Overview of Australia Mobile Communications

Background

Australia was first introduced to Analogue mobile communication in the mid 1980s. The Analogue Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) network allowed for mobile communication through hand held phones and was launched in 1987. As the mobile communications industry progressed, the (2G) digital Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network and the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital standard for mobile phone networks were launched in Australia in 1993 and 1999 respectively. In 2003, the (3G) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) standard was initiated, enabling the Australian consumers to receive multimedia services on their mobile handsets.

MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS TIMELINE, AUSTRALIA

Today, Australia’s mobile technology mainly consists of 2G and 3G services. The penetration of the mobile market crossed 100% in 2007 due to the fact that some consumers own more than one mobile subscription. According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority Communications Report 2006-07, there were 21.26 million mobile phone services in operation at 30 June 2007, a 7.6 per cent increase from 19.76 million the year before. This growth is attributed to the increased uptake of 3G mobile devices and a steady decline in the fixed phone services.

According to the 2006 online statistics from the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, the majority of cell phone users in Australia is aged between 18 to 39. The penetration of cell phones in Australia seems to be rather even in both metro and less urban areas of the country. However, the usage of these cell phones are primarily for communication purposes through calls and text messaging - with a 48% of users making 1 to 7 calls per week and 69% of the Australian population utilizing text messaging on their cell phones. Other additional services like 3G or even surfing the web through the mobile phones have yet to be popular with Australians.



Carriage Service Providers (CSPs)

CSPs supply telecommunications services to the public using carrier networks. There are four national carriage service providers in Australia – Telstra, Optus, Hutchison and Vodafone. Hutchison 3G Australia Pty Ltd. was the first to offer 3G services to its consumers in early 2003. In 2006, Telstra followed and launched its 3G service (Next G). It currently claims coverage of 99 per cent of the Australian population. Optus and Vodafone are currently extending their 3G networks and they expect to provide 95 and 98 per cent coverage end 2009 respectively.


Source: 2008 Australian Mobile Telecommunications Industry Report by Access Economics



Sources:
http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_consumers/mobile_services/mobile_phone_coverage_in_australia
http://www.amta.org.au/AMTA/default.asp?ID=365