By Claire Reilly
During an announcement of the company’s half-yearly financial results today, the CEO of Telstra has confirmed that two-thirds of the Australian population will have access to the 4G network by June of this year.
The news comes as Telstra announced a slight increase in revenues, up 1.5 per cent to $12.6 billion, and an 8.8 per cent increase in profits (NPAT) to $1.6 million. According to CEO David Thodey, the strong performance was matched by an increase in customers—with 607,000 new domestic mobile customers joining Telstra in the six months ended 31 December 2012.
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“These results show we are delivering on our commitments,” said Thodey. “We continue to see customer growth in key products and services, particularly mobiles. This is a testament to our focus on improving customer service and maintaining network leadership.”
As far as the popularity of 4G mobile phones, dongles and tablets are concerned, Thodey confirmed that Telstra has “now sold 1.5 million 4G devices” and the company has made “significant investments” in its networks.
He also announced that Telstra is “on track to expand 4G coverage to 66 per cent of the Australian population by June 2013.”
Telstra launched a range of new 4G products to market alongside its manufacturing partners in the second half of 2012, including the iPad mini, the Motorola Razr M, the Samsung Galaxy III 4G and the Nokia Lumia 920, as well as its own Telstra-branded 4G Tablet and Pre-Paid 4G Hotspot.