MyNetFone

With 4.26 million Australian premises actively using an nbn™ service, it’s the perfect time to investigate how the new fibre network is being used. For the full month of April 2018, NBN Co looked at the usage patterns of every active nbn™ user to see how bandwidth was being demanded. The analysis was the largest to date, using information from over 3.7 million users from all nbn™ access technologies.

NBN Co released a report identifying the behavioural and usage patterns of the average user. The report identified when the nbn™ is being used and how much data is being consumed. The results will be used to inform future decisions about the network, however the report alone delivered some interesting insights.

According to the report the average nbn™ user downloads 190GB per month. However, the median was almost half that amount at 108GB per month. This can be explained by a small number of nbn™ users on the higher end of the spectrum using considerably more than most users. In fact only 14% of users were responsible for 50% of all downloads in the month of April.

One particular nbn™ customer using Premium speed managed to download a whopping 23.59 TB in one month - the equivalent of 5,000 DVDs.

According to NBN Co the vast majority of traffic demand comes from live streaming, web browsing and tunnelling (usually through a VPN for security). With downloads continually increasing month by month, it's a good thing we've got the infrastructure in place to service our downloading needs well into the future.

Have you got an appetite for data?

Try our unlimited NBN plans

  
NBN has updated the coverage map it uses to identify which premises are ready for connection. The interactive coverage checker is powered by Google maps and uses the NBN rollout data to identify the status of any address in Australia.

Just type your (or your neighbours) address into the interactive coverage checker, and see if the premises is ready for an NBN connection and what type of access technology is expected to be used.

If NBN coverage is unavailable in your area, you can sign up to a DSL plan until it becomes available. If you're a MyNetFone customer, we'll waive any cancellation fees when you migrate to an NBN plan with us.

Search your address

Getting your first mobile phone is a rite of passage prioritised before a driver’s license or even a first job. So it’s probably no surprise that there are more than 33.6 million active mobile connections in Australia - an average of about 1.3 mobile services for every person. These figures are from the 2018 ACCC communications sector market study.

The study also revealed a few other interesting mobile habits. The cost of mobile phones is down (3.1%), data quotas are up (49%) and while the big three mobile phone providers control the majority of the mobile market, we're seeing an increase in virtual  providers who provide around 11% of mobile services. And this number is on the rise.

In Australia, the three major Mobile Network Operators (Optus, Vodafone and Telstra) offer parts of their mobile network to other providers – called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) - that don’t have a physical mobile network of their own. The MVNOs are thereby able to resell mobile services under their own brand, as if they operated a network.

Source: ACCC (2018)

Why are Australians turning away from the traditional mobile service model?

Gone are the days when people had to stick with their expensive mobile phone provider like a losing football team, contractually bound to them for 1-2 year plans. With more providers offering month-to-month SIM-only phone plans, consumers are shopping around for a service provider with the right price - that doesn't tie them down. And as more mobile competitors enter the market, consumers are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing an operator.

In Australia, the market share of MVNOs is growing. MVNOs were practically unheard of a decade ago. But today, MVNO brands are behind more than 1 in 10 mobile services. If you haven't reviewed the cost of your mobile service recently - there's a good chance you're paying too much.

Existing MyNetFone customers will soon be eligible for an exclusive mobile offering. Stay tuned for more details.

See more tech news at the MyNetFone blog

Depending on what science fiction movies you’ve seen, the idea of interacting with a bot could either excite or terrify you. Whatever your opinion – it’s predicted to become a regular part of our lives sooner than you might think. 

A new report from International Data Corporation (IDC), predicts that by the year 2021 65% of consumers will interact with customer support chat-bots, as organisations shift away from human operated web-chat. The report also predicted that up to 85% of commercial enterprise apps will be using AI in some way. This means organisations can automate the basic tasks that normally require human intelligence. These tasks include activities like speech or facial recognition, visual perception, language translation and decision-making.

IDC predicts 65% of customers will interact with chat-bots by 2021.

While chat-bots themselves have been around for a while, the predicted growth in this area will be around making the technology more accessible to all kinds of businesses hoping to automate the customer service aspects of their business. A separate study by industry analyst Gartner determined that in 2017 only 2% of organisations were using chat-bots as a part of their customer service and support operations.

However, with the increased adoption of the technology, Gartner predicts that number will jump to 25% of all customer by 2020. Managing vice president of Gartner, Gene Alvarez, said there’s already been a huge shift towards chat-bots or Virtual customer assistants (VCA) in recent years as companies recognise the benefits of automated self-service, with the ability to escalate to a human agent in complex situations. "As more customers engage on digital channels, VCAs are being implemented for handling customer requests on websites, mobile apps, consumer messaging apps and social networks," Alvarez said. "This is underpinned by improvements in natural-language processing, machine learning and intent-matching capabilities." Organisations using chat-bot technology recorded a 70% drop in call, chat and/or email enquiries after implementing the technology. They also reported an increase in customer satisfaction overall.

