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Annual Telco Embargo 2022-23

Annual Telco Embargo 2022-23

End of year is coming, and with it comes the Telco Embargo

As we approach the end of the year, we also approach a period where major Telcos including Telstra, Optus and NBN restrict or stop certain types of services over the holiday season.

Embargo dates for 2022 -23

December 14, 2022, to January 16, 2023

This information is especially important if you’re thinking of relocating offices so you can get organised early and contact us well in advance to ensure new phone lines get installed before the embargo period. With that in mind, we have created this page with all the information you need to know for the Telco Embargo this summer.

What does the embargo mean for my business?

Major telcos such as Telstra limit or cease certain services annually during the embargo period. Services that will be impacted during the embargo period are:

Internet Services

Fibre, NBN, or other broadband internet connections, cabling and connectivity.

Network Services

Relocations, reconfigurations, hardware or software upgrades; Adds, Moves and Changes to fixed lines.

Voice Services

Provisioning of new hosted phones systems / VoIP, new numbers and porting of numbers from one carrier to another.

laughing Services that will continue during the Embargo Period

Faults and mobile support services will continue as usual during the embargo period.

Faults

Fault restoration activity is exempt from the network embargo period and can be lodged as normal with service providers.

Mobile Services

There is no embargo period for Mobile Services however delivery of some products may take longer than usual.
Typical mobile services which continue throughout the holiday period are:

  • activating SIM cards
  • connecting a new mobile service
  • disconnecting a mobile service
  • mobile plan changes
  • transferring ownership of a service
  • investigating billing issues and credit management

Support

Most carriers provide a level of support during the telecommunications embargo window, however, they may be unable to action some requests immediately, and response times may vary from company to company.

How do I avoid business interruption?

If you’re relocating offices, ensure you plan ahead to connect any new phone lines, and set up any new networks before the deadline (between December 14, 2022 and January 16, 2023).

Please contact Key Technologies as early as possible to arrange new phone lines and networks and prevent any urgency during this busy season.

Will KeyTech support services be affected?

KeyTech will be business as usual during the embargo period but are bound to experience delays with the abovementioned Telstra services. 

During the holiday period, KeyTech will be operating with reduced staff, however, we will endeavour to address any technical issues in a timely manner.

Call us on: 1300 755 615
Or email us: info@keytech.au

Merry Christmas From everyone at Key Technologies

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Small Business Technology, Skills and Training Boost

Small Business Technology, Skills and Training Boost

On March 29 2022, the Morrison Government announced it will support Australian small businesses and encourage them to invest in digital technology, skills and training. The new measures are subject to decisions from the new Government.

Small Business Technology Investment Boost

The boosts are for eligible businesses that have less than $50 million in annual turnovers. Suitable businesses can claim eligible tech spending, of up to $100,000, until June 30 2023, in their 2022-23 tax return.

Small Business Skills & Training Boost

The Skills and Training Boosts will give small businesses access to a further 20% deduction on eligible external training courses for upskilling their employees. The Skills and Training Boost will apply to costs incurred from March 2022 until 30th June 2024, delivering $550 million in tax relief.

What can be claimed?

Claim on expenditures and depreciating assets that support digital uptake. Budget documents suggest SMEs will be free to claim the cost of

Scenario where a plumbing company has 100 employees and an annual turnover of $40 million. Employer purchases 50 laptops costing $90,000, creates a new website for $20,000 and pays $200,000 for training for his employees. At tax time, the company is able to deduct an extra $62,000 and reduce their tax bill to $15,500

Annual Telco Embargo 2020-21 | What You Should Know

Annual Telco Embargo 2020-21 | What You Should Know

End of year is coming, and with it comes the Telco Embargo

As we approach the end of the year, we also approach a period where major Telcos including Telstra stop setting up phone lines over the holiday season. This information is especially important if you’re thinking of moving offices as it makes it doubly important that you contact us well in advance to make sure the new lines get installed before the date of the embargo. With that in mind we have created this page with all the information you need to know for the Telco Embargo this summer.

