By Chris Nicholls
SYDNEY: The Federal Government has set a final date for the long-running CDMA network to close, with signals being switched off on 28 April.
Telstra Country Wide Group managing director, Geoff Booth, today welcomed the Government’s decision, saying the “vast majority of customers, including those in rural and regional Australia, had already moved across to the … Next G network.”
Booth said Telstra would begin contacting the remaining customers immediately to inform them of the decision and urge them to move onto Telstra’s Next G network.
"We will be sending all CDMA customers a further letter and text messages to make sure they are aware of the final closure date, which is now just two weeks away,” he said.
"We have been talking to our customers about this closure for more than two years and most have already moved to the new network.
Those remaining have been waiting for this decision, confirming once and for all the network will close on 28 April."
Booth said Telstra would keep the 1800 888 888 number, set up in January this year to help customers deal with any changeover questions or issues, open until 1 July and would continue to help customers after that.
"28 April will close a chapter in Australia’s mobile telecommunications history and cement a new era that, for the first time, gives rural and regional Australians access to the same world-leading services that are available to people in major metropolitan centres like Sydney and Melbourne," Booth said.