen products.

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Telstra’s 4G network goes down for a massive number of customers

A huge chunk of Telstra’s mobile phone customers have been left with no access to data amid troubles with the telco’s 4G network.

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A map splattered in red blotches indicating countless “dead spots” across the Telstra 4G network has unveiled the scale of the telco’s widespread and long-running outages.

Thousands of customers across Sydney’s eastern suburbs including Coogee, Kingsford and Maroubra, have been told to wait nine days – from 9.22am on February 26 to 10pm on March 4 – for their service to be restored.

The blackouts unfolded without warning on February 26, and while some outages listed on Telstra’s website indicate a March 4 restoration, a fix date is “unavailable” for many others.

On Wednesday, the telco said there had been an “unplanned service interruption” and that technicians are “investigating the cause of a network issue that is affecting the 4G network”.

Telstra customers using its 4G service for mobile data have been unable to access the internet on their devices – a major issue for those reliant on it to contact family, study, work, or consume online media.

The disruption has understandably drawn the ire of peeved customers of Telstra – the country’s biggest telco.

The outages have been described as a “joke” and “annoying” within a Facebook community group populated by residents of one of the affected suburbs.

One customer, who sought help in-person at a Telstra retail store, said it felt like she was in a mobile data “dead spot”.

There are extensive outages across Telstra’s 4G network. Picture: Telstra

“Telstra shop told me [the 4G mobile data is] estimated to be back by the 4th (of March). Apparently technicians only started investigating today,” she wrote in the group.

Locals have shared with news.com.au the frustrating impact of having no mobile data.

“It’s really annoying because I can’t access any internet at home,” one man said.

“I have to drive my car until I can find reception and then sit in the driver’s seat doing my uni work, and stay out if I want to do any general social media scrolling.”

Another explained her work and personal life had been severely disadvantaged by the outage.

“It’s incredibly frustrating not having access to the internet through my phone data. Internet services are currently down at my property and without access to Telstra 4G I’m unable to come home and prepare for work the next day,” she said, adding she was also dealing with a seemingly unrelated breakdown in her local NBN service.

“I’ve had to stay back at work to use the office Wi-Fi or sit in my car on the street to access slow internet for work purposes or to respond to messages from family and friends.

Someone else revealed having no mobile data had disrupted his usual post-work routine.

“It’s not ideal coming home after a hard day of work and can’t I access mobile internet to sit back and relax to watch something on my phone,” he said.

A spokesman for Telstra claimed the dramatic map image on its own site made the problem look worse than it actually is. He argued technicians were in the process of vital updates to the network.

He fell short of identifying how many people are affected and claimed services might be restored earlier than March 4.

“While we have listed up to seven days for the outage, we will look to do the work as quickly as possible and all things going to plan, expect to have works completed well within this time. While there may be some overlapping coverage from our other sites, there will be an impact to some mobile services,” he said.

He explained the shutdown was necessary so 5G could be brought to Maroubra and its surrounding suburbs.

It’s estimated that thousands across Sydney’s east are affected. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Andrew Henshaw

“In Maroubra, Telstra has five mobile base stations that provide coverage. There are a further 20 Telstra mobile sites in surrounding suburbs within a three kilometre radius that together help provide a mix of 3G, 4G and 5G mobile connectivity across eastern Sydney,” he said.

“On Monday we began doing an upgrade of our key Maroubra base station on Anzac Parade to help bring new 5G coverage to the area. As the works require us to partly rebuild our site and replace a lot of equipment, this means we have turn off the 3G and 4G network.”

He added it was “it difficult to estimate the impact to local residents in this part of Sydney” but if customers “believe they have a case for compensation for impact during this time, we encourage them to contact Telstra and request a compensation pack”.

Fixed line and NBN is not impacted and Triple Zero calls can still be made, they confirmed.

“In the interim, if people have access to a Wi-Fi signal, we encourage them to activate Wi-Fi Calling, a free setting on most popular phones that allow you to make and receive calls and access the internet when you are in range of the modem,” he added.

Telstra boasts enormous profit

The outages come after Telstra’s half-year profit of $1 billion was revealed – an enormous figure up 11.5 per cent from previous year.

More Coverage

telstra 5g business internet plan

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady attributed its gains, in part, to acquiring an estimated tens of thousands of customers in the wake of the Optus data breach.

“We would estimate that impact to be maybe in the tens of thousands [of customers]. To be honest, we had a very good December quarter … And in terms of the competitive dynamic, it’s brought front of mind for customers that it’s all about resilience and reliability, whether in our personal lives or in our businesses,” Ms Brady said.

