04.Which network?
If you want an all-singing, all-dancing mobile, the 3G network delivers more multimedia features than the older GSM network, and with providers such as Optus, Telstra, 3 and Vodafone on board, competition is fierce. Phones that support 3G are also compatible with local GSM mobile networks. Currently, however, the full functionality of 3G (such as video calls and access to premium content) is available only in capital cities and coastal regions with large concentrations of people.
In the past, mobile phone owners living in remote areas often opted for CDMA phones because of their wider coverage compared to GSM phones. Now, with the closure of Telstra's CDMA network, Telstra's Next G and the Optus YesG network could be the only choices for many mobile users in remote areas of Australia.
Telstra’s Next G network, not to be confused with its 3G service, operates on a different network frequency and offers the widest coverage, servicing 98% of the population, including much of the network coverage previously serviced by CDMA. View details of Telstra's mobile broadband coverage.