Useful telecommunications tips for working from home

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, today welcomed the ‘Keeping Australians Connected’ resource launched by the Australian telecommunications sector, through peak bodies Communications Alliance and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA).

This document contains many practical tips for Australians working from home including:

  • If your call does not go through, consider setting your mobile handset to make Wi-Fi calls
  • Schedule video conferences to start at times other than on the hour or the half hour
  • Download and upload large files outside of peak times wherever possible.

This resource also explains what is happening in our telecommunications networks, with daytime traffic on the NBN up around 70 per cent, and on mobile networks up to 40 per cent.

“Over the course of a few weeks, we’ve seen a significant and rapid shift towards remote working as Australians respond to COVID-19 social distancing measures. This has led to a substantial increase in demand on Australia’s telecommunications networks,” Minister Fletcher said.

“Australia’s telco sector is working hard to keep our networks running and to meet the needs of Australians as so many of us work or study from home at this difficult time.

“The Morrison Government is engaging closely with the sector as they do this vital work.”

The ‘Keeping Australians Connected’ resource will be regularly updated by Communications Alliance and AMTA, so it remains a reliable source of advice for Australian telecommunications users.

‘Keeping Australians Connected’ is available here: https://www.commsalliance.com.au/hot-topics/covid-19

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