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Fuzzy Logic Optus iPhone 3G pricing leak - plus Vodafone and Optus only offering GPRS for rural iPhone 3Gs?
Fuzzy Logic Optus iPhone 3G pricing leak - plus Vodafone and Optus only offering GPRS for rural iPhone 3Gs? | Optus iPhone 3G pricing leak - plus Vodafone and Optus only offering GPRS for rural iPhone 3Gs? |
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| by Alex Zaharov-Reutt | |
| Wednesday, 11 June 2008 | |
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Page 2 of 5 Of course, iPhone 3Gs will still work in most rural and regional areas where GSM reception is available. It’s just that any web surfing, email or other data activity will be restricted to GPRS speeds which are even slower than EDGE speeds, something Steve Jobs made a big deal about in his WWDC keynote. Featured Whitepaper
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Burley continues: “Coverage will be limited to existing 2100MHz 3G coverage – outside these areas GPRS data performance will leave users more than unsatisfied. The device does support Telstra’s Next G network but as yet, Telstra has not announced it will be offering the device.” All of which makes the comments by Paul O’Sullivan, Optus Chief Executive, quite curious. He stated in a press release on the iPhone 3G announcement that: “iPhone 3G is the handset Australians have been waiting for. With Optus, more iPhone users can enjoy 3G services as we expand our network to 96 percent of the population by December 2008 and 98 percent by December 2009. We look forward to providing our unique services and content to consumers and business customers via this outstanding handset.” How exactly will around 40% of people in rural and regional areas people soon to be enabled with 900MHz 3.5G be able to take advantage of “enjoy[ing] 3G services” when the iPhone won’t work in the 900MHz frequency? It’s a question we’ll put to Optus but we don’t know quite how they can answer positively if no 900MHz-supporting iPhone 3Gs are available. In my previous article on the tri-band frequency leak for the iPhone 3G before it launched earlier this week, an iTWire reader called ‘Concerned’ questioned in the comments section why I was so keen and/or curious for Telstra to get the iPhone, even going so far as accusing me of being a Telstra employee! I reminded him that I’m Australia’s serial accuser of Telstra being a serial overcharger, but ‘Concerned’ said that Optus was indeed rolling out some 2100MHz 3.5G towers in rural and regional areas. When I pointed 'Concerned' to the official Optus press release announcing 900MHz 3.5G towers for rural and regional Australia, iTWire reader ‘Concerned’ had an interesting response. ‘Concerned’ pointed me to the Australian Radio Frequency National Site Archive and said “Alex, let me just take a random sample of recent additions to the Optus network.” “Tamworth Live - 2100mhz, Forster Tuncurry Live - 2100mhz, Parkes – Live 900Mhz, Port Macquarie Live - 2100mhz, Kiama Live - 2100mhz... Hardly big city areas :) Kiama and Forster are hardly big city (sic)”. Concerned’s concerns are further discussed on page 3, while I also examines just why I want to see Telstra sell the iPhone – please read on! |
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