Networking

Victorian-based ISP Aussie Broadband is giving any customers it had at September 7 a chance to purchase between 2,000 and 10,000 shares as part of its initial public offering (IPO).
“This is an unusual offer for a company to make, but it aligns with our value of being good to people,” Aussie Broadband managing director Phil Britt said in an email to customers.
“In the spirit of one of our other values, no bullsh*t, the allocation of shares will be determined on a first come, first served basis if demand exceeds supply.”
The company is selling between 30 million to 40 million shares at a value of AU$1 each, which would give the ISP market capitalisation of between AU$180 million to AU$190 million, and an enterprise value of approximately AU$150 million. Following the IPO, the current shareholders in the company would have a total stake of around 78.7% to 83.1% depending on how many shares are sold.
In its prospectus, the company said it did not intend to pay dividends to shareholders, and would instead be investing the money back into the business. Of the money raised, between AU$20 million to AU$26.5 million would be used to build out Aussie Broadband’s own fibre optic backhaul network, AU$7 million to AU$10 million will be set aside for working capital, and around AU$3 million to AU$3.5 million will be used on costs associated with the IPO.
Aussie Broadband currently has wholesale agreements with Telstra, Vocus, and Opticomm, as well as Symbio for VoIP services. It expects the build out of its fibre network will replace up to 63% of its current leased backhaul to NBN points of interconnect, and enable it to end dark fibre leases between capital city data centres.
“Capital expenditure on this project is budgeted to be AU$67 million and is expected to require two years to complete. The first two stages of deployment of the company’s fibre project commenced in May 2020 and are expected to be completed during September 2020,” it said in its prospectus
“The company estimates that the fibre project will have a minimum useful life of 25 years, and will improve the company’s ability to provide redundancy and increase capacity loads to meet market demand.”
In fiscal terms, Aussie Broadband has been able to grow its revenue from AU$49.3 million in FY18 to AU$190.5 million in FY20, and forecasts it will record AU$338 million in the coming year.
Statutory earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) was reported as AU$3 million for the 2020 fiscal year, and forecast to be AU$10.8 million for 2021.
However, depreciation and financing expenses resulted in the company posting a statutory loss of AU$12.3 million, with that number to widen to AU$15.2 million next year. In statutory terms, the company has not posted a net profit since at least FY17.
The company said it has funded its operations thus far from business equity and debt capital raising, and it would continue to do so in future.
Shares in Aussie Broadband are expected to start trading on the ASX on October 27.
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Ever since day one, people have thought Chromebooks just ran the Chrome browser and that was it. Actually, it was always more complicated than that. Underneath that Chrome browser was a thin Linux distribution, Chrome OS. Now, Kent Duke, a writer and hardcore Chrome OS fan, has found that Google is teasing apart the browser and the operating system into two separate entries.

Why does this matter to anyone except the most dedicated Chromebook nerd? You see, today when you buy a Chromebook, it comes with an end-of-life date, its Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date. This is a generous six and a half years after any specific Chromebook is released. You can find yours by going to the Update Schedule section in your machine’s Chrome OS settings. You’ll find it underneath the About Chrome OS section, under the Additional details menu. 
Six and a half years is a lot, but Chromebooks, thanks to their old solid-state build, can last much longer. For example, the only reason I’m no longer using the very first commercial Chromebook, the Samsung Series 5, is I sat on it by accident. Whoops! 
That wasn’t very security conscious of me. But now, as Duke pointed out:

Currently, Chrome is intertwined deeply with Chrome OS, meaning Google has to compile and ship one monolithic package to the update channels. While that isn’t an issue in itself, the major problem lies when a Chromebook hits AUE, or end of life. Just like on an Android phone, when your Chromebook hits AUE, you lose out on new Chrome OS updates. Losing out on a Chrome OS update also means that Chrome itself won’t get updated either, which leaves the browser outdated, vulnerable, and unable to take advantage of updated platforms on the web.

