Telstra has now added the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer to its roster of Next G device suppliers, as it tries to encourage users to switch from CDMA.
The Nokia 6120 smartphone -- the first Nokia device to launch on the Next G network -- has a two megapixel camera, video calling functionality and an MP3 player.
Telstra said that several more Nokia mobiles will launch on the Next G network before Christmas.
The Nokia smartphone is suitable for regional and metropolitan areas, according to the telco, but will not be recommended for bush users. Telstra last week introduced a scheme to showcase which devices are suitable for more remote areas -- such handsets will carry a blue tick.
A spokesperson for the telco said that devices that are more sensitive to reception, including some LG and Samsung handsets, will get the "blue tick". The next bush-centric device expected to debut for the telco is a Telstra-branded ruggedised ZTE device, set to launch next month.
It's not yet known whether the E-series -- Nokia's range of enterprise devices -- will be available on the Next G network anytime soon. However, Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, told ZDNet Australia that a mobile e-mail device optimised for Telstra's 3G, will be available from early next year.
This announcement by Telstra about the addition of a Nokia phone to their NextG stable is more misleading information by them about the readiness of the new network. Telstra has been directly contacting users and is running extensive advertising in the country saying that NextG now has the same coverage as CDMA and that now is the time to change over.
I have spoken to many people, in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia, who live and work in the country, as opposed to regional towns, who have made the transition and, without exception, everyone of them is upset or angry by the poor coverage of the new network. The consequences for their personal and business lives, in some cases, are immense. And having made the swap, there is no possibility of their being reinstated on the CDMA network because Telstra won't allow it. Telstra claim that they give a user 10 days to try it out first, if the user knows about the option and they ask for it, but 10 days is a wholly inadequate time to travel the wide area that country people travel throughout the year to compare the differences.
My CDMA phone was damaged and needs replacing but Telstra have removed all CDMA handsets from their dealership network and refuse to supply them, notwithstanding that Nokia, for one, is still manufacturing them. Their intention is to force me, and others in my situation, to end my CDMA contract and swap to NextG.
The federal Department of Communications has received numerous complaints about this and hopefully will force Telstra to honour its commitment not to shut down the CDMA network until NextG truly does have the same coverage.
I am quite certain that Telstra, through it's misleading advertising and it's refusal to allow CDMA handsets on the market, is in breach of the Trade Practices Act. I have lodged a complaint with the ACCC and I urge others to do the same and to contact the Department of Communications to voice their concerns.