In a significant move, Australia has auctioned off 3.4 GHz and 3.7 GHz spectrum bands, amassing a considerable A$722 million. Telstra emerged victorious, with plans to enhance its 5G offerings, notably in rural Australia. However, Telstra’s rivals also secured frequencies, with speculation around their strategic plans. ACMA chair affirmed the benefits of this allocation for digital connectivity and competition, reflecting the shared optimism of telecom regulators and companies.
Telstra and OneWeb collaborate to deliver a massive low Earth orbit (LEO) backhaul rollout, expanding connectivity for remote mobile customers in Australia and extending coverage to hard-to-reach regions.
More than 130,000 Telstra customers’ personal information has been made public online. According to the company, there was no cyberattack involved; rather, the issue was caused by a “misalignment of databases” as stated by Telstra. The incident is the most recent in a string of massive, unauthorized exposures of personal information in Australia. The telecom giant confessed that the information, which included the names, addresses and phone numbers of customers who had requested that their information be kept confidential, had been published on the White Pages and Directory Assistance Services websites. Telstra’s routine auditing procedures revealed the data leak. Following the finding, Telstra began contacting affected consumers and is providing free identity theft protection services. The corporation claims to have since deleted the consumer information from public view. “Protecting our customers’ privacy is absolutely paramount, and for the customers impacted we understand this is an unacceptable breach…
Australia to invest a record A$1.35bn in cybersecurity The Australian government has announced an AUS USD 1.35 billion program to combat the rise in cybersecurity threats that have intensified in recent months. This initiative, named the Cyber Enhanced Situational Awareness and Response (CESAR) package, will seek to identify more threats, fight foreign cybercriminals and build stronger partnerships within the industry. The nation’s largest ever investment in cybersecurity will supercharge the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “My government’s record investment in our nation’s cyber security will help ensure we have the tools and capabilities we need to fight back and keep Australians safe.” Read more at https://tinyurl.com/ya8q3xsl India has banned TikTok, WeChat, and other China-based apps The Indian government has banned 59 Chinese-made apps, including TikTok and WeChat, over concerns that “they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty…
