"4G" via Telstra Exchange Blog in Google Reader

Telstra open up registrations of interest for the ‘HTC 4G’

2011-09-29T04:03:51Z

If you’re waiting to jump onto the Telstra 4G bandwagon, then it’s best you register your interest in the ‘HTC 4G’ smartphone, which will be Telstra’s (and Australia’s) first 4G smartphone. The specs for the device are much like the Sensation’s + LTE and a larger display.

1.2GHz Dual-Core CPU
Android 2.3.4 w/ Sense 3.0
4.5-inch qHD (960×540) LCD Display
8MP Rear Camera (shoots 1080p) / 1.3MP Front Camera (shoots your face)
1GB RAM
Telstra’s 4G LTE

Hit the source link to register your interest, or don’t, you know.. whatever suits you.

Reality check: Telstra 4G not aimed at the NBN

2011-09-28T01:26:22Z

opinion Those claiming that Telstra’s 4G mobile broadband rollout is a shot across the bow of the fibre National Broadband Network need to take a chill pill and look a bit harder at what the company is really aiming to achieve with the project: Freed up capacity on its existing mobile infrastructure to deal with existing demand.

In a fairly trollish commentary for ZDNet.com.au, seasoned telco commentator David Braue argues that the telco’s launch this week was littered with references designed to subtly subvert the stipulation in its contract that it not promote wireless broadband as an alternative to the fibre being rolled out as part of the NBN:

“This is the same kind of marketing committee-driven BS that NBN opponents accuse Stephen Conroy and his peers of peddling. Either Telstra is making a play for the landline market, or it’s encouraging video producers to transfer gigabytes of files while in their cars — and medical specialists to start treating patients outside of their very fixed clinics.”

According to Braue, although Telstra has pledged not to promote wireless as a replacement for fibre, the telco is covertly engaged in a massive land grab at the moment that will see the telco convert existing fixed broadband customers en-masse to a glorious Next G mobile future.

When the NBN fibre is actually rolled out, this fairy tale goes, half of those who would have signed up for fibre to their premise will already be existing in a Telstra 4G high-bandwidth nirvana; allowing Telstra to stick to the terms of its contract while actually nicking off around the corner with the NBN’s future customers. And, the rationale goes, Telstra’s move to open up Next G to access by resellers like Dodo is just another part of chief executive David Thodey’s master plan.

On paper it sounds plausible. You can imagine Thodey’s innocent protestations in closed meetings with NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley … “I can’t help it if the customers see Next G as an alternative to fibre,” he would cringe, inwardly rubbing his hands in glee. “The network is just so fast …”

It’s a nice vision, but like so many dreams which plague Australia’s telecommunications sector, it’s the sort of perverted fantasy which might have been dreamt up by Hunter S. Thompson in the depths of an ether binge.

The truth about Telstra’s enthusiasm for 4G is much more mundane, as the company has painstakingly laid out several times in press briefings over the past six months. In short, it’s all about freeing up capacity on the company’s mobile network to make space for the vast majority of users who will use it for the purposes God intended — semi-regular moderate access from a USB dongle and daily use on the road from a smartphone or tablet.

Right now, as every mobile carrier in Australia will tell you, there’s a class of hardcore users out there who are pushing mobile networks to their very limits. These users download and upload dramatically greater volumes of mobile data than most people, they connect every day, and they are largely concentrated in the urban centres of Australia’s major cities.

As the numbers of such users — and mobile data users in general — have started to increase, all of Australia’s mobile telcos have suffered shortfalls in their networks. Those with long memories will recall Optus’ problems when it grabbed the lion’s share of iPhone users in Australia a few years back, and Vodafone’s network basically collapsed last year as its cheap mobile broadband deals and smartphone plans attracted throngs of customers.

Now, as many Telstra customers can attest (tried any heavy mobile use in Sydney’s CBD recently? It’s getting a bit crowded), it’s time for the nation’s largest telco to feel the heat.

