The ACCC’s rejection of a regional network arrangement between Telstra and TPG was “confusing” and the telecos might be free to vary the transaction, says a judge who is overseeing a challenge to the competition regulator’s decision.
Optus has won more time to bring a counterclaim in a $100 million lawsuit by mobile retailer TeleChoice alleging it was misled when the telecommunications giant claimed it would earn the same revenue as in an agreement that was being negotiated with Telstra.
The ACCC has refused to authorise a regional network arrangement between Telstra and TPG, saying the deal would entrench Telstra’s dominant position in the mobile market.
A judge has hit Optus, Telstra, and TPG with a total of $33.5 million in penalties for misleading thousands of NBN customers into paying for internet speeds that could not be achieved.
Optus has agreed to pay a $13.5 million penalty for misleading thousands of NBN customers into paying for internet plan speeds that could not be achieved, the telco’s third penalty in four years over misleading representations made in relation to its NBN services.
Legislation introduced in the wake of massive cyberattacks against Optus and Medibank that will increase penalties for serious privacy law violations to $50 million has sailed through the House just two weeks after being introduced.
Companies will face penalties of up to $50 million for serious privacy law breaches under legislation to be introduced the Attorney-General following data breaches by Optus, Medibank and Woolworths unit MyDeal.
Medibank has become the latest company to fall prey to a cyberattack, but the health insurer says so far there’s no indication customer data has been compromised.
Optus has been hit with a class action-style complaint over a massive data breach that exposed the personal information of up to 1o million current and former customers.
Rules governing telecommunications companies will be amended in the wake of the Optus data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 10 million customers.