Optus and Vodafone - iPhone Mates?
Vodafone announced yesterday it will be selling Apple’s iPhone in ten world markets later this year including Australia.
“Vodafone Australia is enormously pleased to be included in the agreement to sell the iPhone to our customers later this year,” said Russell Hewitt, CEO of Vodafone Australia. “The iPhone will be the perfect addition to Vodafone Australia’s mobile handset range.”
Yet Vodafone does not have the network coverage to go it alone in Australia. That is unless they share with a partner.iPhonAsia believes that Optus will play a very important role in the iPhone distribution plans.
Vodafone Press Release:
Vodafone today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone in ten of its markets around the globe. Later this year, Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey will be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network.
Optus announces plans to extend wireless network …
Excerpt: Optus CEO Paul O’Sullivan: ”We will deliver superior coverage and wireless services across the country and drive increased market share for Optus.”
At least 750 new base stations will be added to the network, extending Optus’s mobile network coverage by 400,000 square kilometres and giving it a total network coverage of more than one million sq km. … The expansion of the network in regional areas would be done using a 900 megahertz (MHz) spectrum.
Apple’s iPhone would “work well on the 900 MHz spectrum,” according to Optus’ Corporate Affairs Director Maha Krishnapallai. He declined to comment whether Optus will be selling the popular handset.
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