Companies using chat-bots have reported an increase in customer satisfaction.

While AI is aimed at helping ease the operational pressure on Australian businesses, the report also indicated a negative aspect when it came to the digitalisation of business. As the technological support for business advances, the half-life of Australian businesses is actually shrinking. The IDC paper reported the shorter lifespan could come down to organisations struggling to keep up with the constant technological advancements required to stay afloat in the fast-paced field of technology. 

For more tech news, check out the MyNetFone blog

Whether you’re watching a movie or listening to music, streaming has become one of the most popular ways to receive your favourite content. Most streaming services come with a monthly subscription fee that’s withdrawn from your bank account every month, but what do these services cost you in data? 

Not all streaming providers release the specs of their services. However big players Spotify and Google Play Music both state publicly on their websites that the bitrate can fluctuate from anywhere between 96kbps and 320kbps - depending on what music you’re streaming and the type of connection available.

Using this as the standard, we can work out how much data you're using while streaming your favourite tunes. Let’s say with a good connection you’re consistently streaming music at 320 kbps. That adds up to 112MB every hour. Or to put it into perspective using gigabytes, it would take you over 8.5 hours of High-quality streaming to use 1GB of data.

Spotify and Google give you 8.5 hours of high-quality music for 1GB 

Depending on the type of mobile data plan you have, or the availability of Wi-Fi when you’re streaming music, you may want to reduce these speeds manually. Reducing the bitrate to the 'Normal' setting that Spotify offers (96kbps) could give you over 24 hours of streaming before using 1GB of data.

Got an appetite for data?

Try our unlimited DSL and NBN broadband plans

In accordance with new ACCC regulations, there will now be a standardised naming convention for NBN plans that all Internet Service Providers must adhere to.

This means that the names of MyNetFone NBN plans has changed, however the service will not be affected. 

This is how MyNetFone NBN plans will be referred to on the MyNetFone website.

See the MyNetFone Speed Guide for more information

or search your address on the NBN coverage map

ISDN has been the foundation of communications in Australia for years. However soon the legacy of ISDN will come to an end.

What is ISDN?

As the original high-speed internet service, ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) triggered the development of faster internet during the 1990s. It was a big improvement upon dial-up and was the first technology that allowed us to make calls and use the internet simultaneously. The data lines of ISDN were a big advantage as they delivered constant data speeds and provided the flexibility to combine data lines or to use them individually.

Make way for a new network

Now, the ISDN is being disconnected to make way for the NBN network. Consequently, Australian carriers will phase out all ISDN services over the next five years. Disconnections will commence in June 2019. However, from June 2018, existing customers will no longer be able to add to or modify their ISDN services. It no longer makes sense to invest in this outdated technology. Now is the time to start thinking beyond ISDN, and make the switch to future-proof communications.

Find out if you’re ready for an NBN connection today.

Search your address on the
NBN coverage map

Have you missed call from Tunisia lately? How about Cameroon?

If you have, you’re not alone. There’s been a huge wave of these phone calls hitting Australian mobiles recently. And here’s a hot tip – don’t call them back!

What these missed calls probably are is a call-back scam known as ‘Wangiri’ which translates from Japanese to “one ring and cut”. The scam works by leveraging the good phone etiquette of its victims. Scammers will call mobile numbers at random, and when a number is connected, they will disconnect the call after a few rings. 

When someone sees a missed call from an unknown number on their phone, they will return the call without realising the number carries a huge per-minute call rate (think psychic hotline or adult phone chat) as well as the higher than usual charges associated with international calls.

Once the call is connected the scammer will try and keep you on the line as long as possible, often telling you that you’ve won a large sum of money or that a family member has been seriously injured or killed. If you have received one of these calls, it does not mean your private information has been breached. Police believe that the mobile number generation is automated and calling numbers at random.

Keep in mind, it’s never a good idea to return calls from unknown international numbers.

For the month of November, we’ve halved the price of our Voice plans when you purchase a Basic or Unlimited NBN plan with MyNetFone. All of our plans come with unlimited call inclusions to suit every household.

Soon, the existing landline network will be disconnected to make way for the NBN. This means all home phones will have to transition to an NBN-compatible voice solution like VoIP.

Future-proof your home phone and broadband today by taking advantage of this limited offer.

Why MyNetFone VoIP?

• NBN-ready voice solution.
• Plug-and-play technology for easy set-up.
• Variety of plans to choose from.
• Untimed call inclusions (local/national, mobile, or international).
• Save up to 60% on your bill compared to landline.
• Free number porting.
• Free advanced features.

Switching to the NBN is easy. We handle the logistics and before you know it, you will be enjoying faster internet with great value phone calls. Not sure if you have NBN? Search your address on the NBN coverage map.

Don’t miss your opportunity. Apply now!

Note: This offer excludes Unlimited NBN Bundles. This is a limited time offer from 02/11/2017 to 31/01/2018 for new customers only.