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14/08/03 Voda's 3G plans???
Not really that exciting if you look at Telstra having it on there GSM network by some were in 2004. I'm sure they are talking to "Three" about going with it together. Especially since many Three towers are co-located with Voda towers anyway. Would be a good way of Three to expand there network.
Vodafone to launch 3G by
2005
Kelly Mills
VODAFONE Australia will launch its 3G network in Australia by 2005 by partnering with
another carrier.The number three mobile company said it will invest hundreds of millions
of dollars over the next two years to build a "globally compatible" 3G network.
Vodafone Australia managing director Grahame Maher said due to the scale, geography and
nature of the Australian market, a partnership with another carrier would be the most
effective way for the telco to deliver 3G-based services. He said Vodafone was in
discussions with the "major" carriers regards to a partnership arrangement,
"however, if this isn't viable, we have the required finance in place to go it
alone". "To meet our 2005 deadline, we would need to sign the contract by the
end of the year, October or November," Mr Maher said. He said if an arrangement with
another carrier could not be finalised, the network would still be operational by
mid-2005. "Our rollout will not be like Hutchison's 3G rollout of a new network, we
will be upgrading our existing network." Vodafone New Zealand also announced a
"significant investment" in its 3G network, which is due to be rolled out
progressively over the next 18 months. Both Vodafone New Zealand and Vodafone Australia
are in the progress of joint vendor selection for their respective 3G networks. Vodafone
said the 3G service will work in conjunction with its existing GSM and GPRS networks and
will be phased in over time.
14/08/03 Another interesting article..
Does not really say much though :-(
Vodafone cuts mobile
pricing
Michael Sainsbury
AUGUST 14, 2003
AFTER falling behind revenue growth targets, Vodafone will make aggressive price cuts to
its voice services next month.
The No.3 mobile company, with about 18 per cent of the 14.5 million-strong Australian
mobile market, will offer "bundles" of calls to the customer.
Insiders say they will resemble the recent price-capped monthly plans from Hutchison's two
networks, without the handset subsidy for its "3" video phone service. Vodafone
originally targeted August 31 for the new plans, but Vodafone chief Grahame Maher is now
talking about September. The company has annual revenues of about $1.6 billion, analysts
estimate.
Vodafone has been losing higher value contract customers for nine consecutive quarters.
It has stepped up offers of cut-price handsets to existing customers. Big spenders were
being offered Vodafone's Live handset, which took photos, had a colour screen, and was
worth almost $1000, Vodafone customers said - despite Mr Maher calling the subsidies
"evil".
It comes in response to an escalating handset battle between leading mobile players,
Telstra and Optus. Last year Telstra lost valuable customers to Optus.
Vodafone had begun a campaign to contact all of its customers and offer them a handset
upgrade, Mr Maher said. The handset and subsidy would vary according to the value of the
customer. Some mobile users have told The Australian they were being encouraged to move to
contract plans, which lock users into spending a certain amount each month with a mobile
company for a year or two.
This is despite Mr Maher saying he would be happy if his entire customer base moved to
flexible pre-paid payment methods.
These moves by Vodafone should signal an end to the phone war in the mobile sector which
has seen operators re-cast pricing and subsidies with little real downward pressure on
pricing. In fact, the cost of using mobiles had risen by 15-20 per cent over the past few
years, analysts said.
This issue will soon be addressed by a full inquiry into the mobiles sector by the
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Morgan Stanley said a 1 per cent drop in mobile call prices would cut Telstra's revenues
by $30 million a year and Optus's by about $25 million.
Mr Maher said Vodafone had done the tough work on cutting operating costs by 35-40 per
cent. But "There is still work to do there," he said. It had also cut capital
spending by 70 per cent. "We still spend a couple of hundred million dollars a year
on capital," he said. "We generate enough cash to be able to pay for this out of
our local operation. But if there is a sensible investment or project we want to spend on,
then cash is available from our parent," he said.
05/08/03 Interesting article..
I wonder were the new 20c Flag Fall fits in??? ;-) Any one know???
Vodafone fires first in phone war
By Michael Sainsbury
VODAFONE will break ranks with the two biggest mobile companies, Telstra and Optus, by
slashing call prices within the next few months.The move could have a flow-on effect to
Vodafone's competitors, hitting revenues and margins in their lucrative mobile divisions.
