iPhone 4: The Optus Empire Bumps Back!

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 15:51

Your IT - Mobility

Potentially feeling the heat from questions over network performance, something Optus has stridently defended in an email to iTWire earlier today, Optus has decided to up its iPhone offering by being the first Aussie telco to confirm each iPhone 4 customer will get a free bumper - if they want one.

Keen to bump off iPhone 4 telco competitors and once again end up with the lion's share of iPhonistas, Optus has bumped up its iPhone 4 offering.

Optus has been in the news by being first to confirm a midnight launch for the iPhone 4, as has happened in years past, and has strongly defended allegations that its network was still sub-par as was the case in 2008 with the iPhone 3G.

This defence happened today when an Optus spokesperson expressed disappointment at the questions I had raised over its network (with that wickedly Star Wars-themed article entitled 'iPhone 4: Optus responds to crappy network allegations!') telling iTWire and me specifically that: 'I was really disappointed by your commentary on the Optus network in your piece for iTWire. 

'We've spent more than $2 billion on our network over the past five years and built more than 1,000 base stations in the last two years alone.  We've also bought and started implementing additional spectrum in both metropolitan and regional Australia and have more than doubled the carrying capacity of our network in the last 12 months alone.

'I'm not sure where you're reading reports of our 'crappy' network but if you were to read the latest IDC report - see press release [here] - on the various 3G networks, they've acknowledged the work we've done to improve the network claiming our performance soared in 2009.'

The spokesperson also offered to send me a review Optus Micro SIM so I could test the network out for myself, something I'll most certainly be doing, while making comparisons against the Vodafone, 3 Mobile and Telstra networks as well, with that article to appear something next week once an iPhone 4 lands in my hands.

So, what has Optus now had to say about its improved iPhone 4 offering, complete with free bumper? Please read on to page two'¦