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AT&T says cell service is back after a widespread outage and some disrupted 911 calls

Scott Neuman

telstra 5g business internet plan

A sign is posted in front of an AT&T retail store in 2021 in San Rafael, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

A sign is posted in front of an AT&T retail store in 2021 in San Rafael, Calif.

AT&T says it has fully restored cellphone service to tens of thousands of customers in cities across the country whose phones lost signal overnight, causing frustration and concern about disruptions to 911 dispatches.

The FBI, in a statement Thursday afternoon, said the agency was "in contact with AT&T regarding today's network outage. Should we learn of any malicious activity we will respond accordingly."

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby also referred to the outage as he addressed reporters on Thursday. Kirby said the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were looking into the outage. He said the Federal Communications Commission was also in touch with AT&T.

"But the bottom line is we don't have all the answers," he said.

Around 3:30 a.m. ET Thursday, outages reported by downdetector.com suddenly spiked from just a handful, peaking at more than 73,000 by around 8:20 a.m. ET.

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Why do doctors still use pagers, "we sincerely apologize".

By late afternoon Eastern time, AT&T said it had "restored wireless service to all our affected customers."

"We sincerely apologize to them," the company said in an email to NPR. "Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future."

Kirby said the Department of Commerce faced some disruptions as a result of the outage but those were not "crippling."

Earlier, Downdetector said that Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, Miami and Charlotte reported the highest number of outages. Houston had more than 2,000 reports by about 8:30 a.m. ET, while New York reported about 1,300.

However, service disruptions caused concern Thursday morning even outside those areas, with the San Francisco Fire Department announcing on X , formerly Twitter, that it was "aware of an issue impacting AT&T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911)."

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"We are actively engaged and monitoring this. The San Francisco 911 center is still operational. If you are an AT&T customer and cannot get through to 911, then please try calling from a landline. If that is not an option then please try to get ahold of a friend or family member who is a customer of a different carrier and ask them to call 911 on your behalf. Do not call or text 911 to simply test your phone service," the department said.

A survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics found in 2022 that nearly 71% of adults and 82% of children lived in wireless-only households.

Even if a cellular service provider is down, anyone with a cellphone can still place an emergency call or text, according to 911.gov . "However, calls to 911 on phones without active service do not deliver the caller's location to the 911 call center, and the call center cannot call these phones back to find out the caller's location or the nature of the emergency. If disconnected, the 911 center has no way to call back the caller," the website says.

Jared Juliano, assistant director for Prince William County Department of Public Safety Communications in Virginia, says 911 service there was never really disrupted, but calls coming in from AT&T phones did not have location information or what he describes as an "advanced caller ID."

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However, he says 911 dispatchers "always verify a location even when we get locations from these numbers."

Police in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area in North Carolina said customers were "briefly unable to contact 9-1-1. There are no disruptions to our call center's ability to receive 9-1-1 calls. Service should be returning shortly."

Other providers reported business as usual

The outage did not appear to have any real impact on other providers. Verizon said its network was "operating normally."

"Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier," a company statement said.

Likewise, T-Mobile said in a statement that its network "is operating normally."

The outages occurred around the same time as a solar flare, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The agency said the flare — "an eruption of energy from the Sun that usually lasts from minutes to hours" — reached Earth at 1:32 a.m. ET.

NOAA says such flares can affect high-frequency radio signals, but only on the sunlit side of Earth.

  • Cell phones

Telstra connectivity outages in remote Queensland force residents to leave town amid safety concerns

ana erial of a port town remote

When Lucas Koch first took a job and moved to outback Queensland, he thought he had hit the jackpot.

The job came with a home in the fishing village of Karumba, 600 kilometres north of Mount Isa, and Mr Koch was excited to make the region his home.

But 10 months   of persistent issues with connectivity through the region's main service provider, Telstra, meant he was looking to head back to the coast. 

Man with dark hair and beard stands in front of road with angered look on his face

"Not being able to contact family and friends is detrimental in a regional area," he said.

"I chose to live here, but had I known the extent of the issues I'd have given it extra thought.

"There's been at least one mobile service outage a month that restricts text messages and phone calls including to triple-0."

Meanwhile, Telstra confirmed around 30 homes were left without ADSL connection for an entire month in January, forcing residents to rely on what Mr Koch called an intermittent mobile service.

an aerial of a remote community

Rural residents leaving

Mr Koch said the impact of poor connectivity on business and healthcare was resulting in residents departing the region.

