Telstra signs on to support Oprah trip
Telecommunications giant Telstra has secured a deal with The Oprah Winfrey Show to supply network support for the live shows as well as network coverage for the show's 300 guests next month.
The Oprah Winfrey Show announced in September that it will fly 300 audience members out to Australia to film two live shows at the Sydney Opera House on 14 December. The trip is paid for in part through $3 million in funding from the Australian government.
Guests will be connected to Telstra's Next G network using the "summer-proof" Motorola Defy smartphone, while the show's producers will be given Telstra's Ultimate broadband USB modems. The deal was announced this morning by Telsta's chief marketing officer, Kate McKenzie.
"We look forward to connecting more than 300 of Oprah's most loyal viewers with Australia and the world through Telstra's Next G network when they arrive on our shores in December," McKenzie said.
"With a global audience across 145 countries we are delighted to partner with The Oprah Winfrey Show and help showcase the very best Australia has to offer," she added.
There will also be a small team of "Telstra Next G Angels" that will be on hand to assist audience members and crew during the shows, McKenzie said.