Over the past year, Telstra revealed in August, the telco has added a total of 1.6 million new mobile subscribers — that’s mobile broadband users, as well as those on mobile phone plans. And with the majority of phones being sold now being data-hungry smartphones, it’s not hard to see why Telstra, as its own executives would put it, is constantly throwing capacity at its mobile network in the form of fibre backhaul connections and new towers.

To keep up with the sheer pace at which mobile usage is growing, Telstra needs every strategy it can get — and its 4G rollout rollout will be a key part of that.

Through rolling out a 4G network alongside its current 3G network, Telstra is betting that many of its heaviest mobile users will gradually upgrade their mobile broadband modems (and, eventually, smartphones) to take advantage of the increased speeds, concentrated in areas where they are mostly located — urban central business districts.

As this happens, Telstra will suddenly find itself with freed-up capacity on its existing 3G mobile networks — resolving some of the capacity constraints it has started to experience with its influx of new users.

The telco’s plans to open up wholesale access to Next G will conveniently fit into this scenario rather well. If, as many suspect, Telstra plans to only open up wholesale access to the 3G component of its mobile network, and if it does so six months’ down the track when a number of its heaviest (and most profitable) users have shifted onto 4G, Telstra will have the capacity to take on an absolute boatload of light to moderate mobile users on its 3G network through resellers like Dodo, and without sacrificing capacity while doing so.

What does this have to do with fibre and the NBN? Well … nothing.

Let’s look at the situation realistically. Most of the heavy mobile broadband users which Telstra is attempting to shift onto its fledgling 4G network will be the sort of users who will have both fixed and mobile broadband connections. They’re internet junkies (I speak from personal experience). A small subset of the light to moderate users won’t sign up for the NBN fibre when it’s eventually rolled out in their neighbourhood, but only a small percentage.

Most will want their smartphone, tablet and possibly laptop connected to 3G, while also maintaining a fixed broadband connection at home. The growing migration of entertainment channels online (TV, movies on demand and so on) will alone ensure this, to say nothing of all the other internet services which just do better with a more reliable fixed broadband connection.

Is Telstra encouraging video producers to transfer gigabytes of files from their cars, and medical specialists to start treating patients outside of their very fixed clinics? Yes, as David Braue pointed out, it definitely is. However, in an NBN world, Telstra wants its cake and to eat it too. It will also encourage those same customers to have fixed broadband connections as well — and it’ll give them a discount for bundling both types of services together.

Now, as I’ve previously written, there is much that we don’t know about the future of wireless broadband and its potential to bridge the speed gap between copper-based broadband and fibre broadband. This fact, as well as its low deployment cost, is what makes the technology so alluring when comparing it to the NBN’s fibre.

However, it’s important not to mistake Telstra’s 4G announcement this week for something that it’s not. Telstra, like its rivals, is engaged right now in a desperate bid to keep its mobile network above water, and its 4G deployment is its latest sandbag designed to keep demand from overflowing its rapidly dwindling capacity supply.

Image credit: Telstra

Apologies: The iPhone 5 won’t run on Telstra’s 4G

2011-09-27T00:37:48Z

opinion Right, you’re thinking. Telstra has just launched its 4G/LTE network around Australia and Apple is planning to unveil the iPhone 5 next month. There’s every reason to believe these two beautiful facts could come together in one glorious orgy of speed-filled smartphone goodness, right?

Wrong.

A variety of facts currently point starkly to the fact that when the iPhone 5 launches in Australia, as it is expected to over the next several months, the handset will not support Telstra’s brand-spanking new 4G/LTE network, and we’ll have to wait something like 12 months for an Apple handset that will. Yes, it’s disappointing, yes, it’s heartbreaking, yes, it’s a #firstworldproblem, but here’s five reasons why a 4G iPhone is not on the cards yet for Telstra.

1. Spectrum incompatibility
Currently, all three of Australia’s major carriers, including Telstra, are basing their LTE/4G deployments on the 1800MHz wireless spectrum band. Broadly, this is a good thing; it brings Australia into line with parts of Europe and Asia, which are the major markets for smartphone manufacturers outside North America.

