Telstra today welcomed the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy’s confirmation that the Next G™ Network was providing an equivalent network coverage footprint to the outgoing CDMA network.

Telstra Country Wide® Group Managing Director, Mr Geoff Booth also re-committed Telstra to continue to work with the small number of customers who may be experiencing genuine issues with equipment.

He said he was pleased that Telstra could now proceed with plans to close the network by 28 April 2008 and complete the migration of customers.

"We have been on a path to resolve customer issues by 28 January and we were confident we would meet our deadline. The Minister has made a different assessment but we are very pleased that he has given us a clear goal for closure, a process to get there, and a clear message to CDMA customers that they need to move quickly."

Telstra will confirm to the Minister before the end of March that it has addressed every one of the issues identified to ensure the network can be switched off by 28 April. Telstra will:

• Demonstrate that Telstra has done everything reasonably possible to ensure that customers with genuine issues have the appropriate handsets and equipment to meet their coverage needs, equivalent to CDMA.
• Introduce a new accreditation program to ensure Telstra retail staff maintain a standard of customer service excellence. Telstra notes that the Minister has recognised that it is leading the industry and encourages others to follow.
• Demonstrate that Next G Wireless Link and Telemetry customers have access to the necessary Next G™ equipment and have been given every opportunity to migrate.

"We understand that transitions from the old to the new are always difficult, but in this case it is a necessary transition from an aging technology to a world-class mobile phone and broadband system that gives our customers access to the internet and a huge range of new services," Mr Booth said.

"We are totally focused on making sure customers get the right equipment – both before and after their purchase – and we will now increase our efforts even further to ensure the relatively small number of customers remaining on the CDMA network get the best possible sales advice when they make the move to the Next G™ network."

Media release:

• Telstra accepts Minister's decision to postpone CDMA closure and re-commits to work with customers to make the transition to Next G™ (www.telstra.com.au)