Next G off the hook

TELSTRA'S latest high-powered broadband product, NEXT G, is expected to change the face of business in Australia, says the company's CEO, Sol Trujillo.

Mr Trujillo and Ericsson CEO and president Carl-Henric Svanberg recently flicked the switch on the new network
in Sydney.

Mr Trujillo says Telstra shareholders' $1 billion investment in the world's geographically largest national 3GSM network delivers unequalled customer reach and speed across the country.

"This is a 'seachange' in how we deliver business and services throughout Australia," he says.

"NEXT G will change the paradigm of business in new jobs, growth and economic development. The economic impact will be measured in the billions of dollars - and well before this decade
is over."

With high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), Next G is up to 50 times faster than dial-up and up to five times faster than other 3GSM networks. Customers will experience network download speeds averaging 550 kbps to 1.5 Mbps and peak network speeds of up to 3.6Mbps, increasing up to 14.4Mbps early next year.

Mr Trujillo says the opportunities are vast, including service improvements in health and education, productivity improvements in business and a competitive advantage for Telstra.

"Teleworkers at remote locations using wireless broadband and video conferencing will be able to access information traditionally stored in the office almost instantaneously while they are on the road, at the client's office or in the back of a taxi heading to the airport," he says.

Telstra Country Wide Area Gold Coast general manager Malcolm Broad says the new product is great news for people living in the local area and a key part of Telstra's plan for Australia.

"NEXT G gives city and country customers access to the same national network and services. It is more than 100 times bigger than any other 3G network in Australia, delivering voice and broadband services to 98 per cent of the population," says Mr Broad.