 Duke continued, “Since this Chrome binary is distributed separately from Chrome OS, Google can easily update the Chrome binary independently from the operating system. That means even if your Chromebook hits AUE, your browser will at least get the latest and greatest features — and critically, security fixes — from Google.” Costs conscious schools in particular, would be able to keep using older Chromebooks without any significant security worries.
Yes, the Linux underneath it might still have security problems. But, despite the security hype, there have never been any truly serious desktop Linux security problems. This is especially true of Chromebooks, where their underlying Linux foundation has a tiny attack surface. The same can’t be said for the browser, which is under constant attack. 
Here’s how it works. This new alpha approach is called Linux And Chrome OS, or Lacros. Today, the Chrome web browser binary is mixed together with Chrome OS System UI and Linux. WIth Lacros the existing Chrome web browser Chrome OS is renamed ash-chrome. To this, Google’s developers have added the Linux Chrome Web browser and renamed it to lacros-chrome. Yes, this means you can run two versions of Chrome, the one incorporated with Chrome OS and the Linux version on the same machine. 
To improve the Linux browser’s lacros-chrome performance, the programmers have also improved Chrome OS’s Wayland display server protocol. This lets you run two versions of the Chrome web browser without significant performance costs. Lacros uses ozone as an abstraction layer for graphics and event handling. Ozone, in turn, has a “backend” with client-side support for the Wayland compositor protocol.
The application programming interface (API) boundary between the two browsers will be semi-stable. For now, you can run two browsers so long as they’re only up to two versions apart. So, for example, you can run Chrome OS 78 with its built-in Chrome web browser version 78 and the Chrome web browser version 80. In the future, you’ll be able to run a Chrome web browser that’s much newer than the version embedded within an older edition of Chrome OS. 
What all that means for you is that by this time in 2021, you may be able to run your old Chromebook safely with the newest version of Chrome. Besides just being handy to you personally, it may also save your school system and business a good deal of money too.
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Nokia on Tuesday rolled out enhancements to its Self-Organizing Network software, bringing more automation to network operations. The vendor-agnostic software should help communication service providers more easily manage complex 5G networks, Nokia says. 

Prior versions of the software automated some time-consuming tasks for network operators, “but you still needed individuals to decide which part of the networks needed to be optimized,” Brian McCann, Chief Product Officer for Nokia Software, said to ZDNet, “to identify a problem, to identify the right solution and verify that it fixed the problem and monitor the outcome.”
Prior versions of the software automated some time-consuming tasks for network operators, “but you still needed individuals to decide which part of the networks needed to be optimized,” Brian McCann, Chief Product Officer for Nokia Software, said to ZDNet, “to identify a problem, to identify the right solution and verify that it fixed the problem and monitor the outcome.”
The latest release uses machine learning to detect network issues and self-correct any deviations based on a set of defined objectives, such as latency or throughput levels. It can also leverage insights to further improve the solution itself. 
That should help as 5G deployments increase, McCann said. 
“There’s a lot of opportunity with 5G, but it’s a much of a real-time environment, so the reduction and almost elimination of human interaction is really a requirement,” he said. 
The software has a vendor-agnostic network slice management function to automate the radio slice life cycle and resource optimization. Its machine learning capabilities will allow it to optimize each slice separately to ensure better network availability and quality. More

I didn’t really expect there to be an NFL season in 2020. Only the NBA, with its much smaller teams and a highly restrictive bubble, has mastered playing their game while staying safe. But, here we are–for a while at least–with America’s favorite sport, professional football, back on the field and our TVs. Frankly, with everything that’s been going wrong in the United States, we could all enjoy watching some football so let’s enjoy it while we can. 

It used to be a real pain to stream NFL football games. Now, it’s easier than ever, but there are still some problems to avoid to make sure you’ll get to enjoy your game instead of wanting to throw your TV on the street.
These days most of the services will work with any streaming device. Many, however, aren’t all. Before putting your money down for any streaming service, make sure it will work with your device of choice.
The prices of streaming services vary wildly depending on how you subscribe to them. Be sure to shop around. If you don’t, you can waste a lot of money. But, if you do you can find some real deals.
This year, we’re scheduled to have 256 regular-season games. Of those, 232 of those games will be aired on CBS, FOX, or NBC broadcast networks. With an antenna, most of us will be able to watch these Over-The-Air (OTA) games for free. 
That leaves 7 NFL Network games, and 17 ESPN exclusive Monday Night Football games, which can’t be watched OTA.  Depending on your team and where you live you may be able to watch some Monday Night Football games on local OTA channels. You’ll need to check with your local channels to see what, if any, games are available 
Thursday Night Football games are, well, confusing. The NFL Network offers all 14 of them. While you can watch 11 of them on the Fox broadcast network, Amazon Prime Video, the NFL App, and the Yahoo Sports App.
The main football games are, of course, played on Sunday. CBS shows 6 to 7 AFC games every week, while Fox presents 6 to 7 NFC games. All of CBS’s games are available on CBS All Access streaming service. ZDNet is also a CBS company. 
NBC broadcasts the 18 Sunday night games These are, depending on your market, also steamed to the NFL App and Yahoo Sports App.
ESPN presents all 17 Monday Night Football games. Like the Sunday night games, these are also available, in some cases, via the NFL App and Yahoo Sports App.
Finally, many, but not all, streaming services offer NFL RedZone. With this when a team reaches the 20-yard line, the “red zone”,  the service cuts to the local broadcast of that game. It also shows all scores, turnovers, and game-changing plays. With this service, you can keep an eye on the action of up to 8 games at a time. This service almost all comes with a sports package with an additional fee
AMAZON PRIME

