NBN fixed wireless gets 400Mbps boost for regional Australia

Regional Australians are set to benefit from faster fixed wireless NBN internet, reaching up to 400Mbps download speeds as part of a $750 million network upgrade.

More than 700,000 homes and businesses across the country are expected to gain access to the faster wireless internet by the end of 2024. Using a combination of government funding and NBN Co investment, fixed wireless towers are getting upgrades alongside new technology and software improvements.

As a result of the in-progress upgrades, wholesale speeds for Fixed Wireless Plus increased from 75Mbps downloads and 10Mbps uploads to 100/20Mbps. Two new speeds are also coming: Fixed Wireless Home Fast and Fixed Wireless Superfast.

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NBN Co plans to make Fixed Wireless Home Fast – capable of up to 250/20Mbps – available to as much as 90% of the area covered by the wireless network. Meanwhile, up to 80% will gain access to Fixed Wireless Superfast, reaching up to 400/40Mbps.

Better connectivity for regional Australia is NBN Co’s main objective with the upgrades. Particularly to support remote healthcare, work and learning, while making it easier to stay in touch with friends and family.

“Regional Australians are using more data than ever,” said Gavin Williams, NBN Chief Development Officer – Regional and Remote. “We’re delivering the fastest wholesale NBN Fixed Wireless speeds we’ve ever offered to regional Australia, including two new higher speed tiers for homes and businesses with ‘heavy’ or more ‘intensive’ internet usage requirements.”

It won’t just be a simple flicking of the switch for NBN Fixed wireless customers, however. Those wanting better speeds will need a recent version of the Wireless Network Termination Device, the antenna that receives the internet signal. Customers upgrading to one of the new plans will receive an upgraded unit from the NBN.

How much does NBN fixed wireless internet cost?

Depending on which telco you choose, wireless internet starts at around $70 per month. As is usually the case, most retailers offer a discounted six-month introductory period. Here are the current fixed wireless deals available:

As for the two new plans, they’ll start rolling out soon, so we’ll have a better idea of pricing in the coming months. Check with your internet provider in the meantime if you want access to faster speeds.

NBN Co has also been busy bolstering fixed line connections, with plans to boost NBN 100 plans to 500Mbps speeds, while opening consultation about multigigabit speeds.

Meanwhile, Japan set a new internet speed record, reaching 402,000,000Mbps in an engineering test. One can dream…

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Aussies to spend 75% of winter waking hours online, survey finds

With winter in full swing, many of us forgo the cold outdoors in favour of keeping warm in front of a screen at home. In fact, a recent survey found that we could spend as much as 75% of our waking hours online during the colder months, according to a Dodo report unpacking internet habits.

Dubbed the “Birdwatchers Report”, local telco Dodo analysed how Australians spend time using the internet and being online. Although the 75% figure might raise eyebrows, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how many hours we spend in front of screens at both work and home.

According to the report, Australians are expected to stream roughly 200 hours of content during winter. Contributing to this number is data suggesting the average binge-watching session lasts for six hours. For Gen Z viewers, this number increases to a whopping eight hours.

Dodo also tackled the topic of guilty pleasures – what we’re not proud of but enjoy doing anyway. Late night scrolling topped the list, as 51% listed it as their guiltiest pleasure.

What other guilty pleasures are Australians obsessed with, you ask? Binge-watching shows (41%) came second, followed by reading comment threads (31%), gaming (24%), and social media stalking (23%).

Sure to cause some arguments, one in four respondents admitted to secretly watching a show or movie they were meant to watch with someone else. Millennials and Gen Z folks are even more impatient, with 38% and 42% engaging in streaming polyamory (a term I just made up).

How much data do Australians use?

All that streaming, gaming, and downloading adds up over time. 2023 data from NBN Co revealed that Australian households average 443GB of downloads across 22 devices each month.

We’re also more likely to spend more time online when it’s cold. Weekend internet predictably rises above weekday levels, but the seasonal differences are interesting. When weekends roll around, Dodo’s data shows a 17% internet usage increase during winter versus 10% in summer.

All of the above leads to a pretty clear conclusion: Australians flock to the internet when it’s cold outside.

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Fresh 402-terabit internet speed record leaves Australia in the dust

It’s no secret that Australia’s internet lags behind the speedy connections of other countries. But a new internet speed record puts into perspective just how far behind the rest of the world we are.

As spotted on Gizmodo Australia, Japanese engineers achieved a new internet speed record of 402 terabits per second. Yes, terabits, or just over 50 terabytes a second.

To put it into a unit of measurement Australians are more familiar with, that’s 402,000,000 megabits (Mbps). 50Mbps is the country’s most popular NBN plan.

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Using commercially available optical fibre, along with lots of other advanced technologies, a team led by the Photonic Network Laboratory of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (try saying that name three times quickly) set the new record. For a more technical breakdown, check out Fudzilla’s coverage of the achievement.