Morgan Stanley estimates that a 1 per cent drop in mobile charges would knock $30 million
a year off Telstra's revenues. "We are going to be aggressive - rates will
drop," Vodafone chief Grahame Maher told The Australian. Mr Maher said the pricing
model would resemble a "bundle" of local calls, similar to a US fixed-line
model, which would include an access charge and free or cheap calls. This week's new Optus
plans have not seen any overall fall in prices.
Mr Maher also rejected the view of many analysts that the mobile market was running out of growth. He said that customers would move from fixed-line phones to mobiles as monthly access charges on fixed lines continued to rise and mobile rates fell. Vodafone this week revealed it had added just 29,000 new customers to its network from April-March, down from 110,000 in the first quarter. For almost a decade the three networks have barely differed on pricing. Over the past three years, since the collapse of One.Tel, call charges have steadily risen between 15-10 per cent, analysts said. But the entry of Hutchison into the market in April with its third-generation video phone services and a $99 per month capped-call rate for voice calls had shaken-up the market.
In the two years since he
has been at the helm of the Australian operations of Vodafone, Mr Maher has cut staff from
3300 to 1600. Yesterday, he said the company would shut its Sydney call centre, losing up
to 140 staff. The move follows last year's closure of a similar operation in Melbourne.
The company will consolidate its call centre operations in Hobart, where labour is
cheaper. Vodafone has 800-850 staff in Hobart, Mr Maher said. Vodafone, at No.3 in the
market, which is a subsidiary of the world's-biggest mobile company, has taken extreme
measures to survive in the Australian market. Apart from slashing staff it has also
outsourced a host of functions including information technology. Mr Maher said there were
still a number of areas he was considering for possible outsourcing arrangements including
debt collection and network operations and maintenance.
29/04/03 Rally Ace Possum Bourne!
My thoughts are with his family in this hard time. I had met possum about 4 times in the last few years. I'm a big fan of his and tried to get my new Subaru shirt signed by him each year. This year it did not go well, as it faded right away. I did not think this might be the last time i would see him. Possum hang in there!!! Don't give up!! We all need you! :-)
Tim
For the people that don't know Possum Bourne is the leading Subaru AU rally driver. He was involved in a head on crash (not while rallying). and is not looking good in hospital in NZ.
11/03/03 Interesting article from NY Times 
March 10, 2003
As Cellphones Become Cuter, Clarity Suffers
By MATT RICHTEL
AN FRANCISCO, March 9 - The mobile telephone has evolved into a sleek multifunctional
marvel. It can store e-mail addresses and hundreds of phone numbers. It can emit any of
dozens of ring tones or vibrate silently. It can be used to play games and double as a
digital camera - even as it is small enough to fit in cigarette case.
But for all these wireless wonders, industry analysts, researchers and consumers say that
many of the sleek, versatile new models are simply not as good as the old ones at being
telephones.
"Not only is reception a lot poorer, but the phones eat up battery life, so there's
less talk time," said Michael King, a mobile data analyst with Gartner, a market
research group. Games are nice, but "the majority of the time, we're talking on these
things," Mr. King said. "If they can't do that well, what's the point
really?"
While the battery-life problem is one that manufacturers say users must accept as a
trade-off for smaller size and more features, the reception issue arises from the trend of
making phones sleeker by putting their antennas inside, instead of using the external,
stubby pinky-size antenna fixtures found on other cellphones, old and new.
Research from Ethertronics, a San Diego company that researches antenna capacity and
manufacturers mobile-phone antennas, indicates that, all other things being equal, the
radio strength of today's phones with internal antennas is 15 percent to 20 percent less
powerful than that of phones with external antennas.
The contention that new phones have sub-par reception is one that phone makers dispute -
to a point. Several major makers, including Nokia and Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of
the two companies, said that, generally speaking, their new phones were as good as the old
ones, and met the needs of consumers and network carriers. And they noted that external
antennas frequently
break.
But the companies stopped short of directly addressing the relative strengths of internal
and external antennas.
When asked about the issue, Sony Ericcson issued a statement discussing the complexity of
reception issues, including radio frequency, or R.F., technology. "Generalisations
regarding R.F. performance should be avoided, as many factors come into play that
determine its quality." The company cited a few such factors, including the design of
the radio frequency circuits.