Watch Thursday night games on Prime Video

Amazon Prime membership costs $119 per year

This year you can watch 11 Thursday night NFL games beginning on October 8th. You will not be able to watch the earlier games.  Amazon Prime Video is available on essentially all streaming devices and PCs.
AT&T NOW (FORMERLY DIRECTV NOW)

No longer offers NFL Sunday Ticket, RedZone, or NFL Network

$55 for a minimum package, which includes ESPN and local network stations. 

AT&T Now comes with two different service levels. The entry-level package is $55 a month. It includes ESPN and some local network channels. But, depending on where you live, you may not be able to get every broadcast network. Check to see what channels are available before subscribing to the AT&T Now service. 
You will not be able to get the NFL Network or RedZone on AT&T Now. The service is widely supported by streaming devices. You can watch it on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV devices, Google Chromecast, Roku devices, or on a Web browser.
CBS ALL ACCESS

Starts at $5.99 a month; carries local affiliates’ games

NFL games come with advertisements

CBS All Access is available in many, but not all, markets. It carries CBS’s Sunday afternoon games, a traditional Thanksgiving Day game, the AFC Playoffs, and the AFC Championship Game. It costs $5.99 a month. There’s also a version without ads for $9.99. NFL games, however, come with ads on both streams. CBS All Access is available on essentially all streaming devices.
FOX SPORTS GO

Watch Fox live games — if you already pay to watch Fox.

If you already have a pay-TV subscription, cable, satellite, or some of the streaming services mentioned here, you can watch the game with the Fox Sports Go app or from your web browser. This is ideal when you want to catch a game away from your home. 
FUBOTV

Base price: $59.99

NFL RedZone and other sports networks: An additional $10.99.

FuboTV, as the name hints, carries a lot of sports networks and depending on where you live, your local broadcast affiliates. To get RedZone, you’ll need to also subscribe to the $10.99 a month Sports Plus package.
You can watch FuboTV on most streaming devices. These include Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast,  Roku, and web browsers. 
HULU WITH LIVE TV

$54.99 a month

Games on local network affiliates may be available

Hulu with Live TV’s plan is $54.99 a month. It comes with 60+ live channels. Depending on your market, your local NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS live channels may be available to you. You must check your live channels to make sure. It does not, however, offer the NFL Network or RedZone.
You can watch Hulu on most streaming devices. These include Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast,  Roku, and web browsers. 
NFL APP AND YAHOO SPORTS

Free

Requires Android or iPhone device and Yahoo account. 

The NFL app or Yahoo Sports app for Android or iOS gives you a free way to watch your local team’s broadcast games. Besides live regular-season games, you can also watch the playoffs and the Super Bowl with it. However, you can only view the games on your phone or tablet. You can’t screencast from your device to your television. Darn it!
NFL NETWORK APP

Free

Requires Android or iPhone.

The NFL Network app, like the name says, enables you to watch NFL Network programming and NFL RedZone on your tablet and mobile device. The big win here is it covers the Thursday night NFL Network games. To watch the NFL Redzone you’ll need a subscription to a programming package that includes NFL RedZone
NFL GAMEPASS

$99.99 a season

Watch all NFL games… the day after they air

NFL GamePass is an all-football, all-the-time option. For $99.99 a season, you can watch all NFL games… the day after they’re played. You also can’t watch local games on it. So, for instance, where I live, I can’t see the Carolina Panthers.
To sweeten the deal, GamePass includes live NFL game radio broadcasts and access to NFL Originals, with football shows such as previous seasons of Hard Knocks, A Football Life, and Mic’d Up.
NFL SUNDAY TICKET

$73.49 a month, $293.94 for the season.

