Welcome to your personal issue of This Week, Australia's only easy to read FREE weekly summary of the the top news stories on wireless communications in Australia and New Zealand. Don't forget if you can't wait for the latest information you can always visit our web site where This Week is updated daily. You can also visit our archive where you can see stories posted since mid-2003. Our search engine is an easy way to locate a specific topic. For those that want to know more, click through hyperlinks are embedded in each story enabling you to view the source information. Note some of these links may require you to subscribe to the publication that provides the source material.

Australia

NRL caught in legal scrum over footy broadcast rights

5 April, 2007

Telstra is taking Fox Sports to court for showing lengthy highlights of NRL matches on its website and via mobile phones as an alleged breach of the exclusive broadcasting rights it secured for the next six years with the NRL.

Alleged rapists arrested on mobile phone evidence

5 April, 2007

Police arrested five teenage boys after they were recorded raping a 17 year-old girl on one of their mobile phones and the footage distributed to other students at school.

Sol refuses to commit to war on 3G prices

4 April, 2007

As the expansion of Telstra's 3G network expansion continues unabated, CEO Sol Trijulio has refused to cut mobile data charges that now stand at 75 per cent more that rivals Hutchison.

Telstra on track in rail deal

3 April, 2007

At the additional cost of $40 million, the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has increased Telstra role to build 77 new Next G base stations under its train management and communications system project that covers 10,000km of rail lines.

Mobile banking services trialed in New Zealand

3 April, 2007

One of Australia's major banks is currently using it New Zealand subsidiary to trial mobile phone-based banking applications that conceivably provide access to balances, as well as making bill payment and funds transfers, before adopting them in Australia.

Hutchison starts 3G price war

3 April, 2007

In slashing mobile data fees on its 3 network, Hutchison has effectively forced a price war between the wireless carriers with Vodafone almost halving its monthly rate and Optus reviewing what it can do to compete.

June launch for Optus HSDPA

31 March, 2007

With Telstra, Hutchison and Vodafone already well ahead in the 3G race, Optus will finally start HSDPA services in June under the expectation that coverage will extend to 55 percent of the Australian population] and with plans to boost that reach to 96 percent over the next three years.

New Zealand

Ignorance is no defense to exceeding data limits

2 April, 2007

Customers are getting a nasty surprise by failing to read the fine print about mobile data charges on Vodaone's network, considering that payments jump significantly from $60 a month for downloading 2 gigabytes to 50c a megabyte, or $500 a gigabyte when they exceed the monthly limit.

Text message alerts bankers to fraud

2 April, 2007

Westpac will use mobile text messaging to alert customers of unusual activity audited on bank accounts.

CDMA closure may ripple across the Tasman

2 April, 2007

With Telstra close to dismantling its CDMA network and denying 1.8 million Telecom 027 users the ability to roam in Australia, pressure is mounting on the New Zealand incumbent to migrate to a UMTS standard.

Difficult convincing the wireless cynics

1 April, 2007

Perhaps it is due to the length of time that New Zealanders have been waiting for a third mobile operator, but many remain unconvinced about the ability of NZ Communications to bring its wireless network plan to fruition.

What's new on our site?

EDX Signal Radio Design Suite: New Release v6.2/9.2

EDX Wireless, together with regional partner TeleResources, today announced the release of the EDX Signal suite of radio design tools, version 6.2/9.2. This release represents a significant advance in quality and features, with numerous fixes, additions and improvements to the EDX family of products- allowing us to continue providing the highest-quality radio planning software available.

In particular, a host of new features strengthen EDX SignalPro's position as the premier WiMax and Wi-Fi Mesh Network Design Tool. These include:

• Added WiMAX Studies
• Superior WiMAX Capacity Analysis
• More MIMO Features
• Advanced Technology Support

And please visit the EDX Section of our website for more information, including downloadable Version Release Notes and the v6.2 New Features Brochure.

Postcard from 3GSM 2007 World Congress, Barcelona

This February we were attending the world's largest GSM conference in Barcelona, Spain. A must see event for industry practitioners. For a link to our report on the show and its associated conference please CLICK HERE.

