Telstra received another international distinction overnight, receiving a gold medal in the Annual Laureate Medal Ceremony that is part of the 2008 Computerworld Honors Program.

The award recognises Telstra’s technology achievements in two areas – first, building the high-speed wireless broadband Next G ™ network and second, increasing the speed of its high fibre coaxial (HFC) cable network in Sydney and Melbourne. It also acknowledges the contribution this investment has made to the Australian population.

On accepting the gold medal at the Annual Laureate Medal Ceremony, Telstra’s Group Managing Director Public Policy & Communications, Dr Phil Burgess said that Telstra’s achievements were part of one of the world’s largest and most complex end-to-end transformation programs initiated by Telstra in 2005.

“We are now at the half-way point in this journey, and we are seeing the results of our investment in technological innovation. We are leading our global peer group across many key financial performance measures including growing mobile services revenue and increasing retail broadband market share while at the same time growing ARPUs – or average revenues per user,” Dr Burgess said.

“For everyday Australians – many of whom live in rural and remote areas – our investment also means that fast and reliable access to telecommunications services provided by the New Telstra are changing the lives of our customers, businesses and communities throughout the country.”

Computerworld Honors is the longest running global program to honour individuals and organisations that use information technology to benefit society. Telstra was nominated by Accenture who are represented amongst a group of 100 Chairmen or CEOs of global technology companies on the Computerworld Chairmen’s Committee. Nominations are evaluated by an independent board of CIO-level judges.