Available only if you Can’t get DirecTV satellite service

The most comprehensive package for Sunday NFL games is DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket. It doesn’t show every Sunday afternoon game, but it comes close. You can’t watch your local team games. And, there’s a catch: NFL Sunday Ticket is only available for cord-cutters if they can’t get DirecTV satellite service. 
Sunday Ticket comes in two forms: NFLST.TV To Go and NFLST.TV Max. 
The To Go package shows live games. It costs $48.49 per month for the four months of the regular season, or a single payment of $293.94. With Max, you also get NFL RedZone and DirectTV Fantasy Zone for an additional $100. Fantasy Zone, like the name suggests, provides fantasy football stats and analysis. 
Max will cost $395.99 for the season or $99 per month. For an additional $50, you can get an NFL Game Pass. This service offers reruns of regular-season games if you missed your favorite team. If you’re a college student, you can get a great deal with the NFLST.TV U package. For $24.99 per month for four months or $99.96 for the season, you get the full Max package. Maybe it’s time to go back to school?
SLING TV

Requires both Sling Blue and Orange TV packages for a combined $45 a month.

GameFinder feature lets you search for specific games

I really like Sling TV, but it’s not ideal for football. First, you can’t get CBS, the NFL Network, or RedZone.  NFL fans need at least two packages. These are Sling TV Orange for $25 and Sling TV Blue for $25. The better deal is to get both for $45 a month. The Orange package includes ESPN 1 and 2, while FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, and NBCSN are on the Blue package. To see exactly what channels are available on which of Sling TV’s many packages use Sling TV’s Explore Channel page. 
Sling TV does boast one unique feature: Game Finder. This allows you to search for broadcasts featuring specific teams, locations, and games near your home. If you can’t see the game on their services, it’ll tell you that, too.
This streaming network is available on pretty much all streaming devices.
YOUTUBE TV

Costs $64.99 a month.

It carries CBS, NBC, ESPN, and Fox games.

$10.99 Sports Plus package includes NFL RedZone

Google’s YouTube TV now runs $64.99 a month, which makes it currently the most expensive streaming network. On the other hand,  it comes with over 85 channels. For NFL fans, the good news is it includes CBS, ESPN, NBC, NFL Network, and Fox. For RedZone, you’ll need to shell out an additional $10.99 for the Sports Plus package.
It’s available on most, if not all, devices. 
VIDGO

For football, you’ll need the $55 a month Plus plan.

New streaming service offers ESPN, Fox Sports, NFL Network, and RedZone.This new service’s Plus plan will run you $55 a month. It includes NFL Network, RedZone, and Fox Sports. It does not, however, offer CBS or NBC channels.
Vidgo is available on Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku. As a newer service be sure to check to see if your specific device is supported. For example, except for Android, it’s not available on most smart TVs.
TWO MINUTE DRILL
If you don’t have a streaming network yet and the NFL is at the top of your viewing list, you’ll want to subscribe to FuboTV or YouTube TV. Of the pair, FuboTV is marginally cheaper. 
It’s not as easy to watch the NFL over the internet as it is with a top cable or satellite package, but we’re getting there, and cord-cutting is cheaper than its competition. That said, the streaming services prices keep going up and up. In the past year, most services have gone up in cost by $5 more a month. Still, I’ll be rooting my Steelers on to victory by streaming the games this fall.  More

Senior Brazilian government officials said the country is eager to seize the commercial opportunities of 5G technology and is working on the rules for the auction of the fifth-generation spectrum, with special focus on aspects such as security and cost-effectiveness.
At the Painel Telebrasil conference on Tuesday (8), Brazil’s vice president Hamilton Mourão said the country “can’t miss out on the 5G opportunity” by not keeping up with other countries that are investing in the technology.
“[Failure to seize] this opportunity would mean decades of setbacks and losses”, Mourão said, adding that the government sees the relevance of telecommunications networks in “a world that is moving towards the era of knowledge”.
“Networks have to be reliable, fast and secure. They will enable a better present and a better future”, he argued.