However, Apple is headquartered in the US, and tends to partner first with US carriers — currently AT&T and Verizon. And while both are currently rolling out 4G networks in a very similar way to the way Australia’s carriers are, neither are using the 1800MHz spectrum — instead, they’re using spectrum from the 700MHz band. This is likely the reason why Optus recently announced it would also test a 4G rollout in Australia using that band.

Spectrum incompatibility is a nasty little issue. The availability of spectrum differs between countries — Australia’s 4G rollouts, for example, depend partially on the allocation of spectrum left over after analogue television broadcasts are turned off (the ‘digital dividend’). What generally happens is that all the major spectrum bands end up being supported once mobile chipsets mature for each new wireless standard. However …

2 … mobile chips aren’t quite ready
Commentary on LTE at the moment has focused on the fact that mobile chipsets at the moment don’t appear to be quite mature enough for a device like the iPhone, which has to be rock solid. Commentary abounds about LTE chips which suck battery life like there’s no tomorrow and are quite bulky.

In January, when the iPhone launched on Verizon’s network in the US, a key question was why the device didn’t support LTE. At the time, Verizon said the first-generation LTE chips available on the market forced some ‘design compromises’ which Apple refused to make. Have things changed, just nine months down the track? Possible, but unlikely.

3. Telstra’s not hyping it, even subtly
You would think, if Telstra were on the verge of launching an iPhone that supported its 4G network, that the company would be tremendously excited about this. After all, such a launch would be an absolute coup for the telco — given that its 4G network would be the only one in Australia that would be ready for the iPhone’s launch. It would have a monopoly on the fastest iPhone speeds in Australia for some time.

But the vibe emanating from Australia’s biggest telco right now has nothing to do with major LTE handset releases and everything to do with a minor release — the ‘HTC 4G’ it announced today was on its way and its small range (two, so far) of USB LTE modems. I’m not getting the feeling at the moment from Telstra that a major release is coming up in the short term.

As when Telstra first launched its Next G network back in 2006, with the at-the-time radical 850MHz spectrum, I’m getting the feeling that it will be a while — at least six months, but perhaps closer to a year — before Telstra’s new LTE network will be supported by major top of the line smartphone releases.

4. LTE is more about freeing up capacity for Telstra
There’s no doubt that Telstra is about to engage in a massive marketing push to let everyone know that right now, it’s the only telco in Australia to be offering 4G/LTE mobile services. And there is also no doubt that the scope of its LTE network will dramatically increase over the next few years.

But right now, Telstra’s 4G/LTE network is not really about getting everyone the fastest speeds. The focus within Telstra on LTE is much more about offloading really heavy mobile broadband users off its 850MHz HSPA+ capacity and onto LTE, freeing up its existing network for further growth (perhaps through wholesale deals) in the process.

A number of commentators have highlighted the fact recently that Telstra’s network currently appears to be buckling in CBD areas due to the sheer amount of new customers it has connected to its infrastructure over the past year (among them, many Vodafone refugees), and LTE is very much about fixing this problem for Telstra.

5. US carriers are indeed testing an LTE iPhone … but so far, only US carriers
The latest news on a 4G/LTE iPhone existing comes from Boy Genius Report, which in mid-August broke the news that US carriers were testing such a device. Sounds encouraging, right? But again, this mediates against a 4G/LTE iPhone being launched on Telstra’s network this year. If the iPhone 5 is slated to launch in late 2011, and US carriers, which use a different network spectrum allocation for their 4G networks, only just started testing its chipset on their networks, there seems little hope that Telstra is currently testing such a device — which it would need to be, given most people expect the iPhone 5 to launch by the end of 2011 globally.

Furthermore, there have been no reports of carriers outside the US testing the device, which lends credence to the idea that this is just a test rumour — not a hard attempt by Apple to get a 4G/LTE iPhone ready for market. Apple clearly wants to bring LTE-based iPhones to market; but it just doesn’t seem like the right time.

In conclusion: Yes, it’s sad. It’s a tragedy of national proportions. But when the iPhone 5 launches in Australia (and likely the next batch of Android smartphones as well), it is simply very likelu that Australians won’t be able to take advantage of the top-line speeds offered by Telstra’s flashy new 4G network. That seems a while away yet.