At Nokia, a company spokesman, Charles Chopp, said that one reason the company had moved
to internal antennas was that broken antennas were "one of the top 10 complaints
about cellular phones." Users prefer the "ease and carryability" of phones
with internal antennas, he said.
Mr. Chopp said that in adopting internal antennas, the company had "made a point of
giving the end user a better experience." And, he said, "These antennas provide
the interaction experience that is acceptable to the carriers."
But the nation's biggest cellphone carrier, Verizon Wireless, refuses to sell phones that
have internal antennas.
Jim Jerace, a spokesman for Verizon, which has 30 million subscribers, said the company
required makers of handsets for its network "to pass a certain level of performance
before they are certified, and one requirement is they have an antenna that is capable of
going up."
Verizon retail stores sells phones made by Motorola, Kyocera and LG Electronics, among
others, but only models with external antennas.
"If an antenna is squeezed into casing, it won't have the same capability," Mr.
Jerace said. "The larger the surface area of the antenna, the better the
reception."
Whatever the power trade-offs, phone makers are intent on giving consumers smaller phones
with more features to stimulate sales in a slumping market. Casey C. Ryan, an analyst with
Wells Fargo Securities, said global sales of phones fell below 400 million units last year
from 412 million in 2001.
Mr. King, the Gartner analyst, said that two years ago, consumers typically replaced their
phones once a year. Lately, they are waiting 18 to 24 months, he said.
At the AT&T Wireless store at Market and Third Streets in downtown San Francisco,
three different sales representatives recently said they recommended that people buy the
new phones with internal antennas because the phones are smaller and have more features.
A saleswoman at the store acknowledged that the phones with external antennas can get
"one more bar of reception" - referring to the bar graph displays on phones that
indicate signal strength.
But she said that many consumers still want phones with internal antennas. "Sometimes
people like smaller phones," she said. "People feel the antenna is in the
way."
In fact, consumers at the store have little choice. The shop mostly offers Nokia phones,
and not one of the Nokia models on display last week had an external antenna. The only two
phones for sale with outboard antennas were models by Siemens and Motorola.
Bruce A. Gray, the chief executive of Ethertronics, said there were a variety of technical
reasons why internal antennas tend not to work as well as external ones. A crucial factor,
he said, is that the internal antennas now found in many cellphones can interfere with the
phone's other circuitry.
Mr. Gray said the interference can cause static or dropped calls. But those problems tend
to be less severe in densely populated areas where the cellular phone networks have placed
more cell sites. The nearer the proximity to a cell site, the less a problem the
interference creates, Mr. Gray said.
Mr. Gray said that cellphone makers started heavily pushing phones with internal antennas
in Europe about three years ago, and in the United States about 18 months ago. "They
knew they could decrease performance, but they would also decrease the amount of antenna
breakage," he said. But, he added, "Internal antennas hit the market three years
before they were ready."
And yet, antenna technology is improving, Mr. Gray said. The new phones that will reach
the market by the end of this year, he said, will have internal antennas that may offer
superior reception to phones with even the newest external antennas. That is because the
new internal antennas are designed to better send and receive signals around the user's
head.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/10/technology/10PHON.html
08/03/03 Another interesting news article on Orange
/ Hutchison 3G "THREE" network
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/64/28908.html
Hutchison 3G confirms March launch
By ComputerWire
Posted: 17/01/2003 at 09:36 GMT
The ambitious plans of Hutchison 3G UK Ltd to be the first operator
to launch a commercial 3G service in Europe, received a further
boost following the news it has 30,000 registrations for its video
mobile service in the United Kingdom.
The company is expected to spend tens of millions of pounds this
year on advertising the launch of its 3G service, which will be
branded "3". It already has in excess of 1,000 3G test handsets in
operation across the UK, and expects to launch the service before
the end of March. It should be noted that this 3G service will only
cover 50% of the UK population (outside these areas, users will
roam the 2G network of mm02).
Hutchison had been expecting to launch its 3G service by
December 2002, but technical problems have pushed the project six
months behind schedule. The delay has meant that Hutchison Group
is facing a massive increase in costs, and has had to delay the
March launch date of its 3G service in Australia, where it had the
chance to steal a march on bigger rivals Telstra and Optus, which
are currently in the 3G pilot stage.
