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Vodafone To Extend 3G Network |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Wednesday, 12 December 2007 |
Vodafone
Australia
has announced it will build a national 3G HSPA mobile broadband network
in the next 12 months and has set a time frame for selecting a
technology supplier that will see additional services to regional
Australia within months.
Andy Reeves, Chief Technology Officer at Vodafone Australia, said: "We'll
be going flat-out with teams upgrading sites in every state and territory,
simultaneously. It's a massive project but we're very confident we
can complete Vodafone's national mobile broadband network upgrade within
one year."
The network will not only improve network coverage
and
capacity for 3G voice and data, but will improve standard 2G voice calls as well, says the company.
The
High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network will operate on 900MHz and
2100MHz spectrum with the 900MHz band promising higher coverage areas
per base station for regional areas. Telstra's NextG network also uses
this spectrum to allow it greater coverage areas in less dense
population areas. All Vodafone mobile
devices already in market will continue to operate on the new network.
The investment would be less than A$500
million according to reports with Vodafone expecting to choose a
supplier early in the New Year and hopes to make a start on the network
in February. It has already commenced work on its core network in
preparation for the upgrade.
The new
network will ultimately extend the company's coverage from 55 per cent
of the country to an estimated 95 per cent by the end of next year, but
some regional centres should be able to access the new service within
the first Quarter.By the end of 2009, the network will reach 95 per cent of the population.
Vodafone initially partnered with Optus
Communications on the roll-out of a joint 3G network which focused only
on major metro areas. With these two carriers going their separate ways
Australia will be serviced by three separate 3G networks cover 96 or
more per cent of the population as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all
outstrip Hutchison's 3 network which covers only high population areas.
Vodafone
will
continue its 3G joint-venture with Optus in major metropolitan areas.
Optus has already announced it will go it alone in other parts of the
country. However, Optus has not yet named a supplier for that extension
project.
Russell Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer at
Vodafone Australia said: "We're
accelerating plans to upgrade our mobile network, which will provide our
customers with faster download and upload speeds, better performance and
improved services.
"Customers
want fast, reliable access to mobile Internet content and emails on the go and
they'll soon be able to experience a host of exciting, new content
destinations. We're getting ready to deliver the world to our customers,
when they want it, and in more places than ever before," said Russell
Hewitt.
"Building a
national mobile broadband network is our number one priority for 2008 and we
will make it happen on time," added Hewitt. "Australian business
and personal customers will soon enjoy far greater choice as Vodafone begins to
deliver mobile broadband to more people in more areas than we've ever
reached before."
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