The move follows the announcement in March of a Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) involving Telstra, Korea Telecom, China Netcom, Malaysia's Maxis and Singapore's Starhub. Korea Telecom is expected to join the trial by the end of 2003. The trial itself will officially end on October 30, when customer feedback will be gathered prior to a commercial launch at the beginning of 2004.
The alliance will have a common branding -- a logo of five arrows curving into a point -- which will be displayed on the wireless access pages of the participating carriers. Roaming users can click on the logo to log into the service via their familiar access page, using the same username and password.
However, usage will be charged at the rate of the local carrier, with users being informed of the cost before they log on. Telstra Wireless Hotspots will charge postpaid customers AU$5 for the first 15 minutes and 20 cents per minute after that. Customers using credit card will be charge AU$5 for the first 15 minutes, then AU$3 for subsequent 15 minute blocks.
The WBA has also signed on some new partners, T-Mobile in the U.S. and U.K. and BT in the U.K.
The service -- which targets businesspeople needing to remain connected during their travels -- is expected to give subscribers Wi-Fi access via more than 26,000 locations across the region by the end of the year, according to Kyong Yu, who heads up the WBA. Access points are expected to increase from 30,000 to 58,600 over the same timeframe. The partners bring a total of 6.5 million broadband customers and 42 million wireless customers (including mobile phone customers).
The number of hotspots is expected to increase from 16,000 in 2002 to 50,000 in 2007, with revenue climbing from AU$145 million in 2002 to AU$9 billion in 2007.
The launch of the service is "right on time" according to Ted Pretty, Telstra group managing director of consumer and marketing. "The idea that if a technology is available it should be deployed straight away is wrong". Pretty said factors such as reliability, security, ease of use and value for money came into play.
The launch comes amid moves by Telstra to shore up its international ties in the face of tough regional competition from Singapore Telecommunications, owner of Australia's number two carrier, SingTel Optus.
"This is right on SingTel's doorstep which is very pleasing to Telstra," said Pretty.
Telstra in April signed an agreement with Maxis and three other carriers -- Hong Kong's CSL, Singapore's MobileOne and Smart from the Philippines -- formalising ties to improve general packet radio services, multi-media messaging services, caller line identification and other services.
A joint statement from the carriers, announcing the Asian Mobility Initiative, said the arrangements aimed to "provide subscribers.with the same standards of seamless and reliable data communications that they currently enjoy today with voice calls".