Telstra’s first Android LTE tablet might be the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

2011-08-26T08:06:54Z

Buzz has received a tip from his source at Telstra about tablets and LTE. Tablets and LTE you say? Yes, that’s right.

His source has come up with some information relating to tablets and LTE — LTE being the technology used behind 4G mobile networks. Apparently, Telstra may be planning on launching the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 with LTE support. That’s right, this will possibly the first LTE tablet on Telstra’s new network which begins working later this year, for business customers at least.

There was no release date given, however, after doing a quick bit of research on the Internet, Buzz found that a LTE variant of the Galaxy Tab 8.9 — similar to this one headed to Telstra — is expected to launch on Verizon Wireless in the U.S.A. around November. November is also nearing the time when Telstra will put its 4G network into action.

If you’re not aware of exactly what the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is, then have a look at the specifications (think of a Galaxy Tab 10.1 that has been shrunk down)..

Android 3.1 ‘Honeycomb’
1GHz Dual-Core Tegra 2 CPU
3.15MP Rear Camera (720p video rec.) / 2MP Front Camera
21Mbit HSPA+ 850/900/1900/2100MHz — along with 4G LTE
1280×800 (170ppi) WXGA PLS LCD Display
Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0
1GB RAM, 16/32/64GB Internal
6000mAh Battery

Will Telstra give iiNet one 4G ring to rule Optus?

2011-08-16T05:16:01Z

opinion Like a cluster of ancient elves residing deep within the sheltered enclaves of evergreen forest glades, the worthy folk of SingTel subsidiary Optus have long focused their gaze to the far north, where the dark lords of mighty Telstra have ruled Australia’s telecommunications sector from their fiery thrones.

Within Optus, mentioning the name of the dreaded beast is normally avoided, or best spoken in a whisper if you must — lest its baleful glare fall upon you in the night and send its minions clad in coppery finery to fall upon you where you sleep and drag you to its court, where you will find its final judgment less than pleasant.

It’s easy to understand Optus’ fascination with its erstwhile master. Telstra’s deep shadow has long fallen across Australia’s telecommunications sector. Its cloying influence can be felt in every marketplace move, and its size and dominance of infrastructure is so entrenched that any weighty decision made by its rivals must consider its possible reaction. And despite the fact that Stephen Conroy has learnt the name of the beast and is attempting to bell it in its murky lair, Telstra still has claws; a fact which lesser ascendants such as Internode are continually learning, to their peril.

However, like those folk from another tale, it is possible that Optus has been looking to the north for so long that its gaze has become fixated on the heights of Mount Doom, only to find itself undercut by one of its own from the valley of Isengard.

In battle against the great evil, Optus has long partnered with its fellow strugglers; noble warriors such as AAPT, Macquarie Telecom, Primus Telecom, iiNet and even Vodafone have banded together with the SingTel subsidiary in a courageous effort to fight the big T. And of course, who could forget the noble efforts of Hackett, son of Hackett, who has risen from nameless obscurity in the wastes of the South to become one of the industry’s most valiant princes.

But now Optus is facing a powerful threat from one of those players with which it has long fought side by side. I speak of course of iiNet, whose leader Michael Malone has played a pivotal role in the future of the telecommunications sector from his fell fortress in the West.

As we’ve previously discussed, when it comes to fixed broadband, iiNet has been sticking it to Optus for some years now, recently claiming the title of the nation’s second-largest ADSL player and continuing to grow its customer base organically and via a series of ferocious acquisitions that have taken place with the swiftness of a Nazgul falling from the sky onto prey far below.

The release by the Malone juggernaut yesterday of its latest financial results (PDF) — in a year when Optus’ own fixed-line broadband performance has been relatively stagnant — did nothing to dispel the impression that iiNet is currently a ferocious competitor. Revenue up 48 percent to $699 million? Underlying earnings up 30 percent to $105 million? Operating cash flow up 54 percent to $96 million? These are the sort of percentage growths that Optus hasn’t been able to dream of for the best part fo a decade, despite constant investment in its networks and a steady revenue and profit march uphill.

