The weekday briefing on Australian telecommunications, data centres and AI infrastructure.
Today's briefing
Tuesday 10 November 2026
Copper thieves cut NBN fibre at the Bridgewater–Gagebrook bridge on Friday 6 November 2026, taking about 1,350 Tasmanian customers offline, with full restoration expected between 6pm and 8pm on Saturday 7 November.
NBN Co will also drop its plan-speed rule for FTTN fibre upgrades from 31 March 2027.
Telstra will begin enabling RCS messaging on 16 November, Android first.
NBN Co announced on 30 September 2026 that from 31 March 2027 eligible Fibre to the Node homes will be able to move to full fibre whatever plan they are on. A separate Targeted Upgrade program is due to start sending notices to selected copper properties from July 2027.
ACMA wants accredited automatic frequency coordination systems running standard-power outdoor Wi-Fi in 5925–6585 MHz by early 2028. Consultation on the proposal closes on 18 December 2026.
Firmus has told a Tasmanian parliamentary committee that Long Reach, its 288MW Bell Bay project, lacks full funding. The disclosure comes after the company pulled its ASX float on 9 October.
An NBN outage that began around midday on Friday 6 November 2026 hit about 1,350 customers around Brighton and Old Beach after suspected copper thieves damaged cabling on the Bridgewater–Gagebrook bridge. NBN expected full restoration between 6pm and 8pm on Saturday 7 November.
Telstra will begin enabling RCS messaging on 16 November, with Android customers first and iPhone users after Apple's December iOS update. It only works when both people are on Telstra's network, and no other Australian carrier has a date.
The Internet Association of Australia says backing for its open letter to Communications Minister Anika Wells has more than doubled since 26 October 2026. It says the signatories likely represent 200,000 or more services in operation.
The ACMA is consulting on moving electromagnetic compatibility requirements into the Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 and repealing the two separate 2017 instruments. Submissions close at 5pm AEDT on Friday 29 January 2027.
DigiCo has signed a 15-year, 71MW agreement with an unnamed global technology company at SYD1 in Ultimo, leaving the Sydney campus fully contracted at a planned 88MW.
AirTrunk will not build its planned 140-megawatt data centre on Mars Road in Lane Cove West, leaving the approved Apollo Place stage next to its SYD2 campus as its only remaining project there. A NSW Upper House committee tabled its data centre report, with 23 recommendations, on 5 November 2026.
Spark New Zealand has started a review of the ownership and structure of its cloud, IT services, data and AI businesses. The company says nothing has been decided and will report back with half-year results in February 2027.
Rakuten Mobile and AST SpaceMobile have formed a joint venture, backed by grants of around US$1 billion from Japan's communications ministry, to offer direct-to-smartphone service over AST's Bluebird LEO satellites from March 2029.