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

Mobile bills creating bankrupts among youth

9 November, 2007

Fair Trading Minister Linda Burney has announced that mobile phones are to blame for increasing numbers of young Australians seeking to declare themselves bankrupt.

Broadband on bush ballot sheet

9 November, 2007

According to some analysts wireless broadband could be the election issue that determines which Party gets the tick for many voters in regional and rural Australia.

Optus improves mobile margins

8 November, 2007

Optus chief executive Paul O'Sullivan has heralded an increase of 65,000 mobile contract customers as being due to marketing campaigns designed to target consumers who had traditionally been reluctant to move away from Telstra.

Ombudsman kept busy

8 November, 2007

Telstra has the worst record for customer complaints according to figures from the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman for 2006/07.

Falling on deaf ears

7 November, 2007

Despite a majority of Telstra shareholders voting against generous new pay packages for chief executive Sol Trujillo and a raft of senior executives the Board has vowed to push ahead with the complex arrangements.

Optus joins regional alliance

6 November, 2007

By joining the 'Bridge' alliance of Asian telcos, Optus will be able to offer its subscribers a flat-rate mobile data plan while traveling in the Asia Pacific region from next year.

Behind the hype of 3's Skypephone

6 November, 2007

What makes the Skypephone different from other mobile offerings lies in cost and ease of use.

New Zealand

Minister confirms wireless for bush broadband

9 November, 2007

Communications Minister David Cunliffe has announced .the release of 77 regional radio spectrum licences in the 3.5 GHz band for commercial wireless broadband services.

Bush bemoans second rate broadband

8 November, 2007

The NZ government is preparing to auction off radio spectrum licences for commercial wireless broadband services which underlies the expectation that wireless and not local loop unbundling will be the main delivery method for broadband services to rural New Zealand.

Worth the mobile media Hype

8 November, 2007

High profile investments in the Auckland-based The Hyperfactory has come at a time when its new Hollywood-based entertainment division gears up to give the company a lead on other players in the mobile media market in the United States.

Vodafone bundles under competition spotlight

7 November, 2007

Vodafone's rivals are accusing the telco of predatory pricing by selling below cost to drive out competition on its bundled offer of mobile, home line and free broadband.

NZ Communications reveals war chest

5 November, 2007

According to accounts just filed by the NZ Communications, investors contributed more than $55 million over this year to help the company roll out its proposed 3G mobile network with 1340 cellsites covering 80 per cent of the population.

What's new on our site?

Managing Director of TeleResources, Maurie Dobbin, is speaking at the upcoming Mobility World Congress in Hong Kong

4-6 December, Hong Kong

Now in its 12th year, the Mobility World Congress has so much going on covering all aspects of the wireless industry.

Asia's premier congress for the mobile and wireless industries will attract over 1,500 conference delegates, speakers and members of the international press. The congress has over 150 speakers from 40 countries confirmed.

Maurie will be presenting his thoughts on "Driving Revenue for Retail Brands and the Mobile Phone" on day one of the congress.

CLICK HERE for more information

“We believe that mobile advertising will be the most powerful medium the world has ever seen. The opportunities for targeting and direct response are
unprecedented” Geraldine Wilson VP Yahoo

The telecommunications industry has evolved, and now the phone is recognised as a legitimate way for brands to reach consumers. TR has for the past 12 months been identifying and partnering with world leading multimedia technology company's to allow Mobile Operators, Content Providers, Music Labels and Media Agency's in Asia-Pacific access to the most compelling and innovative technology's in the world and successfully take advantage of this medium.

Find out more CLICK HERE

Upcoming Events

Australasian Media & Broadcasting Congress 2007

28-30 November 2007
Sydney

The conference will draw on key industry leaders that can share their vision and practical strategies for the development of the media sector.

The focus of the conference will be a strategic examination of the new media structure, business models and paradigms. It will be all about opportunity - to make money and change the media landscape.

For more information and to register please visit: www.terrapinn.com be sure to quote TELERE15 for your 15% registration discount

OPEX & CAPEX Asia 2007-Strategies for Optimising Telecoms

28-29 November 2007
Bangkok, Thailand

OPEX & CAPEX Asia 2007 organised by Informa Telecoms & Media will address issues related to the outsourcing trend in Asia, it’s value to the operator and how business optimization can be realised through these services.

For more information, visit website : www.iir-events.com or contact Informa Telecoms & Media at Email: register@informa.com, Tel: (65) 6514-3180, Fax: (65) 6733-5087.

Mobile Entertainment Markets (MEM) Asia

6-7 December 2007
Singapore

The mobile and entertainment industries are increasingly merging, so why not have an event which brings together the leaders of both industries. Creating ONE Market-Place for both the mobile and media spheres.

The longest standing and most established event in the global mobile content industry. With market-leading speakers representing: mobile music, games, social networking and advertising, it will be an event not to be missed. 3 days, 6 events, unrivaled networking and a multitude of opportunities to do business!

For more information and to register please visit: www.memasia.com