Hutchison Group had a strict timetable for the roll-out of 3G services
around the world, with UK first, followed by Italy, Hong Kong, and
then Australia. The group is spending more than 7bn pounds
($11,2bn) on 3G in Europe, against 1bn pounds ($1.6bn) in
Australia.
For the first 20,000 customers in the UK, the 3G service will cost
59.99 pounds ($94) or 99.99 pounds ($159) per month, depending
on the amounts of "free" voice and video calls, as well as text and
picture messaging. Handset prices will start from 399 pounds
($640), although promotional discounts could drop this down to the
200 pound ($321) mark.
The news follows the earlier announcements that Hutchison 3G has
signed deals with "The Link", a chain of mobile phone outlets, along
with the 325 strong chain of "Phones 4u" stores, to sell the
"3"-branded 3G handsets and other products and multimedia
services.
© ComputerWire
02/03/03 Orange 3G "THREE" UK Network info
Not about Voda... But interesting from the 3G point of view. Also considering that Orange is building a 3G network in AU that is meant to be live 1St Q this year.
Three launches 3G services - but without handsets
By Mary Fagan (Filed: 02/03/2003)
Three, the first of the mobile telecoms operators to bring third generation services to the UK, is to "launch" its service tomorrow without any handsets.
In a deeply embarrassing start for the company, formerly known as Hutchison, customers will be able to order handsets from high street outlets but will be forced to wait for four or even six weeks for delivery.
The problem will be seized on by critics of 3G who say the services, which include fast internet access and interactive data services on the move, have been over-hyped.
Orange and mmo2 are not expected to launch 3G services in the UK until the second half of next year. While Vodafone will enter the market earlier, it is also unlikely to launch until 2004.
Three's expected launch date of 03/03/03 was already months later than had been originally planned. The company, which is launching in six European countries, had set itself a target of gaining 2m customers by the end of 2003. It had also made a great play of stealing a march on its more established rivals.
According to one City analyst: "Nine months ago people were excited about Three. Now it's hard to see how they will make the 2m target. This is more of an unveiling than the launch people had been hoping for."
Three is aiming for the high end of the mobile market with handsets costing between £400 and £450. The company's network is thought to directly cover only around half the UK population.
However, Three provides full coverage through a "roaming" agreement which allows customers to use the O2 network while the company completes its build-out.
The industry is also braced this week for news of further cutbacks from Orange, now owned by France Telecom, when it announces its results on Wednesday.
The mobile company has been asked by its heavily indebted parent to find savings of between Eu5bn and Eu7bn over the next three years. Orange, which was once the most dynamic of the UK mobile operators, has already said that it will rein back on geographic expansion and delay its 3G rollout.
Analysts expect capital spending this year to be slashed to just two-thirds of the level in 2002. Orange is also expected to make cut backs on marketing.
"Everyone now talks about Orange in the same breath as France Telecom and quite rightly so. In contrast, Vodafone has been out there with the 'Live' product and will be driving to improve market share in all its key markets," one said.
There is also speculation that Orange will sell or close its Dutch or Danish businesses, which have relatively weak market positions. Graham Howe, the deputy chief executive who is leaving the company after being passed over for the top job, is said to have been the main opponent to geographic retrenchment.
20/02/03 "ASK Voda" service on Vodafone "Official" page still not working :-(
Apart from the point that the service does not give answers, The feedback form on the service are time limited (they expire if you don't fill them out with in a certain time limit) And then it seams that the URL they send you to take you to the form is wrong too :-) I'm curies to know who is the web master for there site? Would He/She like to drop me an e-mail so i can pass on my constructive feedback ? ;-) (No I'm not trying to have a go) I know my site is not perfect... But i don't get payed to run it! :-)
19/02/03
Telstra and Vodafone have just signed a intercarrier MMS (PXT) deal
14/02/03 Clear up some stuff
Hey people,
Just want to clear up some stuff, As i think most people have the idea right, but just in case. I just want to make it clear that this project is TOTAL VOLUNTARY. You can still buy the phone and not use my custom software. I just made the deal to help every one out. I'm not trying to make anyone buy anything... ;-) . My page is about helping people, Which if you can help with the project.. Great.. If not that's fine too :-)
Thanks Tim
14/02/03 EXCLUSIVE offer on Voxson VX 2700 and FREE
data cable! $155in GST!
