Communications Minister Helen Coonan said in a statement government was closely scrutinising the rural coverage audits as well as Next G handset availability to ensure consumers were not penalised by Telstra’s move to 3G technology.
At the height of the debate over the T3 sale last year, Telstra announced it planned to shut down the existing CDMA network in January next year, but committed to making its Next G mobile network coverage as good or better than CDMA.
Senator Coonan said she welcomed Telstra’s announcement last week of a Next G upgrade that included new cell technology with a 200 km range and higher speeds, but reminded Telstra of its commitment nonetheless.
“The Government is also mindful of Telstra ensuring there is a smooth transition to the new network for its customers, particularly those living in rural, regional and remote areas,” Senator Coonan said.
It is a sensitive issue in the bush, where Telstra CDMA is often the only available network and is heavily relied on. And in an election year, nothing is being left to chance.
“An independent audit comparing Next G coverage with CDMA coverage is a key part of verifying Telstra’s public assurance that it will not shut down the CDMA network until Next G provides the same or better coverage and services,” Senator Coonan said.
“Even if this assurance is met, Telstra has stated that the CDMA network will not be switched off before 28 January 2008,” she said.
A working group established by the Minister is currently considering other issues relating to the CDMA-Next G transition, such as the information Telstra is providing customers, handset availability, coverage, and contractual matters.
But it is network coverage that is most critical – both to rural and regional Australians, and to a Government seeking re-election.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has now completed its audit of CDMA at a broad selection of about 100 sites across the country. The sites include flat, mountainous and average terrain, wet rice-growing country and river flats, and while they include the city and regional centres, the focus was on rural, regional and remote areas.
The field tests and analysis of CDMA coverage was the first of two national audits to be completed this year. The second will test coverage of the Next G network once Telstra advises that the new network is fully deployed.
Regardless of Telstra’s newly majority-private state, mobile phone coverage is a critical issue in rural electorate all over Australia.
The Nationals’ support of the T3 Telstra share offer was not won until it had it had a firm commitment from the company and from the government that the Next G third generation mobile network coverage would be the same or better than the CDMA network on which rural Australians rely.
Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce and NSW Nationals Senator Fiona Nash both actively and aggressively lobbied both inside and outside the joint partyroom to make sure mobile coverage did not suffer either because of the sale or because of the move the 3G technology.
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