What does the embargo mean for my business?

The annual Telco embargo is a period (this year, December 14, 2020 to January 14, 2021) during which telecommunications carriers won’t be providing new copper, fibre, nbn, or broadband cabling and connections. Additionally, network reconfigurations, relocations and hardware or software upgrades on their networks won’t be carried out. This is especially important if you are planning on relocating offices and need to set up your internet and phone systems before the deadline.

How do I avoid business interruption or other aversive impacts?

First and foremost, if you’re relocating offices, this information is especially important for you. Make sure you plan ahead and connect any new phone lines, and set up networks before the deadline (again, December 14). It is especially prudent to contact Key Technologies as early as possible to ensure the process is as easy and non-laborious as it can be.

There is likely to be a high volume of orders so it is especially important that you contact us as soon as possible.

Will support services be affected?

Support and maintenance services will thankfully be operating as usual during the embargo period, though you should be mindful of the fact that there will likely be fewer admin and technical staff working during this period (especially Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day) so service delays are to be expected.

How will Key Technologies services be affected?

For the most part Key Technologies will be running as usual, although with fewer staff onboard. So make sure to contact us early to get ahead of the curve.

Call us on: 1300 755 615
Or email us: info@keycomm.com.au

Spike in NBN Scams: Tips and Tricks

Spike in NBN Scams: Tips and Tricks

IT News: Tips to not Fall Victim to NBN Scams!

IT Support: NBN scam alert

A significant increase in suspected internet connection scams has occurred as of late, with NBN Co. receiving over 100 calls a day from members of the public about such scams. NBN Co. is currently in the process of rolling out the $50 billion network.

For a reliable supplier of NBN compatible phone systems and more, click here!

Calls to NBN’s contact centre have reached 9500 over the last three months, representing a significant increase from 6700 between October 2018 and March 2019. This comes as a sizable portion of the network is being completed ahead of the 2020 ETA. Driving awareness to combat these attacks, NBN Co’s chief security officer addressed the cause for concern by having this to say: “As we close in on the end of the network build, scammers are increasing their efforts to take advantage of the NBN brand as a way to steal people’s personal or financial details and using increasingly sophisticated ways to convince people of their legitimacy”.

What You Need to Know

NBN Co will never make unsolicited calls to seek access to your computer, threaten disconnection, or request personal details

This public awareness campaign will involve NBN Co’s community engagement team, hosting a series of information sessions to help Australians discern, avoid and report scammers. The ACCC has previously warned of social engineering attacks where scammers impersonate NBN Co in calls offering to connect them to the NBN for a low price. In some of these cases, impersonators have tricked users into giving remote access to their computers so that they could steal personal information, install malware and demand payment to fix alleged problems. If you run into someone calling you about the NBN remember this: “As NBN Co is a wholesaler, we will never contact residents or businesses to sell phone or internet services”.

Moreover, NBN Co will never make unsolicited calls or door knock for the purposes of seeking access to a person’s computer, threaten them with disconnection, or request personal details. Despite increasing public awareness, Australians are expected to lose a record amount to scams this year, with the ACCC estimating that projected losses for 2019 will surpass $500 million (an unprecedented figure).”Many people are confident they would never fall for a scam but often it’s this sense of confidence that scammers target,” the ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard states. “People need to update their idea of what a scam is so that we are less vulnerable.”

The Damage

The ACCC reports that investment scams were among the most sophisticated and convincing, with nearly half of the reported cases this year resulting in financial loss. Particularly, cryptocurrency investment scams are a serious cause for concern, with net losses reaching almost $15 million between January and July this year. This represents a significant increase from $6.1 million lost to the same type of scams last year.

You can report any suspected scams you come across here.

 

Need help managing your IT?

