Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
Vodafone will turn on 3G services in a number of regional centres on 1 May taking its 3G voice and data coverage to around 80 percent of the population ahead of a scheduled provision of 3G services to 94 percent by the end of August.
Areas getting 3G coverage include Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Ballina, Bunbury, Byron Bay, Cairns, Darwin, Hobart, Kiama, Lismore, Mackay, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Townsville, Wollongong, Bowral, Nowra and Wagga Wagga. The full extent of 3G/HSPA coverage can be found at www.vodafone.com.au/coverage .
This network expansion will operate at 2100MHz, the same as Vodafone's current 3G coverage, but Andy Reeves, Vodafone Australia CTO, told iTWire that the next tranche of the expansion would operate at 900MHz and would involve installation or upgrade from 2G operation of some 570 Vodafone base stations. He said details on the locations to receive upgraded services would be provided nearer to the launch date.
The upgraded network will provide wireless broadband HSPA data services at a 'nominal' maximum downstream throughput of 14.4Mbps and in practice Reeves said this would give users data rates of "typically between 300kbps and 1.5Mbps bursting to 3.6Mbps."
To co-incide with the expanded coverage Vodafone is introducing, on May 4 new capped plans offering voice minutes, handsets and data on 24 month contracts. These include a $69 plan which, Vodafone says, includes "a huge monthly data allowance of 1GB," but no other details are presently available. However Vodafone did reveal an upgrade to its iPhone plan. This presently offers a 3G 8GB iPhone at no cost, $340 worth of calls etc and 250MB of data for $69 on a two year contract. From next Monday included calls etc will be increased to $400 and data to 1GB. (this information has been updated from the original version of this story)
Vodafone announced plans for the upgrade in December 2007 promising it would reach 95 percent of the population by December 2008. Reeves said at the time that "We'll be going flat-out with teams upgrading sites in every state and territory, simultaneously. It's a massive project but we're very confident we can complete Vodafone's national mobile broadband network upgrade within one year."
He told iTWire that the delay had been necessary in order to ensure that performance was up to scratch. "When we first launched the 3G network it was the best of any Vodafone network, and their criteria are quite strict. I have said all along we will not launch something to a timeline. We have spent a lot of time with [network supplier] Ericsson to make sure this is network is fully tuned and will deliver a good experience for our customers.
David Bass
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