Hutchison's "3" offering -- which delivers features like video calling, downloadable video clips, mobile broadband and e-mail to mobile handsets -- can be purchased from tomorrow online or by phone, with the first branded retail store scheduled to open in mid August.
The service will also be sold through a variety of retail outlets like Big W, Dick Smith Electronics and Tandy.
The company's chief executive Kevin Russell claimed it had "over half a million customers" in Australia's major metropolitan areas. These customers spend most of their time on Hutchison's own networks in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, although the handsets can roam outside the 3G network through agreements with Telstra.
The news comes as Vodafone announced last week its own 3G network would be commercially launched in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra this October, with Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth making the grade in "early 2006".
The company partnered with Optus in November last year to establish a AU$700 million alliance to develop and operate a national 3G radio network, which is expected to roll out to over 2,000 base stations by March 2007.
While the incoming 3G networks will initially primarily target mobile users, Vodafone is one carrier known to be considering using the network to provide wireless broadband services to consumers.
3 doesn't roam to Vodafone, hasn't for months. It roams to Telstra.