402Tbps eclipses the previous record set in October 2023 by roughly 25%. Naturally, these speeds aren’t available in the real world. It would still send shivers down the spines of many Australians stuck on fibre-to-the-node technology, recently revealed to encounter the most outages of NBN connections.

In more realistic numbers according to the Speedtest Global Index, Japan ranks 16th worldwide for fixed broadband performance. It averages 190.44Mbps download speeds, compared to the 86th-placed Australia, languishing with an average of 69.36Mbps. Our neighbours in New Zealand rank 20th, thanks to a 185.55Mbps average.

In better news, Australia’s mobile speeds fare far better. We sit at 26th, averaging 93.37Mbps. There’s also the hope that NBN 100 plans could soon triple in speed, while multigigabit connections talks are underway.

It ain’t 402Tbps fast, but any improvement to the much-maligned NBN rollout is better than nothing. Here’s what our current fastest residential plans look like:

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LG OLED M4 TV cuts living room cables via a big black box

Wireless TV technology is another step closer to living rooms across the world following the launch of the LG OLED M4 TV overseas.

Shown off at CES 2024, the TV uses a separate box, called the Zero Connect Box, to transmit inputs wirelessly. This means you don’t need to run cables from your Blu-Ray player, PlayStation, or whatever else directly into your TV. Instead, you can place the box elsewhere in the room, freeing up your viewing area.

To be clear, you still need to plug the TV into a power outlet. So, it’s not entirely “wireless” per se, but there are far fewer wires involved as far as the TV is concerned.

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Seemingly a pointed reference towards Samsung’s One Connect Box, which relies on a solitary cable between TV and transmitter, LG claims its Zero Connect Box and OLED M4 combo is the first to enable wireless video and audio content in 4K 144Hz.

LG’s premium-level TV uses the same Alpha 11 processor as the G4 OLED model, which is said to improve upscaling and overall picture performance. Like the rest of the brand’s range, it runs on the company’s webOS platform, which now has broader compatibility with technologies including Chromecast.

LG’s Zero Connect Box. Image: LG.

An indication that this level of wireless TV technology is getting closer to mainstream use is the range of sizes. The M4 comes in 65, 77, 83, and 97 inches – previous iterations didn’t include a 65-inch model. Recent research from Samsung found that 42% of Australians own TVs 60 inches or larger, but the figure drops to 11% once you hit 75 inches and above.

How much does the LG OLED M4 TV cost?

Here’s the kicker: we don’t yet have confirmation of the wireless TV’s price, or even availability, in Australia. Most overseas regions don’t have product listings yet, indicative of how fresh the global rollout is.

According to a listing on LG’s Hong Kong website, the 65-inch M4 costs HK$44,980, roughly converting to $8,600 in Australian dollars. For comparison, the full retail price of the 65-inch G4 model is $5,299.

It’s also worth considering that Australian pricing is rarely a matter of simple currency conversions, so expect the cost of bringing product down under to be factored in. I’ve contacted LG for comment and will update this article with further information.

Wireless TV technology might still be a bit pricey for the mass market, but cable-free living rooms are nearing reality.

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Belkin surge protector range gets USB-C and warranty upgrade

Power boards and surge protection are far from the sexiest technologies out there, but they’re among the most useful. The Belkin surge protector range just got a nice upgrade, now equipped with USB-C ports for modern devices.

The updated range includes one through to eight outlet surge protection products, including up to 1,800-joule ratings. Other than shielding connected devices from power surges and spikes, likely during storms, the outlets come with a sizable connected equipment warranty.

Put simply, as long as you properly use the surge protectors, Belkin provides up to $70,000 worth of coverage. So, if lightning does strike and damages any connected devices, Belkin will repair or replace them for you.

“We know that Australian and New Zealand consumers want their key home technology to be protected, and it’s now more important than ever with the cost of connected devices on the rise,” said Jamie Laing-Reece, Head of Product Management, Belkin ANZ.

“Storms can be wild and unpredictable, so it’s vital that consumers can rely on a brand like ours for enhanced protection and peace of mind.”

Belkin’s multi-outlet surge protectors also include two USB-C ports providing up to 30W of charging. So, you can plug a phone or tablet in without taking up an AC slot.

Belkin USB-C surge protector price and availability

For now, the four-, six-, and eight-outlet surge protectors are available at JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, The Good Guys, Bunnings, and Belkin’s official website. An easy way to differentiate the new models from the previous ones (aside from the USB-C ports) is the all-white finish.

If you want the single-outlet model, you’ll need to wait a bit longer. Belkin says it’s “coming soon”. Here’s how much each one costs in Australia:

• 1 Outlet Surge Protector $34.95
• 4 Outlet Surge Protector $79.95
• 6 Outlet Surge Protector $89.95
• 8 Outlet Surge Protector $99.95

Belkin’s refreshed range adds to various options on the market, including the Tapo P300 smart power strip. As the name suggests, this one supports remote connectivity via Wi-Fi, if smart home compatibility is your main priority. Otherwise, Belkin’s generous connected equipment warranty is a compelling point of difference.