One of the great sales guys at Voxson (Nick L) and myself (Tim Merrell) have setup an special deal and price on the Voxson VX 2700 and data cable. Even if your not interested in using it for my project. It is still a great little phone! Designed right here in AU. All for $155 Inc GST + $12 Postage and handling. It is NOT SIM locked and comes with the phone, battery, user manual, hands free, charger, box and FREE data cable. This can only be a limited offer :-)
Thing you need to say when ordering
1. Special pricing was setup by me ( TIM MERRELL) and NICK L.
2. You will need software in the phone version 5.10 or better which should be done by me.
That's it! see www.voxson.com.au OR call 07 3868 1277 to order.
14/02/03 Vodafone's response to my new
"Expression of interest"
Well I'm glad to see that Voda has blocked and "recall the message" for anyone sending messages from work. Guys this is fair enough..You are at work.. and voda does control this....So just e-mail me from home :-) But glad to see we *CAN* work together for our *SAME* interests! Yes i AM joking here ;-). What are you afraid of Voda? Are you still upset that after 5 Years I'm still here?? I'm not trying to hurt you or do anything like that.. In fact I HELP YOU and i do it for FREE!!! I would love to see your Web Master do it for FREE for 5 years! I'm not giving away any info, not getting my info from illegal means. Not trying to blow up towers!
It is good to see that even thought things change.. they still seam the same :-)
If your (Vodafone) legal department wants to contact me... Well you know what to do.. and you HAVE tried this in the past ;-) But i love receiving mail, so i do not mind :-)
I have thought for a while that Voda HAS blocked messages coming from me to the @vodafone.com.au domain. As i have sent replies to e-mail that have been sent by me... but i don't think any of them were received :-(
Tim
13/02/03 Interest wanted from possible Beta testers
for new GSM software developed by myself and a friend
Hello everyone,
I'm looking for "expressions of interest" from NON-COMMERCIAL , PERSONAL USE ONLY people (It is ok if you work for any GSM network in AU. But you MUST let me know if you do, You must also NOT use it at work / Commercial applications. The software is GSM related, but you don't need to know anything about the tech side of things.
What you will need :-
1 VOXSON VX2700 or VX2720 (Vox Blue). Can be bought as a pre-paid pack from AU post and are NOT SIM locked. About $150 ?? or around that with a Voda Pre-Paid pack included. VOXSON also should have a few left for around $179 ??? It is the ONLY GSM phone designed in AU.. so well worth a look :-)
1 Data cable to go with it. (These can be built latter).
1 PC or MAC (or laptop / power book / note book of one)
PC: 486 DX 33 with 4 MB ram. 1MB HDD space. 16XXX UART COM chip preferred. Will run on a 386 DX 33, But you will need a 16550 or better UART / Serial chip on the COM port. Will run from a DOS floppy (No HDD needed), or in a DOS box in WIN 9X, NT 4 or like operating system.
MAC: Virtual PC 6 (will be testing older versions of Virtual PC starting from V3.0, Alpha testing has been done with V6.) with a USB to Serial adaptor (more info on brand of adaptor as used with Alpha testing).
This project is the "next generation" for me and my site. It will blow a few people away and has been in the pipeline for many years. If you are selected as a Beta tester, all i can offer in return is a full version at the end, and you name will appear in the credit of "beta testers". Please don't underestimate this project... as i think EVERYONE will be surprised.. even me.. and i know the software!
Thanks Tim
11/02/03 SPAM!!
Due to the amount of SPAM I have been receiving, I have had to add Passive and Active SPAM mail blocking / Filtering. If your e-mail DOES NOT get to me for ANY reason. Please use the Feedback form to let me know. Thanks for your understanding with this. I have to pay for what I receive via E-mail as well as WWW bandwidth/ traffic . So this is the only way I can afford to keep the site going.. and expand it. Especially with the growth of the traffic to my page :-)
07/02/03 Highways coverage project in
"Cooroy" solved :-) 
Well I have some excellent news on this. I was called by an EXCELLENT customer service rep and she told me what the go was. My hunch that there should be a tower there as part of the project is correct. But the reason it's not there was a bit different (but not uncommon). It has been stoped (for the moment) by "protests" by the local people. C'Mon guys.. I know everyone doesn't want a tower in there backyard (I do.. but that's me ;-), But lets face it... Have any of the protesters got a mobile phone? Ever called a mobile phone? (GSM, AMPS or CDMA?) Well if you use it then you have to have the towers! They can be setup in such a way to be "lower impact". I hope the locals and Voda make a compromise... or the 1 KM that has no coverage will be that way for a while :-(
I have also had confirmation that the highways project IS complete in all states. The Cooroy tower is the last one not to be online ;-)
I knew it would happen to me! Once again i would personal like to thank the customer service rep who call me, she did a great job! It shows that Voda and me can work together to help fellow customers.