Buyer’s Guide to Business Telephone Systems

Buyer’s Guide to Business Telephone Systems

A Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a Business Telephone System

If you’re in the market for a new business telephone system, there are a few questions you should ponder to lead you on the right track. In this article, we’ll go over these questions and help you answer them. The questions you should be asking yourself are:

  1. Do you need physical phones on your desks to operate? or would your employees get by using a virtual phone number on their mobiles?
  2. If you do need desk-phones, what kind of service would suit you best? You could choose a traditional business telephone system, provided by a telco or a dealer company such as ourselves. Alternately, you could choose a VoIP system which you can get from a number of suppliers.
  3. If you’re opting for VoIP, do you want it kept on the property (on-premises) or hosted by your service provider (cloud-based)?

We’ll help answer these questions in the article, but if you’d like to speak to an expert about this click here. Later in this article, we show you how to apply those questions to choosing between these types of business telephone systems:


Traditional Business Telephone Systems (Landlines)

In this case, we refer to traditional business telephone systems as landlines. They are typically supported by telephone companies, though if you are a Brisbane based business, you should contact us to see how we can improve your experience! Landlines or public switched telephone networks (PSTNs) are analogue systems that run over normal telephone lines. To run a traditional landline system, you’ll need an on-site PBX (private branch exchange). This piece of hardware provides support for internal extensions and call transfers. There are some landline systems that are actually hybrids, partially utilising VoIP. In these systems, the phone line is connected to the business’s data network, which in turn connects to the individual phones. It is worth noting that traditional business telephone systems are being phased out by telcos and may eventually go the way of dial-up internet.

  • Pros: They’re reliable, have stood the test of time, and are what most companies are most comfortable using.
  • Cons: Most providers are moving away from this solution, meaning it can be difficult to get them repaired or serviced.
  • Advice: These systems are suited to larger companies with the budget to pay for the hardware as well as IT consultants who can service them. They are also a necessity if your business doesn’t have a high speed internet.

VoIP Business Telephone Systems

These systems run over your internet connection rather than traditional phone lines. They boast a feature set that previously required expensive top of the range PBX hardware. This includes automated attendants, call queues and integration with computers. This computer integration allows calls to be sent to email inboxes and allows you to use your computer as your business phone. VoIP also gives remote workers to access the business phone system from their mobile devices.

  • Pros: VoIP provides an advanced phone system with all the features of a large corporation’s landline service. They’re cheaper than regular landlines and significantly less painful to configure.
  • Cons: These systems rely on a stable internet connection. If your internet connection drops out, so will your phone system.
  • Advice: These systems are great for smaller businesses that want to have the same level of functionality for their business telephone system as a larger corporation, or who have remote workers that need access to the phone system. Make sure your internet connection is reliable before committing to this option though.

If this is the option you’re going for, the next decision is to determine how it will be hosted. Read further for advice on this.


Virtual Business Telephone Systems

These systems are the most basic type of VoIP system. They are essentially an extensive call forwarding system that routes calls from the main business line to either the employee’s mobile or home phone. These systems can work well for home offices with a decent internet connection, but be careful if you live with other people outside of the business. These systems still provide a variety of features, however, including automated receptionists, voicemail, call forwarding, call screening and more.

  • Pros: These services allow businesses to present a professional image, even when working offsite.
  • Cons: Virtual phone systems aren’t full fledged phone systems, and since they work by forwarding calls, you will be paying for calls on your home or mobile phone, as well as the virtual phone line.
  • Advice: If your business has workers that work offsite most of the time or you’re a home office, then this solution may be for you.

Cloud and On-Premise VoIP Systems

On-Premises VoIP

With on-premises VoIP, the hardware used to run the system are kept (as you’ve probably guessed) at the business premises. This arrangement requires a large upfront cost since you’re purchasing the equipment that runs the VoIP connection. Because of this, you only pay a one time fee for the hardware, but you will still have to pay the ongoing costs of SIP trunking which allows you to make and receive calls with it. With this solution, your IT staff are responsible for maintenance, repairs and updates.

