In a statement posted on their website today, Australia’s Telstra states, verbatim:
Telstra, Australia’s leading telecommunications and information services company, and Apple® today announced that the highly anticipated iPhone 3G™ will be available to Telstra’s over 9 million Australian customers on July 11. iPhone 3G™ combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast* as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK.
“Australians are very excited about iPhone 3G™ and we’re delighted to bring this product to them on Telstra’s high-speed Next G™ network,” said David Moffatt, Telstra’s consumer group managing director. “With iPhone 3G™ on the country’s largest and fastest 3G network, providing coverage to 99 percent of the population, more Australians will enjoy the iPhone 3G™ experience in even more places.”
“We’re thrilled to work with Telstra to bring iPhone 3G™ to Australia’s largest 3G network,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s COO. “iPhone 3G is an amazing product and we think Telstra’s over 9 million mobile customers will love it as much as we do.”
iPhone 3G will be available from Telstra on July 11 with a range of specially designed Next G™ iPhone 3G plans that meet the needs of any customer. The Next G™ iPhone 3G™ plans start at $30 per month with an upfront cost of $279 for the 8GB model and $399 for the 16GB model. Customers will receive the 8GB iPhone 3G™ model at no cost with the $80 plan and either the 8GB or the 16GB model at no cost with plans starting at $100 per month. All plans include free Wi-Fi access at Telstra hotspots and require a 24-month contract.
Customers can find further information and register their interest in iPhone 3G™ by visiting a nearby Telstra Shop, calling 1800iPhone or going to http://www.telstra.com/iphone.
*Based on 3G and EDGE testing. Actual speeds vary by site conditions.
Telstra is Australia’s leading telecommunications and information services company with the country’s largest and fastest 3G network and one of the best known brands in the country. The company offers a full range of services and competes in all telecommunications markets throughout Australia, providing more than 9.6 million Australian fixed line and more than 9.3 million mobile services, including 3.3 million 3G services.
Apple® ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple® continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple® is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
™ Trademark of Telstra Corporation Limited
You can sign up with Telstra to receive more info here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “matt” for the heads up.]
“There’s an old saying — stick to your knitting — and Apple is not a mobile phone manufacturer, that’s not their knitting… You can pretty much be assured that Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and ZTE and others will be coming out with devices that have similar functionality… I think people overreacted to [the iPhone] — there was not a lot of tremendously new stuff if you think about it.” – Telstra’s Chief Operations Officer Greg Winn, February 15, 2007
but when you have a proper think, you realise that it is the best mobile device ever invented!
Telstra also published kinda sorta plans and rates… as usual vague and illusive information to confuse current and potential customers, so that you will thnk iti s a better deal than it actually is.
But that’s Telstra…
Winn should go back to the USa, I hear John McSame needs a straight faced mis-speaker to help him pull his head out of his okolee…
Cheers!!
Excellent, even though I am not a fan of Telstra and their wily ways, the expression “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face” holds true. A third iPhone carrier here in Australia is good news as it can only encourage competitive pricing.
how fu*^%ing stupid would this guy feel right now? HAHA!!! Typical corporate bullsh*t artist that actually has no idea about how things work.
im not holding my breath for a public statement from this corporate imbecile explaining the companies change of tune.
Another Telstra exec told a journo privately that the iPhone was the “quantum leap” the industry has been waiting for. So they’re not all clueless there!
10M iPhones / 70 countries = 150K iPhones / country.
Apple should be able to do that by the end of the year.
10M iPhones x $400 ASP = $4B.
That’s a significant addition (>10% YOY) to Apple’s revenue.
This should pump the stock above $200 by EOY.
In terms of business practice and monopolist abuse, Telstra is Australia’s version of Microshit.
I can see why Apple let the other carriers announce first. Let Telstra swing in the breeze for a while to show they can’t control everyone and to repent of their COO’s comments.
Now Apple, give ‘3’ a licence too.
What a pity. Telstra is shit, its just another version of that other infamous monolith called Microshit in the way it behaves with competitors and its customers.
I was hoping Telstra would not get involved and consequently get burnt.
HEy, spell me right guys.
It’s HELSTRA
Made in Hell
Just for you
Telstra, is in fact a similar company to Microsoft, overbloated and stupid, its a shame, Optus and Vodafone are far better
@superman, oops sorry mate, I just posted what you said earlier
Oh well sorry about that email MDN, you got the info pretty quick. I do wonder how many countries will have more than one carrier though. Competition should be hot down under, while cold up over with only Rogers for Canada and AT&T;for the US.
There’s an old saying:
1. Look before you leap
2. He who hesitates is lost
Sayings are to argument what sarcasm is to wit: the lowest form
Anyway, there’s only 1 saying you will ever need:
Never mind the bollocks, here’s the Sex Pistols
..
Let’s see – the iPhone will compete head on with Telstra’s Bigpond Music/ Movies etc. (all WMA/WMV) No wonder they have been less than enthusiastic about it – once people get the iTunes goodness on their iPhone methinks Telstra will be shaking in their boots – that is unless they don’t sabotage the user experience somehow.
“Hey, Mr. Winn, maybe you should stick to your knitting, huh?
Idiot…
Telstra’s enthusiasm for the iPhone is clear when you see a full page ad placed by Telstra in a major newspaper on the day of this press release that showcases the ‘big new handsets’ – HTC, Samsung, Sony and LG
Pretty obvious they are hoping the iPhone doesn’t sell well – they’d rather stick with their tired old view of the mobile phone
MW ‘heart’ – I take heart in Apple’s view of the mobile industry
Cheers
Matt