"There are people leaving town because of the inability to contact doctors, nurses or build businesses because the system isn't reliable," he said.

While he had expected to face slower internet and less mobile coverage in the bush, Mr Koch said the greatest concern for locals was safety.

"Questions are going to be asked when someone dies because they can't call triple-0," Mr Koch said.

Telephone booths in Birdsville in far south-west Qld in August 2013

Telstra apologises

Speaking to the ABC, Telstra blamed recent outages on severe weather, power outages and theft of copper at a facility north of Townsville for damage to its optic fibre infrastructure in the Gulf region.

Telstra regional general manager northern Queensland Rachel Cliffe said the provider was working to improve its service.

"We do absolutely apologise to the community who have had a bad run," she said.

Ms Cliffe said a new base station would be established in Karumba and the Telstra tower in the neighbouring town of Normanton would be upgraded to switch on 5G next month.

overgrown telstra exchange station in Karumba

Mr Koch criticised the poor standards of living rural residents were constantly subjected to.

"Everyone heard about the  Optus outage in November 2023 . Those poor people were without telecommunications for a day or two at most," he said.

"We've had it happen three times in a month."

Local provider picking up the slack

In response to connectivity issues in the bush, farmer Will Harrington started an internet service on his Richmond cattle station.

His business Wi-Sky now services 13 communities in outback Queensland and recently set up service in Karumba with plans to take on customers there.

"It's been really exciting to give those communities, who historically have had really poor internet connectivity, another option," Mr Harrington said.

An internet tower is erected in an outback field

Telstra said it employed local technicians to live in some nearby remote communities, but access during the wet season was a huge barrier.

Mr Harrington said that was not a concern for his business.

"That's the advantage of living in the region — we understand the environment and what's going to happen when it starts raining and we're able to design these systems appropriately," he said.

"We also know local pilots and electricians who we can call on to sort these problems out before they happen."

Mr Harrington said more remote communities would soon be able to access his service as more towers were built.

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  • Mobile and Internet Access
  • Regional Communities
  • Telecommunications Services Industry

Telstra announces world first proof-of-value engine for 5G slicing to deliver committed performance levels for enterprise customers

Telstra today announced it will bring a world leading 5G slicing product to market this year, made possible by a newly developed proof-of-value mobility analytics engine.

5G slicing allows Telstra to create multiple virtual networks with different performance characteristics on the same physical network, enabling customised solutions for different customer needs.

The proof-of-value engine analyses 5G slicing traffic every second to check if a customer has received the committed performance promised.  If they have, they are billed for this performance, or otherwise not charged for the service received.

Shailin Sehgal, Telstra Executive Network Applications and Cloud said, “this solves a critical piece in the puzzle to deploying 5G slicing to enterprise customers across different industries, ensuring transparency and accountability around specific speeds and uptime as part of the network slice.

“What’s groundbreaking about this development is that it allows us to commit to a minimum performance level for a customer, then measure and report on the slice performance to know if the slice is performing as designed.”

In addition to providing committed performance, Telstra’s 5G slicing product uses slice templates to uniquely tailor a slice to a customer use case and specific performance requirements, such as minimum and maximum speed, security and latency.

“The customisation we can layer on our 5G slice technology makes it especially useful for a wide variety of use cases, from performance for transport networks or construction sites, to public safety technology such as video surveillance”, said Mr Sehgal.

Hindmarsh, one of Australia’s leading construction, real estate development, retirement services and capital management companies, is the first customer to trial the new solution.

Mark Crameri, Hindmarsh IT Manager said, “Telstra’s new 5G fixed wireless network slicing link was deployed at one of our heaviest use sites with over 30 staff, each with laptops and phones, along with tablets and video conferencing equipment.

“To date the reliability of the new link has been tremendous, access to our business-critical systems is incredibly fast, not to mention video conferencing and internet access, making it faster and easier to work productively on site.”

To enhance network performance and ensure optimal configuration, Telstra is working with Casa Systems for their cutting-edge Realtime Fastlane Accelerator (RFA) technology and User Equipment Route Selection Policy (URSP) 5G standard, designed to dynamically route different types of traffic to different slices based on a network template.

For example, Telstra could create a network template for IP telephony applications that Casa Systems devices will support.

“With our dynamic network slicing capabilities, mobile operators can deliver an enhanced experience for customers by offering tailored service plans to meet the customer’s individual requirements”, said Steve Collins, SVP of Access Devices, Casa Systems.