  • Pros: You control your service, so you are only relying on yourself to keep it going. You can also configure it exactly the way you’d like.
  • Cons: You will pay a significant upfront cost for the hardware. You also need to have IT staff capable of maintaining the system.
  • Advice: This solution is suited to those who have an in-house IT staff and are hoping to have total control over their system with immediacy.

Cloud VoIP

With a cloud based system, you don’t have any maintenance or expensive hardware to worry about. The service provider houses maintains and updates all of the PBX technology for you. The cloud makes growing your business easier by alleviating the headache of needing to upgrade your PBX hardware or add new lines manually. For this type of service, businesses generally pay a monthly fee on a per-user basis.

  • Pros: You needn’t purchase or maintain the expensive hardware that is otherwise a necessity. In fact, you don’t even need a desk phone (although that certainly is an option), you can set up your computer to work as your desk phone.
  • Cons: You’re not in control of the hardware. If the system has an outage, you need to trust that the service provider will bring it back up in a timely fashion.
  • Advice: This system is well suited to grow businesses that are on a fixed budget and that don’t have an in-house IT team to maintain and operate the PBX hardware. It is also a great option for businesses who want a stress-free setup of a new phone system with all the features of that of a large corporation.

Want to know more?

Ask us anything

Help me choose a business telephone system

NBN Equipment – What you need to know

NBN Equipment – What you need to know

Telstra Gateway Pro

The Telstra Gateway Pro features:

  • Enjoy faster Wi-Fi with the latest Wi-Fi AC technology
  • Experience seamless dual band connectivity of multiple devices on your network
  • Make calls on your new business phone with Telstra’s Digital Voice service
  • Securely access your business files from home with our remote access feature

Telstra Gateway Pro User Guide (PDF, 2.46MB)

Getting to know your Telstra Gateway Pro™

Telstra has worked with partner Netgear to bring you the Telstra Gateway Pro™ (Netgear™ model number v7610). The Telstra Gateway Pro™ is an advanced Gateway, providing high speed Wi-Fi and connectivity for a variety of business devices. It can connect to the Internet using:

• ADSL

• VDSL (including NBN Fibre to the Basement and NBN Fibre to the Node connections)

• NBN Fibre to the Premises

The Gateway is compatible with optional USB mobile broadband device for peace of mind in case of an unlikely service interruption.

The Telstra Gateway Pro™ features world leading Wi-Fi and the best connectivity available so you get the most out of your Telstra fixed Broadband service.


What’s in the box? Telstra Gateway Pro

The Quick Start Guide outlines all the components that are included with the Telstra Gateway Pro™ and can be found on Telstra.com using the following link:
http://business.telstra.com.au/t5/DOT -Bundle-Help/ct-p/bundles_and_dot.

Make phone calls with Telstra’s Digital Voice Service

Digital Office Technology (DOT) customers can use one of Telstra’s IP Phones, compatible with this Gateway, to deliver digital calls over the Fixed Broadband service. Telstra’s Digital Voice service supports up to 10 services/lines at one site and provides a number of useful calling features to enable smart call management including:

• Fixed MessageBank

• Simultaneous and Sequential Ring

• Call Forwarding when not reachable

• Virtual Receptionist (Auto-attendant)

TELSTRA GATEWAY PRO


 Telstra Gateway Pro™ Back Panel

Telstra Gateway Pro™ Back Panel


What exactly is the nbn™ network?

The nbn™ network is a government infrastructure project that will provide broadband internet and fixed phone line access to all Australians through a combination of optic fibre, and fixed wireless and satellite technology in the harder-to-reach areas.

Fibre improves the speed and quality of voice and data delivery, which will better serve Australian businesses in an increasingly connected global marketplace. The infrastructure is being rolled out by the government-owned nbn™.

If you have questions, please speak to our business development manager or your account manager.