October
Australia’s fibre backbone race picks up speed
The Vocus Group’s $5 billion purchase of fibre networks reflects the intensifying competition among companies installing the cables that will handle data for the nation’s digital needs.
- Jenny Wiggins
Telstra investors protest against executive bonuses
Not all Telstra shareholders are happy about its executive bonuses after the telco’s annual profit was hit by hefty write-downs and restructuring costs.
- Jenny Wiggins
‘Transformative’: Vocus buys TPG fibre networks for $5.25b
Macquarie Group will pitch more aggressively for data-hungry customers as it expands the Vocus Group’s national fibre network footprint.
- Updated
- Jenny Wiggins
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Macquarie’s private equity job at Vocus hits $5.25b peak
Macquarie is again pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an infrastructure investor in Australia.
- Anthony Macdonald
Vocus’ $5b TPG fibre deal; New Lendlease boss; Star fundie goes solo
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Mystery investor revealed in Macquarie, Aware’s $6b tilt for TPG fibre
Should the deal proceed as expected, UniSuper stands to emerge as an indirect minority owner of Vocus, taken private by MAM and Aware for $3.5 billion in 2021.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
September
Vocus owners sign up co-investor in $6b-plus tilt for TPG’s fibre
TPG is within days of announcing the winner of the auction which stemmed out of a strategic review ordered nearly two years ago, the sources added.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Telco groups protest state ‘profiteering’ from antennas
Telecommunications companies are pushing NSW to scrap fees for adding antennas and other equipment to mobile towers on Crown land.
- Jenny Wiggins
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Vodafone gets a start in the bush, now to make it work
Vodafone’s never been able to justify going to the bush. It needs at least 100,000 more customers to make its new deal work.
- Anthony Macdonald
TPG Telecom, Optus network-sharing deal gets ACCC approval
TPG Telecom will market its mobile phone services to more Australians after the competition regulator said it could share networks with Optus in regional areas.
- Jenny Wiggins
August
TPG Telecom cuts 120 jobs as interim profits slide
The telco group, which is carrying more than $4 billion in debt, says it needs to keep reducing its expenses.
- Jenny Wiggins
Telcos gear up for tech showdown
Australia’s biggest telcos are battling for taxpayer dollars in the debate over replacing ageing copper wires.
- Jenny Wiggins
Vocus revives $6.3b dream to buy TPG’s fibre network
But sources said discussions between the ASX-listed telecommunications group and its Macquarie and Aware Super-owned rival were at a very early stage.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
July
Former TPG Telecom email customers to be slugged up to $95 annually
Accounts with iiNet, Internode and Westnet addresses will start paying a yearly fee from September after they were transferred to a Norwegian-owned company.
- Jenny Wiggins
Aussie Broadband discount offshoot Buddy chases lost customers
Aussie Broadband is hoping to win back some of the customers lost to rival Superloop with a new, cheap internet brand, Buddy Telco.
- Jenny Wiggins
May
Optus raises monthly mobile plan prices by 5-6pc
Optus has quietly raised prices of its cheapest and most popular monthly mobile phone plans for new customers above the rate of inflation, blaming higher costs.
- Jenny Wiggins
Why TPG Telecom changed its mind on Optus
After the departure of former Optus boss Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, the rival telco groups decided to let “bygones be bygones”.
- Jenny Wiggins
April
Optus parent writes off billions and strikes $1.6b deal with TPG
Singtel has had to write off billions of dollars on Optus, offset partly by the beleaguered telco striking a $1.6 billion deal with Australian rival TPG.
- Updated
- Jenny Wiggins
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
How TPG and Optus went from enemies to frenemies
Just 14 months ago, TPG and Optus apparently hated each other’s guts. But their new regional mobile networking sharing deal shows commercial logic has prevailed.
- James Thomson
TPG, iiNet email accounts bounce to Philippines, Norway
Users of TPG Telecom and iiNet email have to deal with a call centre and a parent company in the northern hemisphere after their accounts were handed over to The Messaging Company.
- Jenny Wiggins