“Our 5G Fixed Wireless and Industrial IoT products, including our Realtime Fastlane Accelerator dynamic network slicing capability, deliver a cost-effective 5G solution, keeping the customer front of mind to address most use cases.

Telstra also worked with Ericsson on a solution to operationalise network slicing, designing experiences and delivering a service to meet the needs of specific customer use cases.

Emilio Romeo, Ericsson’s Head of Australia & New Zealand, said: “Ericsson is driving differentiated service offerings to enable monetisation whilst providing a superior customer experience, and this is embedded across the end-to-end network.

“This groundbreaking service offering, based on proof-of-value, is a great example of how Telstra has combined the underlaying technology provided by Ericsson for observability and service assurance with their creativity to give the best offering available to customers.”

Telstra’s approach to 5G Slicing will be on display within the Ericsson Hall at Mobile World Congress from Monday 26 February to Thursday 29 February 2024.

At Telstra we recognise and acknowledge the existing, original and ancient connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to the lands and waterways across the Australian continent. We pay our respects to the elders past and present. We commit to working together to build a prosperous and inclusive Australia

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  1. 5G Business Internet plans from Telstra

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  2. iTWire

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  3. Telstra 5G Network

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  4. Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro Mobile Broadband Data Plans from Telstra

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  5. Telstra Business

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  6. Telstra 5G home internet plans: Everything you need to know

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COMMENTS

  1. 5G Business Internet from Telstra

    5G Business Internet uses mobile network technology to deliver rapid download speeds and high data capacity. Sign up today and get the latest 5G Internet Modem 2 included for use with your plan. Select areas and eligible customers only. Limited number of services available per post code. If you leave within 24 months, simply return your modem ...

  2. Telstra launches "ridiculously fast" 5G home and business internet plan

    Telstra has officially launched its 5G broadband for home and business which offers super-fast internet speeds to eligible premises within Telstra's expanding 5G coverage. Telstra says customers can expect average download speeds of 378Mbps during the busy evening period between 7pm and 11pm. And Telstra is keeping it simple - there is one ...

  3. Telstra unveils $85 1TB 5G home and business Internet service

    Telstra has announced a 5G home and business Internet plan with 1TB of data per month for $85 with no lock-in contracts. Telstra says the service has an average typical download speed of 378Mbps ...

  4. Telstra launches first 5G home and business plans

    By comparison, Telstra has two NBN business plans - a 50Mbps down / 17Mbps up plan at $110/month and a 100Mpbs down / 32Mbps up plan at $140/month. Both the business and home plans use the same Arcadyan-supplied 5G modem. There were no specifics offered about the latency of the connection, the spokesperson said it "Depends on a range of ...

  5. Telstra brings 5G internet to home, business

    Telstra's 5G Home and Business internet plan is available now. Leigh :) Stark is an award winning technology journalist with over 16 years of experience, having appeared at the Financial Review, Popular Science, GadgetGuy, and on TV, radio, print, and web.

  6. Telstra launches their 5G Home & Business Internet service ...

    Telstra has also decided to keep it simple with just a single Telstra 5G Home & Business Internet plan on offer — 1TB (1000GB) of data for $85 per month, with your first month free. There are no lock in contracts so if you decide you don't like it just return the modem to Telstra without any exit fees.

  7. Telstra 5G: Coverage map, mobile and internet plans

    Telstra 5G mobile broadband. Telstra offers two 5G mobile broadband plans with two choices of 5G modem. You can either opt to buy a 5G modem outright and choose from the Telstra $55 Medium Data Plan or Telstra $85 Large Data Plan, or bundle either of those plans with the option to pay off your Telstra modem over a 12-month, 24-month or 36-month ...

  8. Telstra 5G home internet plans: Everything you need to know

    Telstra reports typical evening speeds of 378Mbps on its 5G home internet plan, but says download speeds can range between 50Mbps and 600Mbps. When it comes to upload speeds, Telstra reports typical evening speeds of 46Mbps, but a range of between 10Mbps and 90Mbps. In short, a Telstra 5G home internet plan can deliver much faster speeds than ...

  9. Telstra 5G Home Internet Review: Is It Worth Ditching the NBN?

    Telstra's 5G home internet plan will set you back $85 per month with a 1TB download allowance. Big T reports typical evening speeds of 378Mbps but says download speeds can range between 50Mbps and 600Mbps. When it comes to upload speeds, Telstra reports typical evening speeds of 46Mbps, but a range of between 10Mbps and 90Mbps.

