Telecom Already Active In 3G

TELECOM ALREADY ACTIVE IN 3G

Telecom Mobile 027 customers currently enjoy the best and fastest technology in New Zealand and it’s natural that competitors want to catch up, Telecom General Manager Mobile Kevin Kenrick said today.

“Bring it on. We welcome competition – it’s keeping all our customers up to date with the world’s best technology,” Mr Kenrick said.

“Through our Mobile JetStream network, Telecom already has a big technology advantage over Vodafone. We have been providing fast data services in New Zealand for the past year at up to 3G rates that are comparable with the speeds achieved on early generation W-CDMA networks – the sort of 3G network Vodafone is talking about building.

“Our data rates are about twice as fast as the competition’s GPRS network. We also have better network efficiency and support for a wider range of applications.

“We’re launching a lot of services that take advantage of our capability, particularly with the integration of Telecom Mobile and Internet services through Xtra. We have many more innovations planned for release in the next year.

“As well as our investment in CDMA in New Zealand, Telecom is supporting W-CDMA deployment in Australia, through our investment in Hutchinson Australia. We have rights to spectrum in the 2GHz band that would enable quick deployment of W-CDMA in New Zealand when the time is right.

“Through our own Mobile JetStream and our relationship with Hutchison, we’ re also learning a lot about the applications that people want from 3G.

“However, you have to ask whether a country as small as New Zealand can support so many networks – the industry really should be looking at co-operating to build a W-CDMA network. We’re open to that discussion.

“Telecom’s on the 3G path today. You’ll see us moving further as the market develops,” Mr Kenrick said.

ENDS

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