Hutchison Telecommunications will begin the
rollout of its mobile CDMA services in Sydney and Melbourne from next week.
Sales of the local service will be integrated with the mobile service as
marketed as Orange One through contract and direct fulfilment channels in
the company’s Sydney and Melbourne licence areas.
Hutchison first began selling its wireless 15 cent per local call late
last year under the Orange brand. Hutchison customers already using their
CDMA phones for local calls will now be able to sign up for mobile calls
where the network is operational.
Hutchison expects most of the network to be operational by mid-year, and
will commence a marketing campaign shortly with an initial focus on
converting existing customers to the full service.
The company has reportedly spent AUS$500 million (US$3 million) on
mobile phone and CDMA technology in Australia, including a AUS$30 million
(US$18 million) technical centre which opened in Sydney last August.
The company has also bought CDMA spectrum in Sydney and Melbourne, and
has also signed a reseller agreement with Telstra for other areas.
Telstra has already launched a CDMA network in Sydney and Melbourne, and
will continue rolling out services throughout the year. AAPT also plans to
have a national CDMA service by late 2000.
