Telstra mobile customers in Kingswood may face a temporary service disruption on 29 October while third-party works shut down parts of a local base station. The outage is expected to last one day, and services will be restored once the work is complete. Residents may have reduced coverage affecting calls, texts and mobile data. Businesses using Telstra-connected EFTPOS terminals are urged to check whether they can run through NBN or Wi-Fi. Telstra says NBN, satellite, landlines and other providers will not be affected, and customers can enable Wi-Fi Calling on compatible devices.
Telstra maintenance in Tamworth's central business district will temporarily reduce mobile coverage, starting on Monday, 26 October, and lasting two days. The mobile site serving the area will be switched off for short periods, which could disrupt calls, mobile data, mobile EFTPOS terminals and medical or personal safety devices. Businesses can check with their bank or payment provider about processing payments through the NBN or Wi-Fi. Telstra customers with Wi-Fi can enable Wi-Fi Calling. Emergency calls to Triple Zero (000) may still connect through another mobile network. NBN, satellite, landline and other providers' mobile services will not be affected.
A Telstra shareholder, Peter Starr, criticised chairman Craig Dunn at the company's annual general meeting in Sydney for not speaking to the media during the July network outage. Starr said chief financial officer Michael Ackland looked like a fish out of water. Dunn said Ackland had done a fine job while chief executive Vicki Brady was overseas. Dunn and Brady said Telstra accepted the findings of an external investigation and was acting on them. The outage blocked about 600 triple-0 calls in July.
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Telstra chairman Craig Dunn has warned that complex regulation could discourage investment. He singled out calls for mandatory mobile roaming, which would let customers use rival networks outside their own provider's coverage. Dunn told a shareholders meeting in Sydney that the measure would not build new towers and could slow further spending. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is running a 12-month inquiry into the issue. Telstra's chief executive, Vicki Brady, also accepted an external review's findings on a July nationwide outage, and the board cut executive pay in response.
Telstra chairman Craig Dunn has warned that complex regulation could discourage investment. He singled out calls for mandatory mobile roaming, which would let customers use rival networks outside their own provider's coverage. Dunn told a shareholders meeting in Sydney that the measure would not build new towers and could slow further spending. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is running a 12-month inquiry into the issue. Telstra's chief executive, Vicki Brady, also accepted an external review's findings on a July nationwide outage, and the board cut executive pay in response.
The ASX 200 rose 0.8 per cent to close at 8783.2 on Monday, led by big banks and mining companies. Rising prices for gold, copper and iron ore lifted BHP, Fortescue and Northern Star. Westpac led the banks with a 2.7 per cent gain. Telstra fell 2.5 per cent ahead of its annual meeting on Tuesday, dragged down by US telcos facing competition from SpaceX. Electro Optic Systems slipped four per cent after saying it had signed a $700 million drone defence contract with an unnamed Gulf state.
The ASX 200 rose 0.8% to 8,783 points on Monday, supported by miners and financial stocks. Telstra shed 2.5% as global telecom shares fell over fears of competition from SpaceX. Iron ore prices lifted miners, with BHP up 2.5%. Oil prices rose in the morning before easing, after a US-brokered energy ceasefire was announced over the weekend. Wage growth slowed in September, according to a Commonwealth Bank survey, which said annual wage growth held at 3.3%.
Telstra customers in Jan Juc may experience mobile service disruptions when upgrades begin at a nearby base station from Monday 12 October. The Menczer Lance mobile base station will be switched off for periods of up to 120 hours during the 10-day project, which aims to boost 4G and 5G capacity. Telstra says the works will not affect NBN, satellite internet, PSTN landline services or other providers' mobile coverage. Customers can keep making calls and sending texts by turning on Wi-Fi Calling, a free setting on most phones.
