After last week announcing new mobile plans that include free access to Australia’s 3 biggest SVOD services, Telstra has this week followed up by announcing new home internet bundles that also includes bonus three month subscriptions to Netflix, Stan and Presto.
Stuart Bird, Telstra Executive Director Fixed Products and Services, said with video now making up almost two-thirds of the data carried over Telstra’s fixed network, Telstra was focussed on providing customers the best in-home streaming experience.
“To keep customers streaming smoothly, we’re introducing new Wi-Fi technology, starting with the Telstra Gateway Max 2 which will provide faster streaming speeds and a stronger Wi-Fi signal in more areas of the home than any of our previous gateways. This means customers can stream, surf and share with less interruption, in more places, all at the same time,” Mr Bird said.
The arrival of the Gateway Max 2 (details below) next month will follow today’s launch of new home internet bundles.
“Our new bundle range has been designed with entertainment in mind. Customers taking up the new $90 Medium plan and above will receive a Telstra TV as well as three month subscriptions to Netflix, Stan and Presto, giving them access to around 15,000 TV shows and movies to watch at home or out and about on their smartphone screen using Telstra’s national Wi-Fi and mobile networks.
“There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution for Australian households, so we’ve built a range of new add-ons customers can choose including additional data, calling, entertainment, speed and premium support, to help customers build a plan to suit their personal needs,” Mr Bird added.
Customers signing up to a home internet bundle will also access free Wi-Fi data at more than 500,000 Telstra Air hotspots around the country, and more than 20 million hotspots globally, until 27 March 2017.
Telstra also confirmed it would be the first Australian telco to launch an all-in-one hybrid modem early next year, bringing together Telstra’s fixed and mobile networks for a more continuous connection at home.
Mr Bird said the Telstra Frontier Gateway (details below) will make waiting to have a fixed broadband service connected a thing of the past for Telstra customers.
“We know waiting to have a fixed broadband service connected can be a hassle. Our upcoming Telstra Frontier modem will draw on the power of our national mobile network to get households up and running while a fixed service is activated.
“Customers moving home, or setting up a new broadband connection will be able to get online quicker than ever. And, if a customer’s fixed broadband service is unavailable, the Frontier will switch over to the mobile network to keep the household connected,” Mr Bird said.
In addition to higher quality in-home Wi-Fi, Telstra is also continuing to expand the content library on Telstra TV with the addition of Bloomberg TV, Ted Talks and South-Asian entertainment provider YuppTV,
Consistent with the rise of in-home streaming, Telstra customers have streamed over 26.1 million hours of content through Telstra TV with 6.3 million hours streamed in the last month of winter alone as more Australians opt to stay in-doors with the latest blockbuster movies and TV.
Telstra Gateway Max 2
The Telstra Gateway Max 2 includes the latest Wi-Fi technology to keep more devices connected in the home, with faster (4×4 802.11ac) Wi-Fi speeds and better coverage than any of our current home network gateways.
The gateway is designed to support a new wave of in home devices and applications including smart home technology and can connect up to 35 devices simultaneously with Wi-Fi dual band capability (2.4Ghz and 5Ghz) to spread internet traffic across two bands to provide a more reliable connection to multiple devices. The gateway was created with Technicolor.
Specifications
- Broadcom 63138 gateway chipset
- Broadcom 4366 wireless chipset with Dual band 4×4 802.11ac Wi-Fi and MU-MIMO
- Telstra Air compatible
- 2 x 3.0 fast USB ports
- 1 x DSL port
- 1 x Gigabit Ethernet (GE) WAN port
- 4 x Gigabit Ethernet (GE) LAN Ports
- Easy push button connection to easily pair compatible Wi-Fi devices without needing to re-enter account names and passwords
- Home phone ports and CatIQ DECT for wireless pairing to a T-Voice handset
- Compatible with the Telstra T-Voice app for home phone calling on your smart phones and tablets
- Compatible with ADSL, NBN FTTN/B and NBN FTTP
- Supports voice calls over NBN and internet on all devices
- NFC chip enables easy Wi-Fi pairing for Android handsets, simply by tapping the device on the gateway
- Designed by Telstra in partnership with Australian consultancy Design & Industry
Pricing and availability:
- The Gateway Max 2 will be available from September for $264 outright, $96 as an upgrade for new home broadband customers or $11 per month on a 24 month contract.
- Available to new customers, existing customers with a fixed voice and broadband service and fixed voice only customers on the NBN on compatible broadband services.
Telstra Gateway Frontier (Technicolor DJN2130)
The Telstra Gateway Frontier is Australia’s first ISP-supported hybrid gateway which brings together Telstra’s 4G mobile and fixed networks in one device to connect customers quickly and help keep them connected, even if their fixed line is unavailable.
For customers moving house, this means they can use the gateway to connect to the internet using the Telstra mobile network while they wait for their fixed line service to be activated.
Like the Telstra Gateway Max 2, the Gateway Frontier features the latest Wi-Fi technology to deliver Telstra’s best Wi-Fi speeds over a greater range and keep more devices connected in the home at higher speeds than ever before on a Telstra home network gateway.
Telstra partnered with Australian product design consultancy Design & Industry to develop the gateway with a strong desire to build an aesthetically pleasing device which people would be proud to have on display, therefore ensuring a stronger Wi-Fi signal throughout the home.
Product specifications
- The latest Wi-Fi technology, 802.11ac
- Dual band 4×4 Wi-Fi AC chipset (4×4 Wi-Fi 802.11ac) with MU-MIMO to keep more devices connected in the home and deliver four times faster Wi-Fi speeds than current gateways.
- Telstra 4G enabled with a pre-activated mobile sim integrated into the device that auto registers upon power up. In the event a fixed line is unavailable, the gateway will then connect to the mobile network to ensure continuous service.
- Ability to connect up to 35 smart devices simultaneously
- Telstra Air compatible
- 2 x 3.0 fast USB ports
- 1 x DSL port
- 1 x Gigabit Ethernet (GE) WAN port
- 4 x fast Gigabit Ethernet (GE) LAN Ports
- NFC chip enables easy Wi-Fi pairing for Android handsets, simply by tapping the device on the gateway
Pricing and availability:
- Available to ADSL, Cable and NBN customers in early 2017.
- Pricing to be announced in the coming months.
