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

News chiefs in court over One.Tel knowledge

13 April, 2007

The decision to cancel a $132 million rights issue by two senior executives on the day One.Tel was put into administration could result in legal proceedings being brought against NewsCorp for what it knew but failed to report.

Freshtel chief leaves "amicably"

12 April, 2007

The VoIP group has denied any link between the loss of its second CEO this year and its failure to replicate the success it enjoys in Britain in its home market of Australia.

Media companies in feverish rush to mobile market

12 April, 2007

Just three weeks out from the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AMIA) releasing Australia's first advertising guidelines for mobile phones, big media names such as PBL media and Fox Interactive Media are stepping up efforts to launch rich media content platforms aimed at the 6 million 3G handsets forecast to be in use by the end of this year.

The Act 10 years on

11 April, 2007

A 10-year retrospective of the reforms introduced by the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth) clearly shows how far the mobile market has come when compared with the competition problems that persist in the fixed market.

NSW opts for four to reduce telephony bill

10 April, 2007

The New South Wales government has set out to slash its annual AU$260 million telecommunications spend by signing a new whole-of-government telephony deal with three major telcos Telstra, Optus, AAPT and specialist provider to government departments, Macquarie Telecom.

Media company to trial mobile TV service

10 April, 2007

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has approved a proposal by media platform provider Irdeto Access to test digital broadcasting of television to mobile handheld devices for three months in Sydney.

New Zealand

Wireless spectrum going to waste

12 April, 2007

In 2011 and 2012 the New Zealand government will re-auction 7.5 MHz of spectrum in the 800 and 900 MHz bands now held by Telecom and Vodafone but under-utilised to the detriment of competition.

Greener pastures

11 April, 2007

The lack of skilled software developers in New Zealand is sending Auckland-based Healthphone offshore to the United States with a killer mobile application to conquer the world.

Mobiles connected to PBX call waiting

11 April, 2007

Using the Vodafone Talk Zone platform, an mobile phone application is now available that enables calls made to a PBX line to be diverted to that person's mobile phone, representing significant benefits for business users. For staff out of the office, the same application also enables them to use mobiles to dial into the PBX and then out again, for less cost than mobile rates.

Bluetooth opening doors in a literal sense

9 April, 2007

A mobile application has been launched from Auckland that automatically unlocks a door when a registered Bluetooth device is in four and 10 metres away, and then locks the door again when it is out of range.

Pre-paid not invited to portability party

7 April, 2007

Vodafone has delayed the opportunity for pre-paid customers to port to the network, relying on research that shows many prepay customers already had two phones, and were less likely to value their number than on-account customers.

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