Pirate, this is a really sad story. How a phone company can shut down a system which allows folks in remote areas to communicate so that folks in the city can send each other videos and play on their web browsers.
Helen Coonan at least had refused to allow Telstra to shut down the CDMA network until 3G could be shown to cover at least an equivalent range but its not clear, at least to me, what Labor will do. I fear they will succumb to Telstra bullying.
The bottom line is that the Telstra implementation of 3G has a range of...wait for it....1.5 miles from the tower. Great isn't it?
Telstra do offer what is euphemistically called the Country Phone which I understand has a kluge that enables a marginally better range. This would be the one to go for. It's a Samsung model.
I have consistently been able to communicate with my wife in Arnhem Land from Canberra on our CDMA phones and am almost sure this will not be possible when the switch over to 3G takes place.
My suggestion is NOT to relinquish your CDMA phone despite the blandishments from Telstra to do so until they actually turn the network off. Remember, there's many a slip between the phone and the lip and a good deal of politics behind this one.
PS...and they wonder why the National Party gets caned at the elections. The above is a result of the complete failure of the Nats to do any good for their electorate....