It is up to the government to conduct the process of adaptation of the Brazilian telecommunications system to the new technology, the vice president noted: “This must be done safely, protecting our sensitive knowledge and our privacy, but using the means already available and considering the principles of efficiency, cost-effectiveness and security.”
According to the vice president, the government is working on the rules for the auction of the next-generation spectrum. Mourão said the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations and the Ministry of Communications are working alongside the national telecoms agency Anatel and the Institutional Security Office to “set technical parameters for the bidding process, so as to create the right conditions in the shortest possible timeframe so that our operators can start adapting to the new system”.
Last year, Mourão confirmed that Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was asked by US president Donald Trump to stop Huawei from developing new mobile networks in Brazil. At the time, Mourão said the government would not interfere with the Chinese giant’s activities – as long as the firm creates local jobs and plays by its rules.
Brazil’s 5G auction was originally set to be held in March, but it was then delayed due to the pandemic. In June this year, Anatel’s president Leonardo Euler said that in the most optimistic scenario, the auction could happen in the first quarter of 2021.
Such delays could cost Brazil billions in lost tax revenues as well as investments: vendors like Ericsson and Nokia have shown interest in the country’s coveted 5G spectrum and have announced plans to invest heavily and attract opportunities to the Latin market. More

An Optus 5G installation on a power pole in Sydney.
Image: Chris Duckett/ZDNet
For those approximately 420,000 households lucky enough to be in the Optus 5G footprint, the telco has unveiled a pair of unlimited data plans on Thursday.
The first is an uncapped download and speed plan delivered over 5G, dubbed the entertainer plan, that will cost AU$90 a month, and is said to have average evening download speeds of 214Mbps. The telco said it is also throwing in Optus Sport, a Fetch Mighty box, and a premium channel pack.
The second is labelled as an everyday plan that will cost AU$75 a month and have speeds capped at 100Mbps. The telco said its average evening speeds are 85Mbps on this service.
Optus said the plans will be available later in 2020.
The telco opened up NBN-alternative 5G offerings at the end of 2019.
“The reality today in Australia, is that there are large numbers of homes that want faster broadband, despite the National Broadband Network,” then-CEO Allen Lew said.
Despite having a policy that will see the telco not add customers to congested towers, Optus told ZDNet that it would be “quite a long time” before it reaches that point.
Last month, the telco claimed it completed the world’s first call using 5G non-standalone carrier aggregation using both 2300MHz and 3500MHz spectrum. The call was made on a Samsung Galaxy S20 5G handset and involved backend equipment from Ericsson.
“5G carrier aggregation is a significant technology milestone that provides us with the ability to combine two spectrum frequencies to improve and extend the coverage, speed, and capacity of our 5G network,” Optus managing director for networks Lambo Kanagaratnam said at the time.
“It will also ensure that when our 5G network is in high demand and being used by many customers simultaneously, that these applications run seamlessly.”
The carrier aggregation functionality will be rolled out later this year to Samsung Galaxy S20 5G and Galaxy Note20 5G users, with the network set up for it in Sydney and Melbourne.
Optus currently has over 900 sites upgraded to 5G connectivity.
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Mesh Wi-Fi systems were almost tailor-made for the remote-working era. There are millions of people now working from home and making daily video calls, while also competing for a slice of wireless bandwidth with a variety of smartphones, tablets and games consoles. Increased Wi-Fi use can put a strain on even the fastest routers — let alone the low-cost units often provided by broadband suppliers. Mesh networking systems are the ideal Wi-Fi upgrade for many homes and offices, as well as public venues such as restaurants and hotels. Mesh systems typically use a main router with a wired connection to a broadband modem, plus two or more wireless nodes or satellites that can be placed in different rooms or locations. These link together to provide greater range and reliability than a single conventional Wi-Fi modem/router.
Pricing & options
Netgear was one of the first companies to combine mesh networking and WiFi 6, with its Orbi Wifi 6 AX6000. That first model was a high-end system, providing tri-band WiFi 6 performance with a combined top speed of 6Gbps. Its price was also top-of-the-range: £709.99 (inc. VAT; £591.66 ex. VAT)/$699.99 for a two-piece system, or £969.99 (inc. VAT; £808.33 ex. VAT)/$999.99 for the three-piece option.
That sort of pricing can make even larger organisations think twice, so Netgear has recently released a new version called the Orbi WiFi 6 AX4200 that is still suitable for larger homes and offices, but with a more competitive price. Admittedly, it’s still fairly expensive, costing £449.99 (inc. VAT; £375 ex. VAT)/$449.99 for the two-piece kit shown here, although it’s designed to provide extensive Wi-Fi coverage for larger homes, offices or other locations up to 5,000 square feet in size. There’s also a three-piece kit available that can cover 7,500sq.ft, priced at £629.99 (inc. VAT; £525 ex. VAT)/$599.99.

