update Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy has ruled Telstra cannot close its CDMA network until at least 28 April, 2008.
The telco had been scheduled to switch off the CDMA network on 28 January, after its own internal audits showed the replacement Next G network now has equal or better coverage.
However, Conroy decreed that he is "not in a position to declare equivalence between the Next G network and the CDMA networks" and mandated that the 2G network must remain open for at least three more months.
Conroy said his decision had been informed by an audit conducted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, examining Next G coverage, which was delivered last week. While the audits found coverage broadly parallel between the two networks, the Minister said other issues must be resolved before the switchoff could be authorised.
Prior to the audit, former Communications Minister Helen Coonan declared that Next G has "enormous problems" and set up a government helpline for bush users to report coverage blackspots.
However, Senator Conroy said he expected Telstra to be able to resolve all ongoing issues with the Next G network by the April deadline.
"Telstra will provide me with advice within two weeks on how they will address the issues that have been identified, and report to me on the rectification to enable me to reconsider this matter," Conroy said in a statement.
"Telstra have advised me that this can be done by 28 April. This seems reasonable, subject to me a receiving a report that comprehensively addresses my concerns and consumers should work on the basis that the CDMA network will be switched off."
Telstra said it will work with the government to fix any remaining issues and welcomed the migration path set out by the Minister.
In most cases, customers now have better coverage with Next G than under the CDMA network, according to Telstra's Country Wide group MD Geoff Booth.
"Where they don't we specifically want to hear from them because they are the customers we want to deal with and make sure they have the right network in place and the right handsets in place," he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister has requested that Telstra be more active in informing consumers of any coverage issues with Next G handsets.
"We expect Telstra to advertise a phone number that customers can ring to get these issues resolved," Conroy concluded.
AAP contributed to this report.
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chris manuel
21/01/2008 07:29 PM
Since they only introduced the "Blue Tick' a wile after the first phones came out and everyone thought that the phones were as good as eachother, people who bought phone before then should be able to switch to a "Blue Tick" phone free of charge to get the coverage that they thought they were getting in the first place
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Bennedy85
24/01/2008 10:40 PM
Far out!!! We live in 2008 is it so hard for these "people" to make a decision?? Telstra is swearing by 1 thing and some Broadband minister is saying something else. Telstra needs to pull its head out and let their customers know because as it stands Telstra is loosing so many of its customers due to NextG A network should be perfected without teething problems before its released!! If a product is released on a market that has deemed to be faulty the unit/devise will be recalled or replaced with problems ironed out. This is not so easy to do on Telstra's part, Customers are paying the same if not more for this network that is "said" to provide superior coverage 98.5% of Australia's population thats only about 30-40% of Australia's land mass most of the population are in metro area's like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide etc. Wrap Up: in my personal opinion and opinions of those i work/speak with in this industry 90% of these customers including muself would like Telstra to leace the CDMA network open until NextG is perfected...........
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