Keep up the good work!
06/02/03 Update on "Coverage for
highways" project
From the official
government DOC " Commonwealth support programs for mobile phone services"
That quotes " approximately 99.88 per cent of 9 X 425km of the designated highways
will receive mobile coverage - the gaps (equalling 0.12 per cent) were not feasible to
fill due to difficult terrain or site access restrictions."
Fair enough, this should be 4.59 KM of ALL combined coverage routes will not have coverage. Now that sounds ok. But if that is true, AND the project is finished in QLD (As I'm officially told). Then "Cooroy" IS the 4.59 KMs??
Hmm... That would be a weird thing if it is ;-)
I'm looking into it further... Have had SO MANY questions about this project.. people are asking Voda.. but not getting replies.. or answers when they get replies... So I'm trying to shed some light on what is the go :-)
04/02/03 Vodafone Customer / "ASK VODA"
service performance
Hello every one, Since Voda reads my page, and there feedback forms are not working (see below) i thought it might be handy to put this here to see if we can all work together and get some improvement. I have herd news / received many e-mails that customer service performance (at Voda) has gone "down hill" for a while now.. and i personally have not been impressed with it. A few other things as well. So when i checked out the Voda web page last and saw the new "ASK VODA" service.. i decided.. why not.. lets see what's going on Good OR bad. If Voda would like to talk about any of this.. or put any messages / comments about this... (on this page). You know my e-mail address :-) Also remember they (Voda) quote "Your question has been received and you should expect a response from us within 48 hours."
Here are the results, they speak for them self's :-(
Result. NOT GOOD! Need improvement! C'Mon Voda. I'm not saying there are not any good customer reps in Voda. I personally know there is.... But overall there is defiantly a growing trend that are unhappy in this area. Lets make it better Voda? Or do we just want to lose customers and make customers unhappy? If you are going to start a service.. make sure it works... Or there is not much point? ;-) OR if it doesn't... (no one is perfect) change it so it does.
Error when replying to survey :-( Time limited feedback forms? hmm...
Q1. Hello, When will 14.4
KBPS fax and data be support
Sent 21/01/2003
Answer 23/01/2003
RESULT: GOOD
Q2. Hello, What speed of GPRS in supported? EG how many transmit / receive?
Sent 21/01/2003
I reply 22/01/2003 (did not answer question so i replied)
Answer 23 Jan 2003
RESULT: OK Thanks for that one Jen :-)
Q3. Hello, Why is it when on
pre-paid. (ect..)
Sent 22/01/2003
Reply 23/01/2003 I have forwarded the details you provided in your e-mail to your Service
Provider
4/02/03 (still no replies) Not answered
RESULT: VERY BAD! It has been
2 weeks (14 days) and still no reply. Nothing.
Q4 Quick question about
coverage / Highways project (story)
sent 28/01/03
reply 29/01/03 (did not answer question)
I replied 29/01/03
04/02/03 (still no replies / no answer)
31/02/03 Rang voda on 1800 638 638
On wait/hold 10 mins, spoke to a guy, he did not know, asked supervisor, did not totally
know,
thought the project was finished TOTALLY in NOV '02, filled in a complaint / tech report
(about no coverage via Hand held or 3dB external car kit), said engineer would call the
next day. 04/02/03 No call yet. Nothing... Was it lost???
RESULT: VERY BAD! (7 days and waiting via "ASK VODA", 4 days and still waiting via 1800 638 638.Even after a call to Voda.. Still nothing! Makes you wonder about both services. :-)
31/01/03 Highways coverage project update
Well according to official data the project was finished on Nov 2002. Also i have confirmation that the QLD part is complete. I have found one part on the route that still does not have coverage (and has not for many years).. so still following that up. It is interesting news none the less. (Info was not gathered from the "Ask Voda service" 20 min call to voda. Yet 2 days and still no answer from "Ask Voda". Hmmm.. Not good.)
