logo
Accusations that Telstra has exaggerated the reach of its mobile network

Accusations that Telstra has exaggerated the reach of its mobile network

Telstra is Australia's largest mobile network and it's built a brand around being the most extensive.
But the ACCC is now considering complaints about the true reach of its coverage.
7.30's Alysia Thomas-Sam reports.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Google hit with $55m fine after ACCC took it to court over 'anti-competitive' Android deals with Optus and Telstra
Google hit with $55m fine after ACCC took it to court over 'anti-competitive' Android deals with Optus and Telstra

Sky News AU

time44 minutes ago

  • Sky News AU

Google hit with $55m fine after ACCC took it to court over 'anti-competitive' Android deals with Optus and Telstra

Google Asia-Pacific has agreed to pay a $55m fine after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions took the search engine to court for striking a 'anti-competitive' deals with the nation's two largest telcos. The search engine made a deal with Telstra and Optus to only pre-install Google Search, and not other search engines, on Android phones the telcos sold to customers between December 2019 and March 2021. In return for Google's exclusivity on these devices, Optus and Telstra would receive a share of the revenue the search giant earnt from ads on Google it showed to customers on the Android phones. Google admitted that by striking the deal with the telco giants it would likely reduce competition. The search engine's massive fine comes alongside Telstra, Optus and TPG last year agreeing not to enter exclusivity deals with Google. ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the deal between Google and the telcos posed a detriment to Aussie consumers. 'Conduct that restricts competition is illegal in Australia because it usually means less choice, higher costs or worse service for consumers,' Ms Cass-Gottlieb said. 'Today's outcome, along with Telstra, Optus and TPG's undertakings, have created the potential for millions of Australians to have greater search choice in the future, and for competing search providers to gain meaningful exposure to Australian consumers. 'Importantly, these changes come at a time when AI search tools are revolutionising how we search for information, creating new competition.' A Google spokesperson said the search engine was "pleased to resolve the ACCC's concerns". 'We are committed to providing Android device makers more flexibility to preload browsers and search apps while preserving the offerings and features that help them innovate, compete with Apple, and keep costs low,' the spokesperson said. Ms Cass-Gottlieb lashed out at the deal as she noted the increasing availability of AI search tools allowed consumers opportunities to 'experiment with search services on their mobiles'. Google's fine follows a long investigation by the ACCC and concerns from the consumer watchdog about the contractual arrangements for Google search, which include how ubiquitous it is as the default search engine on devices. The ACCC chair stressed that co-operation with the ACCC is encouraged as it "avoids the need for protracted and costly litigation and leads to more competition'. 'More competition in markets drives economic dynamism, but the reverse is true when markets are not sufficiently competitive,' Ms Cass-Gottlieb said. 'The ACCC remains committed to addressing anti-competitive conduct like this, as well as cartel conduct. Competition issues in the digital economy are a current priority area.' The consumer watchdog settled on this matter with Optus and Telstra in June 2024 and with TPG in August 2024.

NAB flags $130 million hit after underpaying staff, as payroll problems widen
NAB flags $130 million hit after underpaying staff, as payroll problems widen

ABC News

time2 hours ago

  • ABC News

NAB flags $130 million hit after underpaying staff, as payroll problems widen

National Australia Bank (NAB) is flagging a $130 million financial hit, revealing it underpaid staff wages and entitlements, as its payroll problems run deeper than first thought. The major bank was warned its operating expenses for the financial year 2025 are now forecast to rise 4.5 per cent from the previous year, due to the cost of reviewing and remediating "payroll issues". It comes more than five years after NAB first commenced a payroll review, which saw the bank repay millions to underpaid staff. In an ASX release, NAB said its "payroll review and remediation is ongoing, and the total costs remain uncertain". NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine said the costs of rectifying and remediating payroll issues were "disappointing" and the issue "must be fixed". The bank's people and culture executive, Sarah White, said: "Paying our colleagues correctly is an absolute priority." "We are sorry and apologise to our colleagues that this has happened and have commenced remediating those impacted." In 2019, NAB launched a payroll review, which cost the bank $250 million between FY2020 and FY2022, while problems were identified with its payroll system. Finance Sector Union (FSU) said it had expressed its disbelief with NAB that "one of the nation's biggest banks has once again failed to pay its workers correctly". FSU national president Wendy Streets said the scale of underpayment was "nothing short of systemic wage theft", especially when Australians are struggling through the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. The union has demanded that NAB immediately issue an apology and explain how this was allowed to happen. NAB said it had engaged the Fair Work Ombudsman and the FSU and was keeping its employees informed, including contacting those directly affected. The bank does not disclose how many staff have been affected but the payroll review is for its Australia-based colleagues and Australian colleagues working overseas. NAB has reported its quarterly cash earnings of $1.77 billion for the quarter ending this June, 1 per cent lower compared with the quarterly average over the first half of 2025. CEO Mr Irvine said the group's Business and Private Banking business lending grew 4 per cent over the quarter, while Australian home lending grew 2 per cent. Despite the cost blowout for the payroll issue, the CEO said his company "remains optimistic about the outlook" and is "well-placed to manage NAB for the long-term and deliver sustainable growth and returns for shareholders". NAB's share price had risen by 2 per cent to $39.98 per share at 2pm AEST.

ACCC fines Google over Telstra, Optus search deals
ACCC fines Google over Telstra, Optus search deals

Sky News AU

time3 hours ago

  • Sky News AU

ACCC fines Google over Telstra, Optus search deals

Tech giant Google has agreed to pay a $55m fine for a deal with Australia's major telcos aimed at reducing search competition. According to the ACCC, the deal involved Telstra and Optus pre-installing only Google Search on Android phones the telcos sold to consumers. In return, Telstra and Optus would receive a share of the revenue generated from ads displayed to consumers via Google Search on these devices. The ACCC said by pre-installing Google Search engines on these devices, the telcos and tech giant engaged in anticompetitive business practices. The ACCC said the breaches in competition laws occurred between December 2019 and March 2021. Google admitted that this relationship with the telcos substantially lessened competition, the ACCC said. The proceedings started on Monday in the Federal Court, with Google admitting liability and agreeing to pay $55m. 'Conduct that restricts competition is illegal in Australia because it usually means less choice, higher costs or worse service for consumers,," ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. Telstra, Optus and TPG last year agreed with the ACCC not to enter into new search exclusive deals with Google. A Google spokesperson said the company was 'pleased' to resolve the issues with the ACCC. 'We're pleased to resolve the ACCC's concerns, which involved provisions that haven't been in our commercial agreements for some time,' the spokesperson said. 'We are committed to providing Android device makers more flexibility to preload browsers and search apps while preserving the offerings and features that help them innovate, compete with Apple, and keep costs low.' 'Today's outcome, along with Telstra, Optus and TPG's undertakings, have created the potential for millions of Australians to have greater search choice in the future and for competing search providers to gain meaningful exposure to Australian consumers,' Ms Cass-Gottlieb said. The three telcos could configure search services on a device-by-device basis and in ways that may not align with Google settings, the ACCC said. It said Google didn't agree with all of the ACCC's concerns but gave an undertaking to address them. Originally published as ACCC fines Google over Telstra, Optus search deals

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store