The new Telstra Smart Modem: 5 ways we’re getting smarter for our customers By Michele Garra

When you sign up to a home broadband plan with us, we want to make sure you have the smoothest possible experience – whether it’s switching over to the nbn™ network, moving home or setting up an entirely new fixed connection.
30 October 2018 · 3 minute read

When you sign up to a home broadband plan with us, we want to make sure you have the smoothest possible experience – whether it’s switching over to the nbn™ network, moving home or setting up an entirely new fixed connection.

That’s why we’ve launched the new Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2 that includes voice backup for phone calls, alongside mobile data backup, making it easier to get connected when NBN is not yet available.

  1. No wait for an nbn connection!

    The new Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2 makes it easier for you to get connected. Get online within minutes at home when you walk out of our stores with a device or receive a Self-Install Kit in the mail. Thanks to built-in 4G mobile backup it means that you’ll get online sooner and have the peace of mind of a backup connection in the event of a disruption on your nbn service. It’s also easier for our field technicians to diagnose your network if there’s a glitch and for households to keep track of what devices are connected, and how much data you’re using.

  2. Backup for your home phone voice calls

    Australians that are connected to the nbn network now must connect their home phone through their modem, rather than into a separate wall socket as their voice is delivered over the broadband connection. With over two million Australians now connected to the nbn network, backing up their services via a mobile service is more important than ever for fixed and voice connectivity. Our new Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2, is all about peace of mind – and to that end, it lets our nbn customers continue to make voice calls over their fixed line home phones during broadband disruptions, using our 4G network – a first for any provider on the nbn.

  3. Mobile network backup for more reliable internet

    When you sign up for a new broadband connection, reliability should be something you expect – not just hope for. That’s why every Telstra Smart Modem includes mobile network backup, giving you an automatic secondary connection using our mobile network in the case of any broadband disruption, without any extra effort needed from you. Your Telstra Smart Modem will connect as soon as you’ve set up your device at home, even while you’re waiting for an nbn connection to your home or business to be activated. Our internal testing has also shown a 10% improvement in Wi-Fi coverage compared to previous versions of the Telstra Smart Modem.

  4. It looks good in your living room, too

    We’ve talked to our customers to better understand where they use their Telstra Smart Modems, and we’ve redesigned our latest model to make it sleeker and more modern. With a thicker base it’s also more functional as well as stylish, with a design that looks more at home in the centre of your living space. Our living and dining rooms are usually in the centre of our homes, and the improved Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2 will fit in unobtrusively, to maximise your Wi-Fi coverage and quality.

  5. Wi-Fi tools help us diagnose your network faster

    If you ever have any issues with your home broadband experience, our field technicians have one-click access to vital stats on the health of your home network. Our Telstra Smart Modem constantly measures broadband speed and wireless network performance, and reports back to our secure Operational Support System – making it faster for our experts to get you back online. Over the past three months we have tracked nbn migrations, and had over 60% less home call outs for support from customers using the Telstra Smart Modem.

    Using the Telstra Home Dashboard App, customers can also map the Wi-Fi in their home, view connected devices and also run a speed test to determine both the speed and quality of the Wi-Fi network in their home.

The revamped Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2 is just another way we are supporting a stronger, smarter, safer network. It delivers benefits that directly contribute towards our T22 productivity initiatives, with 50% less calls and complaints from customers using the Telstra Smart Modem 1.0. And we’ll continue to make it smarter for you, with more features to come in the New Year.

Things you should know

The Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2.0 requires 4G coverage. Voice backup is only available to nbn network customers. Internet backup speeds are limited to 6/1Mbps and will vary with location and content accessed.

By Michele Garra

Connected Home & Business Executive

Michele is a senior executive with 25 years’ experience in the content industry, across strategic and commercial roles in Australia, Asia and the United States. She is a senior marketing leader with experience launching new, high definition and digital home technology platforms. Her career spans a variety of content, sales, marketing and product organisations including Virgin Australia, Microsoft and Sony Pictures. Prior to Telstra, Michele was Vice President Retail at Optus Telecommunications (SingTel), accountable for more than $2.9 billion revenue and the telco’s primary channels to market, including 370 branded stores. Michele joined Telstra in 2016, leading the Media division – launched the Telstra TV and revamped the AFL, NRL and netball sports apps. Then moved into Innovation and Strategy, developing the 5G Launch strategy and led the strategy redesign for the Consumer & Small Business unit. Michele now heads up the Connected Home & Business unit, including all broadband, voice and connected home and business services for consumer and small business customers.