29/01/03 Some good, But quite a bit of disturbing
insights 
Let's share network: Vodafone
Michael Sainsbury
JANUARY 29, 2003
<http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,5905449%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html>
VODAFONE has called for an end to mobile network duplication in
regional Australia, with a demand for a shared or single network.
The call by Vodafone chief executive Graham Maher came as the company
admitted having missed its quarterly customer targets for the three
months to December 31.
Vodafone was caught in a new handset subsidy war between Telstra and
Optus, despite heavy discounting of its own pre-paid starter kits.
Vodafone added 188,000 new customers for the December quarter, after a
bumper Christmas that surpassed the previous year, and almost doubled
its result from the previous three months.
Analysts forecast new customers industry-wide as high as 500,000 for
the period.
But possibly tens of thousands of Vodafone's new customers came from
pre-paid SIM cards sold for as little as $9.95 by big retailers such
as Harvey Norman.
Some people bought the cards, which usually sell for about $30, to top
up existing phones, rather than use the new phone number.
Mr Maher blamed this on heavy discounting by wholesale partner AAPT.
He refused to say how many discounted SIM cards had been sold, but
said Vodafone had included only half of the number sold in its
quarterly figures. Insiders suggested tens of thousands of cards could
have been sold.
Mr Maher said the company wouldn't compete in a network coverage war,
and wouldn't commit to building new base stations -- at an average
cost of $350,000 each -- in country Australia.
Instead, Vodafone Australia -- a subsidiary of the British mobile
giant Vodafone -- is testing a roaming system, putting its customers
onto Telstra's bigger network in Victoria and Tasmania.
Mr Maher said he'd like a nationwide roaming deal.
But a Telstra spokesman said he was puzzled by Mr Maher's comments.
"We already have a roaming agreement with Vodafone, and are happy to
extend it."
Telstra is the No.1 mobile operator. It's concerned Vodafone wants
regulated access to its GSM network dictated by the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission.
Mr Maher also forecast fur ther cost-cutting at Vodafone. His goal
when he took over 18 months ago was to halve capital and operating
expenditure.
Capital costs were now halved, but Mr Maher has cut revenue-based
expenses by only 30 per cent.
09/01/03 GlobalStar / Rural Highway coverage
update
Vodafone's Globalstar satellite mobile phone service has been sold to Localstar.
Rural highway section between Adelaide- Melbourne now completed with new sites at Tailem Bend, Brimbago, Mt Zero and Ben Nevis. There are number of sites along the South Eastern Freeway and western freeway. Thanks Tom!
07/01/03 National Roaming - Pre-Paid
National Roaming with pre-paid SIM will be available some time in the first 1/4 on 2003. Thanks Tom!
01/01/03 Happy New Year! Welcome to 2003!
A big thanks to all my visitors and people that have helped make my site what it is today. I know we will have a even better year this year! I have a few things in mind ;-)
Tim
18/12/02 Tower Upgrade
The tower at New Market in QLD is being upgraded from an Omni to 3 celled directional. Users should notice an improvement.
12/12/02 Web page 5 Th Birthday!
Well it has been 5 years already. Seams like yesterday that i started my site. Thanks to everyone that has helped in same way or another. You know who you are.
Merry Christmas to everyone and i hope you have a safe and happy Christmas. Remember don't drive and look at towers, it's not safe ;-)
Tim
09/12/02
Interesting article "Vodafone willing to buy Hutchison's 3G network"
Dec 9
Katrina Nicholas
<http://afr.com/companies/2002/12/09/FFXVG00UF9D.html>
Vodafone is prepared to buy Hutchison Telecommunications' $3 billion
third-generation mobile phone network to secure its place as a
dominant player in Australia's wireless data market.
The bold statement by Australia's third-largest mobile carrier comes
as local interest in 3G technology hots up.
Last Monday, Telstra upstaged Hutchison by launching what it claims is
the country's first fully operational 3G network. Hutchison plans to
launch its network in March.
In an interview with The Australian Financial Review, Vodafone
Australia managing director Grahame Maher said Vodafone would consider
buying Hutchison's 3G network, rather than building its own or
striking an alliance to share capacity.
Mr Maher said it would make more sense for Vodafone to purchase
Hutchison's new network because Hutchison was a global competitor to
Vodafone. He said he would look at either buying capacity on the
network, or buying the network outright.