Upcoming Events

WiMAX Strategies Asia

24-25 April 2007
Bangkok, Thailand

The premier WiMAX Strategies Asia Conference is devoted to exploring the major business, service and technology provider opportunities ahead with the rapid evolution of the global WiMAX ecosystem.

A comprehensive range of Conference keynotes and in-depth special interest sessions will explore innovative business models, technology strategies, network infrastructure, systems and wireless devices, as well as the latest developments towards a new generation of WiMAX-enabled services and applications.

Researched specifically to meet the needs of fixed, broadband, mobile and green-field operators, as well as key end-users from business and government, the program will examine specific business cases, evaluate technology benefits and identify key deployment considerations and timelines.

For more details and to register for the event, please visit www.wimaxstrategy.com

Mobile Vietnam

9-10 May 2007
Hanoi, Vietnam

From the producers of The GSM > 3G World Series, Mobile Vietnam 2007, in it’s 4th year running, is positioned as the leading telecommunications event for the Vietnamese market and offers an excellent platform for local and international participants to meet and network in the exchange of dialogue on expertise and experiences pertaining to the latest business trends and technological developments applicable to the region.

The mobile market in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam continues to grow strongly, evidence that the government’s limited competition model which was put in is in fact working. The government has also started to open the market up to new players whilst promoting the continued growth of mobile networks and encouraging the extension of coverage to rural provinces.

Endorsed by Ministry of Posts & Telematics and co-hosted with VNPT, Mobile Vietnam 2007 is the definitive meeting place for high-level networking with key decision makers from the Vietnamese mobile market.

For more details and to register for the event, please visit www.informatm.com/mobile-vietnam

WiMax Asia 2007

15-17 May 2007
Singapore

WiMAX Asia 06 was a SELL OUT event attracting over 200 high level attendees from leading operators and industry players from across the region. It was clear to see from the buzz at this event that WiMAX is a need to know topic for the Asia Pacific region and the industry is poised to see what the future holds!

WiMAX Asia 07, organised by Informa Telecoms & Media, is officially endorsed by WiMAX Forum. The conference is with an expanded 3-day programme agenda, 3 interactive workshops and 2-day exhibition. It will once again be the annual gathering for all WiMAX industry players across the eco-system from telecom operators – fixed, mobile, cable, ISPs, WiMAX vendors and suppliers, venture capitalists, system integrators, handsets, device manufacturers and many others to network, share, hear and learn on how to shape the future growth in the broadband world with fixed WiMAX, mobile WiMAX and WiBRO.

For more details and to register for the event, please visit www.wimax-vision.com

Fleet Mobile Integrated Comms

28-30 May 2007
Sydney, Australia

In it's 16th year, Fleet Mobile Integrated Comms covers the integration of different mobile communications technologies used for public safety, security and critical infrastructure.

2 Day Programme & 2 Workshops - Featuring 12 Case Studies, Keynotes and Panel Sessions

Fleet Mobile Integrated Comms features 12 tailored case studies plus other presentations focusing on mobile communication strategies from the perspectives of the industry’s leading experts, including:

• Incident Management & Preparedness
• Technologies: Mobile Mesh; Digital Radio; GIS; Underground Comms; Mobile Data
• Integrated & Converged Comms Strategies
• Operational Effectiveness, CIP, Public Safety & Security
• Digital Network Implementation
• Spectrum Review, Management & Planning

China Mobility International Summit 2007

11-12 July 2007
Beijing, China

The China Mobility International Summit is a direct descendant of the China 3G Mobile International Summit, the largest international mobile and wireless business gathering in China. Co-organised with the China Institute of Communications, this annual Summit has top level government and industry support, being endorsed by the Ministry of Information Industry and supported by all of China’s mobile and fixed operators.

The Summit agenda and speakers reflect in-depth research and face-to-face discussions with China’s operators and industry experts, assuring strongly focused coverage on wireless broadband technologies, systems and services of greatest interest for industry development in China.

For more details and to register for the event, please visit www.china-mobility.com