And speaking yesterday, Don Malone gave a number of signs that more open warfare was in store for the SingTel subsidiary.

Currently, Malone told journalists in a teleconference, iiNet did a lot of customer swapping with Telstra, and to a certain extent other broadband providers — but not really with cut-rate ISPs like TPG. Optus did have a large market share in fixed broadband, the iiNet chief noted, but the SingTel subsidiary had been “pretty passive” in terms of competing in that arena — due, you writer believes, to its incessant focus on its more profitable mobile operations.

However, Malone noted, there were opportunities opening up to grab some of that Optus gold.

In October or November this year, he said, a process would be finalised which would allow iiNet to more easily transition customers off the Unbundled Local Loop-based services which Optus’ wholesale network uses, and onto iiNet’s own network.

Secondly, as the NBN is rolled out, many Optus customers who have for years clung to their HFC cable connections, bundling them with other Optus services, will for the first time be using fixed broadband infrastructure which is shared with competitive providers, making it significantly easier for them to churn to other companies. Will iiNet pick up quite a few Optus customers during that process? “We’d certainly hope so,” said Malone yesterday.

However, like an ancient ring of power long lost deep among the pebbles of a river, there is also a further prize which could allow iiNet to take on Optus more directly in Australia’s telecommunications sector.

Currently, traditional fixed-line telco players like Internode, iiNet and TPG primarily focus on the ADSL broadband market, due to the prohibitive (for companies of their size) cost of investing in mobile telecommunications around Australia. Where they do dabble in mobile — and for iiNet, this means some 7,000 customers at the moment, such companies have done so through gaining access to Optus’ 3G network through its wholesale division.

Like a jealous lover, Telstra has for its own part horded its ‘precious’ Next G network to itself since the network was constructed in 2005 and 2006, using the infrastructure to steal a next-generation march on its rivals. And that strategy is paying off in spades, with the company’s mobile growth over the past year easily eclipsing that of Optus and its subsidiary Virgin — not to mention Vodafone, which is actually going backward.

However, a recent article published by iTNews exposed the fact that Telstra may soon open up Next G for wholesale access. Mobile Virtual Network Operators using Next G were likely to emerge early in 2012, the article stated. Would iiNet like to resell services on Next G? “Yes, we would be very interested,” said Malone yesterday — noting that like Optus, iiNet’s main struggle now is to get its existing customers to buy more services, with the broadband market being largely saturated.

One of the key problems with Next G — which has fuelled the growth of Optus’ low-cost Virgin brand — is the price. Sure, you get a lot better coverage, reliability and speed if you sign up to buy 3G services from Telstra, but you also pay through the nose for it. Optus has solved this problem by hiving off low-cost customers onto Virgin, and keeping the more high-value customers for itself.

There remains no doubt that like Optus and Virgin, Qantas and Jetstar and Coles and Bi-Lo, Telstra would benefit hugely from having a low-cost brand to sell cut-rate, limited access to Next G through. And there is strong reason to suggest that iiNet could be that brand. iiNet already has all the systems set up to resell mobile services through Telstra the exact same way it already resells fixed broadband services.

In fact, at this stage, iiNet may be coming close to being Telstra’s largest fixed services reseller.

Such a move would obviously benefit Telstra in the short-term, provided there was sufficient differentiation between the services provided through iiNet and the services provided through its own retail division, and given the fact that Telstra is about to rapidly expand the amount of capacity it contains on its network courtesy of its pending LTE upgrade.

One last factor for consideration.

Questions have long swirled around the corporate future of iiNet, given its lack of strong majority investors on its share registry, its strong levels of growth and attractive customer base. With a decent mobile operation tacked on and with the National Broadband Network on the way to demolish any regulatory roadblocks in the way to Telstra further consolidating its power in Australia’s telecommunications landscape, could Telstra eventually see iiNet as a potential acquisition, perhaps in about five years’ time? An acquisition which could become a permanent subsidiary brand, one which would finally redeem Telstra’s awful reputation for woeful customer service?