The ‘router’ unit plugs into your broadband modem via the WAN port (‘Internet’, above); it has additional Gigabit Ethernet ports, as do ‘satellite’ units. A two-piece kit should cover up to 5,000 square feet, according to Netgear.
Images: Netgear
Design & features
As the name suggests, the Orbi WiFi 6 AX4200 supports tri-band WiFi 6 (a.k.a. IEEE 802.11ax) with a combined top speed of 4.2Gbps. That’s slower than the 6Gbps of the AX6000 model, but still far faster than most current-generation 802.11ac routers. And, as well as providing greater performance, WiFi 6 is also designed to transmit data more efficiently to large numbers of devices all at once, with Netgear claiming that the Orbi WiFi 6 AX4200 is suitable for use with 40-60 devices. That sort of capacity should be enough to cope with even the most gadget-crazy households, as well as many busy offices and public locations. 
SEE: Hiring Kit: 5G Wireless System Engineer (TechRepublic Premium)
The Orbi systems don’t include a modem, so the first Orbi unit, known as the ‘router’, includes a Gigabit WAN port for connecting to your existing broadband modem or router, along with three additional Gigabit Ethernet ports for devices requiring a wired network connection. The second ‘satellite’ unit includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports as well.
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The only disappointment is that Netgear’s Orbi app tends to treat certain features, such as its Armor security system (which is based on the popular BitDefender), as an additional revenue stream. This is provided with a 30-day free trial, but then requires a monthly subscription fee for continued use.

Image: Netgear
Conclusions
As we remarked with the original Orbi Wifi 6 earlier this year, the WiFi 6/802.11ax standard is still in its ‘early adopter’ phase, and many homes and businesses may find that more affordable mesh systems based on WiFi 5/802.11ac will meet their current needs perfectly well. However, the ability to support ever larger numbers of devices means that WiFi 6 is very much designed with future IoT environments in mind, so a Wifi 6 mesh system such as this is still a sensible investment if you want to future-proof your home or office network.
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Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
At the end of March, the Australian government took the decision to end in-person citizen ceremonies, due to risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
Since that time, over 80,000 people have become Australian citizens thanks to a video conference link, the Department of Home Affairs has said.
“The department utilises Cisco WebEx to conduct online citizenship ceremonies. Local government councils are not restricted on which video conferencing platform they use,” a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
In response to questions on notice from the Select Committee on COVID-19, the department said until the end of July, it had seen an online citizenship run rate of over 800 people becoming Australians via online means each working day.
As of July 31, there were over 150,000 citizenship applications filed, with over 35,000 people waiting for a citizenship ceremony to become citizens.
Until the end of July, over 2,000 online ceremonies were conducted by local councils, and over 1,100 were completed by parliamentarians.
Meanwhile in New South Wales, NSW Health has confirmed that it has been requesting from Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) Opal card data in its contact tracing efforts.
“NSW Health can be provided with Opal card data if the initial case provides their card number and is registered with Opal,” a spokesperson said.
“When a passenger tells contact tracers they have travelled by public transport, TfNSW provides the details of other registered Opal cards used on the same service, as allowed under legislation.
“This information is treated with strict confidentiality, as is all information accessed by contact tracers, including information from the COVIDSafe app.”
In August, NSW Health said it had found a pair of positive COVID cases from data supplied by the COVIDSafe app.
“14 close contacts have been identified using app data who were not also identified through manual contact tracing, or whose contact details were unavailable through manual contact tracing,” the department said at the time.
Later that month, the federal Department of Health said the app had been relegated to verifying manual tracing activities.
“The app is operating in Victoria to validate contacts and I guess the reason we’re going round in circles a bit is because we all accept that contact tracing hasn’t worked as well as it should have in Victoria, for lots of reasons, and we’ve never said that the app was the sole or even the primary contract tracing [tool],” departmental associate secretary Caroline Edwards said.
“We’ve said it’s a tool, which it is a tool, it’s being used in Victoria to validate. We think it’ll come more into its own as it moves forward, and as contact tracers are brought on and trained in the app, it’s an important tool as part of that and to characterise it as a failure doesn’t properly respect the efforts that have been made by contract tracers.”
On Tuesday, Victoria said it was gaining a new case and contract management system from Salesforce.
“It will cover the whole program of contact tracing — from positive result coming in, the interviews, follow-up phone calls and coordination of Operation Vestige to the clearance of cases and contacts to be managed all within the one system,” the state government said in a statement.
“The system is being set up in parallel to the current process, to ensure there is no dip in performance as we make improvements.”
The government said it would also begin publishing contact tracing metrics and the 14-day rolling case averages online.
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