The Government has offered Australia's three mobile operators, and vividwireless, renewal of their existing spectrum allocated on 15 year licences in the late 90s and early 2000s at set prices, while the Government expects to rake in $3 billion.
By the end of 2008, both Vodafone and Optus will have their own 3.5G HSDPA networks covering 95% of the population (compared with Telstra’s 98.9% population coverage).
While the speed and coverage of the Vodafone and Optus networks won’t match Telstra’s for some time, possibly years, the fact does remain that by the end of 2008, both companies will have a network that will cover many, if not most of Australia’s rural and regional areas, but Telstra’s Next G will still have a greater reach.
Both the Vodafone and Optus network will also offer broadband speed wireless Internet, and a range of advanced services including mobile television.
However, Telstra’s Next G network will still be the fastest and will offer the greatest coverage. But by the end of 2008, the Vodafone and Optus networks will finally provide the ‘on the ground’ pricing competition that Telstra needs to lower its pricing, at least somewhat.
Until then, Next G will likely remain the most expensive mobile telecommunications network in Australia, albeit with the widest and fastest coverage, giving rural and regional Australians the same wireless services enjoyed in metropolitan areas, and having done so for a lot longer than its competition.
Whether you think Telstra is good or bad, at least they have moved forward in delivering a true next generation wireless communications and data network. If only they'd move as quickly in making it truly affordable!
David Bass
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