It’s a long shot, but right now we have no doubt that Telstra’s playing the long game. Its chief executive David Thodey will be on deck for quite a few years more, and you can bet he’s used the eventual ability to start acquiring again in Australia as one benefit resulting from the NBN to sell the entire policy to Telstra’s board.

The hungry beasts of capitalism must be fed fresh meat, and often — or else they will grow stagnant from a lack of injection of new talent.

iiNet, for its own part, clearly knows it is an acquisition target and has been one for some time. With its share price languishing as a result of the mini-GFC which some commentators believe is on its way, this week it announced a largish share buyback which will take a great deal of its stock off the market, and no doubt result in its share price rising to levels which place a more realistic valuation on the company.

No matter the eventual outcome, for our own part we’d love to see iiNet get its hands on Next G. Who wouldn’t be attracted by an offer combining the seductive dark power of Telstra’s flagship mobile phone network with the bright customer service and decent pricing that iiNet’s white knight Michael Malone can deliver? And ultimately, of course, opening up its network would offer for Telstra something which could only be beneficial from the perspective of a dark lord sitting upon his distant throne; the sound of lesser rivals engaging in a vicious pricing fight to the death, far from his seat of power and without any real effort expended on his part.

Sometimes the only way to win the war, is to freely give your “precious” away. The only danger for those who choose to accept the gift, is how deeply in the dark their new master will bind them.

Image credit: iiNet, with a few subtle modifications

Telstra’s 4G network goes live

2011-09-26T14:02:29Z

news The nation’s largest telco Telstra today revealed it had officially switched on its fourth-generation (4G) mobile network across Australia following a soft-launch several weeks ago, with the 4G coverage now live across capital city central business districts and more than 30 other centres around the nation.

The upgrade will effectively double the top-line speeds which Telstra is able to offer customers in the supported 4G coverage areas, typically located in high-density areas. Telstra’s current 3G network is based on the HSPA+ standard and features typical download speeds between 1.1Mbps and 20Mbps, while the 4G component will offer speeds ranging from 2Mbps up to 40Mbps. Upload speeds, today between 500kbps to 3Mbps, will be increased to between 1Mbps to 10Mbps.

The 4G component of Telstra’s Next G network also differs from the existing 3G component in that it uses the 1800MHz spectrum band, while the 3G aspect runs on the 850MHz spectrum band. Customers will be automatically switched between the two networks, which will run side by side, when they connect to Next G.

In a statement detailing the rollout, Telstra chief executive David Thodey was effusive in his praise for the new technology. Both Optus and Vodafone are currently planning similar 4G rollouts. “Today marks a new high-speed chapter in Australian mobile telecommunications,” said Thodey. “Telstra’s 4G network delivers mobile speeds scarcely imagined a decade ago, making it easier for people to connect with the things they need and love when on the move.”

“The superfast speeds mean consumers can download songs faster, get TV shows in minutes and do more things simultaneously,” Thodey added. “This is just the beginning. Telstra 4G will allow our mobile devices to perform even more advanced tasks and open the door to a host of innovative high-speed services that have yet to be conceived.”

According to Telstra’s statement, the telco’s 4G coverage is available in the following capital city CBDs and airports: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart and Canberra.
In addition, the coverage extends to the following cities (within 3km of the general post office in each city:

New South Wales: Parramatta, Albury, Dubbo, Gosford, Newcastle
Victoria: Ballarat, Castlemaine, Echucha, Geelong, Horsham, Morwell, Shepparton, Nyah/Nyah West, Lake Boga, Warragul, Werribee
Queensland: Bundaberg, Cairns, Coolangatta Airport, Tweed, Nerang, Gympie, Maryborough, Mt Isa, Caloundra, Noosa Heads, Toowoomba, Townsville
South Australia: Mt Barker, Port Lincoln, Stirling

In addition, the telco is planning to launch its 4G network in some 50-plus additional locations across the country by the end of 2011 — including major centres in every state. However, portions of that rollout will depend on the telco’s ability to buy spectrum from the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

So far, there are only two devices which support Telstra’s 4G network — the BigPond USB 4G modem, which the telco is aiming to sell to consumers, and the Telstra USB 4G modem, which the telco is aiming to sell to business customers. The consumer modem can be bought for zero dollars up-front on a range of new 24 month plans — including on a $59.95 monthly plan with 8GB of data included.

