Months after the “Blackberry-esque” Nokia E71 launched for 2100MHz 3.5G networks, Telstra has finally brought an 850MHz “Next G” capable model to market for its customers – but where’s a Next G capable Nokia E75?

Although 2100MHz 3.5G networks have the widest range of 3G handsets available for it, the 850MHz network (as used by Telstra, AT&T, Rogers and others) still has all the major players making top models working on the frequency, with the N85 (arguably better than the N96) now joining the line-up.

Although there are plenty of rumours floating about that HTC is hard at work on the G2, a successor to the G1 Android gPhone, an online report claims that Optus support staff support documents in advance of its sale, although both Optus and Google are denying everything.

As 2008 ends and 2009 begins, Australians will go text message crazy sending each other such a frenzy of celebratory SMS messages that phones will likely be going "beep beep" even faster than the Road Runner!

Telstra is providing Next G wireless broadband coverage to the 45-foot “Rush” yacht in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, with its skipper expressing surprise that the Next G signal worked 60kms off shore (45 nautical miles) in a 2007 test, with the 2008 setup having better equipment and hopefully giving a “competitive advantage”.

The iPhone Dev Team has done it, promising to release an iPhone 3G unlock “New Year’s Eve 2008”, for iPhone 3Gs with baseband 2.11.07 or earlier, throwing a few snowballs of yellow snow Apple’s way!

With plenty of talk recently about how wireless technologies could make the proposed Australian "National Broadband Network" or NBN redundant, Telstra is already demonstrating an 800km rollout of fibre in the Northern Territory alongside wireless solutions that are serving rural and regional Australia with high-speed broadband – today.

Although data “calls” on 21Mbps networks and equipment have been made in the labs and in demonstrations, Australia is the first place in the world where such a call has been made on a commercial, deployed 21Mbps eHSPA network, with a full commercial launch due early 2009.

If you thought the 5800 was Nokia’s iPhone clone, the long awaited N-Series version of the 5800 has been outed today at Nokia World in Barcelona, and it’s the N97! Coming with some serious specs including a slide out QWERTY keyboard, the only downside is the 4-6 month wait in mid 2009 before consumers can buy them.

Telstra’s Next G network is getting some of the hottest new phones, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s just in time for Christmas. From a new version of Telstra’s “Country Phone”, a new “simple” phone, to the top new handsets from Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung, Telstra’s hoping your next phone will be on Next G.