"In the short term, if there was capacity, we could buy that from
Hutchison . . . we've already provided them with the ability to buy
2.5G access from us, so we'd be asking to get 3G from them.
"Then, in the longer term, we would consider buying the network if it
became available. We could do an alliance, but for us, Hutchison is a
competitor worldwide so it'd be harder for us to have a partnership
with them [in Australia]."
Although Mr Maher said he had discussed infrastructure deals with all
operators, he said he had no imminent plans to invest in 3G. "That's
because we think the applications aren't there and the market in
Australia is not ready yet."
Mr Maher also said Vodafone still believed its licence for 3G
spectrum, which cost more than $200 million, was valuable.
For months, industry watchers have speculated that Hutchison would do
well to strike some sort of alliance with Vodafone which would see
Vodafone migrate its GSM customers to Hutchison's 3G network.
"Otherwise, how is Hutchison going to get people on its 3G network?
Vodafone learnt this lesson when it launched its GSM network in
Australia. Typically, mobile customers tend to stay with their
existing carriers, not switch because a new network is launched," one
telecommunications analyst said.
But a Hutchison spokesman said customers would come from Telstra and
Optus. "They won't be new customers, rather existing customers of
other carriers who are prepared to spend money on a new mobile
service," he said.
The spokesman declined to respond to Mr Maher's comments.
Mr Maher also dismissed Telstra's launch last week of what it is
touting as Australia's first 3G network. Rather than build a wideband
CDMA network from scratch like Hutchison is doing, Telstra has used a
technology called 1xRTT to upgrade its existing CDMA network.
Mr Maher said Telstra was simply trying to steal Hutchison's thunder.
He also questioned whether there were the applications available to
warrant Telstra's new high-speed network.
Vodafone, he said, had a mature 3G network in Japan "and all the
applications on that are running at below 20 kilobits a second, even
though the network runs at 384 kilobits - there's just not the
applications at the moment that need that speed."
Industry experts, however, predict that applications will, in the near
future, require the bandwidth a 3G network can offer.
FutureLab business manager Leslie Shannon said 3G applications would
be extremely compelling to both businesses and consumers.
FutureLab is a collaborative venture between Nokia and Optus based in
Sydney's Pyrmont. The lab opened in March 2001 to develop new
applications and content for next generation mobile networks.
Ms Shannon said the lab had been doing work in recent months with
technology from RealNetworks, which allows video to be received on a
mobile phone.
"That needs as much bandwidth as we can get so yes, there will be
applications that need 3G," she said. "And as soon as people start
seeing what can be delivered, the drive for it will be insatiable."
Mr Maher also said the number of 3G networks would increase as the
technology became more cost effective. "The applications will come,
but more importantly, at some stage 3G will become more cost effective
to build, like records and CDs."
23/11/02 SMS delivery Reports Charged for
If you didn't already know Voda is now changing for SMS delivery reports. It seams to be 4c Each. Please let me know if anyone has any other charge on there bill. I presume it is for pre-paid as well.
04/01/02 Special
Offer on the VOXSON VX2700 and VX2720 Mobile Phones
Here is a special offer I have put together on the Voxson VX2700 and Voxson Blue VX2720 mobile phones for the users of my site!
01/01/02 SMSC Playing up!
If you are having problems Sending SMS, Receiving SMS and Delivery reports. It is because the SMSC has fallen over again! I'm glad to see the the Premium price we pay for SMS and the Premium profits Voda makes from it have gone back into upgrading the SMS system! ;-)
01/01/02 Happy New Year!
Happy new year to all the people who visit and help with my site! Thanks for all you help and support! This new year should included at least one new surprise to my page :-)
More on that latter... ;-)
27/12/01 NSW Bush Fires
My heart goes out to all the people of NSW and the members of the Blue Mountains Bush Fire service, SES, VRA, Police ETC . I used to live in Wentworth Falls in the NSW Blue Mountains and was a Bush Fire Fighter / COMMS operator for quite a few years. ( Both for the Wentworth Falls and HQ brigades). So i know what it is like.
My respect and admiration for all involved. ALL the Volunteers that give up there time and sometimes life for the good of others deserve metals!
Tim
OLD NEWS 2001/2000 1999 1998 1997
(c) Tim Merrell 1997-2000-2001-2002-2003. http://www.mrvfone.com.au