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Vodafone and Hubbl team up to give Binge subs with telco plans

You can now pair a Hubbl device with a Vodafone home internet or phone plan, courtesy of a new partnership between Foxtel Group and the TPG-owned telco.

By adding a Hubbl streaming box to your home internet plan, you can get a six-month subscription to Binge Standard at no extra cost. Or, if it’s phone plans you’re after, a three-month subscription comes with new and upgraded postpaid plans.

With the newly minted partnership, it means all three major Australian telcos have a major streaming presence. Telstra owns a majority stake in Fetch TV, Optus has its subscription-bundling SubHub platform, and now Vodafone is cosy with Foxtel.

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Launched earlier in the year, Hubbl acts as a content aggregator between multiple streaming services. You can use either the Hubbl streaming box or the Hubbl Glass TV to manage all of your subscriptions in one place. This meets the needs of many Australians, according to a Deloitte survey that found 70% want a centralised way of managing subscriptions.

One of the main drawcards is the ability to bundle multiple services together at a discounted rate. However, very few services support bundling – limited to Foxtel’s own subscriptions and Netflix. That, and not every major local app, like Paramount+ and Optus Sport, is available yet.

Nonetheless, the timing is nice for anyone in the market for a new home internet or phone plan. The Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon is currently streaming on Binge, with Vodafone’s offer an easy way to save up to $108 in Binge subscription fees.

How much does it cost to bundle Hubbl with Vodafone?

The smaller Hubbl device only costs $99, but you can pay it off over 12 or 24 months along with a Vodafone NBN plan. Here’s how much the telco’s plans currently cost:

If you just want a few months of Binge, here’s how much Vodafone’s postpaid phone plans will set you back:

You can also check out the cheapest NBN plans and cheapest SIM plans to find the best telco deals.

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Ultimate Ears Everboom is a smaller and cheaper pool speaker

Fancy a dip in the pool? So does the Everboom, Ultimate Ears’ latest waterproof party speaker.

It adds to the brand’s existing range of fun-named portable speakers, like the Epicboom and Wonderboom. Like the Epicboom, the Everboom is a 360-degree portable speaker equipped with an IP67 rating. In other words, it’s both waterproof and dustproof, and can float in water. Ultimate Ears also claims that its newest speaker is drop-proof, albeit only from one metre.

On paper, it looks similar to the Epicboom. So, what’s different? Its size, for starters. The Everboom weighs less than a kilo, compared to the Epic’s nearly 2kg mass. There’s also the matter of battery life; the Everboom lasts up to 20 hours versus the Epicboom’s 17 hours.

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With portability comes a slight volume sacrifice, though. It doesn’t get the larger speaker’s 120mm woofer, so don’t expect quite as much bass. Almost everything else comes supported, like 55m Bluetooth wireless range, NFC pairing, and simultaneous connectivity with other compatible Ultimate Ears speakers.

“Our users have dynamic lives that require a soundtrack as adaptable and resilient as their various activities,” said Jonah Staw, general manager of Ultimate Ears. “Everboom is our answer to their call for a portable speaker that marries robustness with superior sound quality. It’s meant to be a core part of their explorations.”

A booming speaker refresh

Along with the Everboom, Ultimate Ears also dropped updated versions of the Boom, Wonderboom, and Megaboom speakers. Doing away with Micro USB connections, the new models get USB-C connectors in addition to reworked designs.

On the outside, the speakers gain new colour options made from a greater percentage of recycled materials.

Image: Ultimate Ears.

Underneath the flashy colours, the Boom 4 and Wonderboom 4 both benefit from improved bass radiators. As a result, Ultimate Ears claims the speakers produce a bigger sound.

Rounding out the changes is an update to the UE | Boom app. All speakers compatible with the app can now function as megaphones. By tapping the Megaphone button in the app, you can speak into your phone to project your voice through connected speakers.

Ultimate Ears Everboom price and release date

Available to pre-order now ready to ship in late July, the Everboom costs $349.95, making it $50 cheaper than last year’s Epicboom. It comes in Charcoal Black, Azure Blue, Raspberry Red, and Enchanting Lilac colours.

Here’s how the price compares to the updated Ultimate Ears range:

• Everboom: $349.95
• Wonderboom 4 (Active Black, Cobalt Blue, Raspberry Red, Enchanting Lilac): $149.95
• Boom 4 (Active Black, Cobalt Blue, Raspberry Red, Enchanting Lilac): $229.95
• Megaboom 4 (Active Black, Cobalt Blue, Hyper Pink, Joyous Bright): $349.95

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