  10. Telstra's 5G Home Internet Service Costs Less Than Its NBN 50 Plan

    NBN 100 for $110 a month. NBN 250 for $140 a month. NBN 1000 for $180 a month. 5G Home & Business Internet plan is $85 a month for 1 TB of data. For comparison, on the NBN 50 plan, you will get ...

  11. Telstra vs. Optus 5G home internet plans: How do they compare

    Telstra has just a single 5G home internet plan, billed at $85 per month. Optus has two options: a $79 per month plan with speeds capped to 100Mbps (making it similar to an NBN 100 plan), and a more expensive $99 per month plan with uncapped speeds. At time of writing, Optus is offering a $10 per month discount on your first six months.

  12. Telstra Launches Fast 5G Home Internet For Everyone

    Telstra's 5G Internet Plan comes with an included 5G Home Modem, featuring an inbuilt and pre-activated SIM, WiFi 6 support and 4G network backup. The plug-in-and-play modem connects to Telstra's 5G network wirelessly, but it will be geo-locked to your home or business address, meaning you can't take your 5G service on the road.

  13. Telstra 5G home internet: A one year review

    The more affordable 5G home internet plans around - those the likes of iiNet, TPG, and Vodafone - are capped to speeds of 50Mbps or 100Mbps. Telstra 5G home internet, by comparison, offers download speeds of over 500Mbps on a good day. Telstra is the only provider to have a data cap on its 5G home internet plan, but you still get 1TB each month.

  14. 5G Broadband Plan

    Your plan includes ou r next gen Nokia 5G Modem. Instant plug & play. Fast WiFi 6 Technology. $0 per month when you stay connected for 36 months. Max modem cost $576. Learn more. Nokia's FastMile 5G Gateway 3 is easy to set-up and connects wirelessly to 5G mobile, with 4G/LTE backup. The FastMile improves performance and reliability by using ...

  15. 5G Business Internet plans from Telstra

    5G Business Internet uses Telstra's next-gen 5G mobile network the deliver 5G-fast internet to your office or business. Because 5G Internet uses wireless technology, there's no excavate with waiting.

  16. Which Telstra plans include 5G access

    Telstra 5G on postpaid mobile plans. All of Telstra's Upfront mobile plans have 5G connectivity. Its cheapest option - the $58 per month "Basic" plan - is capped to speeds of 250Mbps. That's about a quarter of the maximum speeds 5G speeds on the Telstra network. Telstra's other two plans have uncapped 5G speeds:

  17. Telstra 5G home internet plans vs Telstra NBN plans

    The Telstra 5G home internet plan, however, has a 1TB monthly data limit. While faster speeds can lead to increased data usage, 1TB is a reasonable amount of data. According to the ACCC's Internet Activity Report from December 2022, average NBN data usage was around 450GB. Telstra's 5G home internet monthly data allowance is comfortably ...

  18. Telstra's 4G network goes down for a massive number of customers

    There are a further 20 Telstra mobile sites in surrounding suburbs within a three kilometre radius that together help provide a mix of 3G, 4G and 5G mobile connectivity across eastern Sydney ...

  19. Telstra and Ericsson partner to offer 5G slicing for Australian firms

    The Australian telco noted this achievement will enable Telstra customers to enjoy faster and more reliable data uploads on their 5G Standalone (SA) devices. The new 5G SA uplink capability combines Telstra's mid-band spectrum holdings to create a 140-megahertz channel for sending data from the device to the network, the telco said.

  20. AT&T outage disrupts cell service, and access to 911, for thousands

    Reports of outages spiked around 3:30 a.m. ET Thursday, affecting more than 71,000 customers within a few hours. The FBI says it has been in contact with AT&T about the disruptions.

  21. Telstra 5G home internet plans vs. Telstra NBN plans: How do they

    Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Speed. Telstra reports typical evening speeds of 378Mbps on its 5G home internet plan, but says download speeds can range between 50Mbps and 600Mbps. When it comes to NBN, Telstra offers plans on every speed tier other than NBN 12. This means you can get an NBN 25, NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250, or NBN 1000 plan ...

  22. Telstra connectivity outages in remote Queensland force residents to

    Telstra said it employed local technicians to live in some nearby remote communities, but access during the wet season was a huge barrier. Mr Harrington said that was not a concern for his business.

  23. Telstra announces world first proof-of-value engine for 5G slicing to

    Telstra today announced it will bring a world leading 5G slicing product to market this year, made possible by a newly developed proof-of-value mobility analytics engine. 5G slicing allows Telstra to create multiple virtual networks with different performance characteristics on the same physical network, enabling customised solutions for different customer needs.