The business modem can be bought on a similar range of plans — including, Telstra said, for zero dollars up-front on the telco’s $39 monthly plan over 24 months, which comes with 4GB of included data. And Thodey hinted at forthcoming 4G smartphones in the pipeline for Telstra as well.

“We know there is a huge appetite for 4G-powered smartphones and tablets and Telstra is working with some of the world’s leading manufacturers to bring some of these devices to customers in the first half of 2012,” Thodey said.

For further detailed information about the rollout, Telstra has made available a number of fact sheets (all in PDF):

Image credit: Telstra

Telstra launch Australia’s first 4G network, HTC Holiday could be their first 4G smartphone

2011-09-27T00:36:42Z

Telstra have today announced their 4G LTE network is available for everyday consumers if they live within walking distance of Sydney or Melbourne CBD, or one of the lucky selected regional areas (coverage map). Real world speeds are yet to be determined, though I’m sure we’ll hear from tech-savvy users in the coming weeks and months.

The real news for us here is that Telstra have flagged the HTC Holiday as their first 4G smartphone. ‘Holiday’ is the codename for the device that’s currently floating around the internet — in South Korea it’s called the Raider 4G and it’s also been rumoured to be called the HTC Rider when it launches in the US of A. But it’s not the name of the device that gets blood flowing to various parts of our body, it’s the specs, and they’re reminiscent of the HTC Sensation. Hit the break to check ‘em out!

1.2GHz Dual-Core CPU
Android 2.3.4 w/ Sense 3.0
4.5-inch qHD (960×540) LCD Display
8MP Rear Camera (shoots 1080p) / 1.3MP Front Camera (shoots your face)
1GB RAM
Telstra’s 4G LTE

Telstra Starts Selling 4G (LTE), But Won’t Reveal Speeds

2011-08-08T09:00:44Z

After further trials of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in May, Telstra will start selling its USB 4G modem (pictured) on August 29. It will operate across the LTE 1800MHz spectrum and NextG’s 850MHz band. But before you get too excited: The initial commercial pilot targets business types in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane only — ahead of a wider national rollout later this year. Oh, and Telstra won’t actually say what speeds you’ll get… (more…)

Telstra LTE Mobile Broadband Arrives For Everyone: Gizmodo Hands-On

2011-09-27T09:50:07Z

Telstra first started trialling LTE back in May. Then business customers got their hands on the telco’s first LTE USB modems in August. Now, finally, the LTE love is open to all with the availabilty of Telstra’s dual-3G/LTE USB Modem, and they’re dubbing it a ’4G’ device. Gizmodo got our hands on one just a little early, and here’s what we think so far. (more…)

Telstra’s First LTE Phone Will Be The HTC 4G

2011-09-27T09:55:20Z

At the briefings for its 4G service that isn’t quite 4G, Telstra also showed off the first LTE phone it’ll offer early next year. First impressions and video after the jump.
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Could Telstra Find Nobody Better Than Rebecca Black To Spruik 4G?

2011-09-27T10:00:29Z

Telstra’s launching its ’4G’ LTE service today, and that means, amongst a blitz of high-speed technology, there’s also a blitz of publicity. As we noted last week, Telstra’s flying Rebecca Black out for publicity purposes — and it turns out it’s for 4G. Why, Telstra, why? I’ve been enjoying LTE so far… up until now. [Telstra]

Telstra Opens Up Pre-Registration For HTC 4G Phone

2011-09-27T10:45:57Z

It’s not due for release until sometime next year — although I got some hands-on time with it yesterday — but Telstra’s already launched a pre-registration page for the HTC 4G phone that’ll be its flagship LTE handset.
(more…)

You Can Buy The Telstra 4G USB Dongle Outright

2011-09-28T15:30:07Z

At its launch, Telstra was pretty insistent that the USB dongle for its new 4G/LTE network was only available for contract purchasers. However, it turns out that if you identify yourself as a business customer, you can buy it outright for $299. (more…)