Telecom 3G network to be wholesaled

Telecom is to wholesale its 3G network from next year, a year earlier than originally planned.

The network, which was launched as XT in May, will be available to wholesale customers by mid-2010, a Telecom statement released today says.

According to the statement, Telecom has been trialling wholesaling mobile technology with telecomms services provider Digital Island, running a pilot of a CMDA-based mobile virtual network operator product with Digital Island.

"This has provided an invaluable insight that will help with the development of a WCDMA-based product", the statement says.

Telecom wholesale general manager of marketing Nick Clarke is quoted in the statement as saying "We have been listening to the telecommunications retailers we work with who have been telling us they want to be able to provide their customers with the best mobile experience available in New Zealand" and "The pilot has taught us a lot about what's involved in delivering wholesale mobile services".

Digital Island had been interested in providing the WCDMA network on a wholesale basis, but it was originally envisaged that this would happen in 2011.

"We have taken onboard their feedback and agreed to pull forward the timeline for wholesaling the WCDMA network by nearly a year", Clarke says.

Digital Island general manager Blair Stewart says the company is looking at piloting some customers from April 2010, and moving to a full service two months later.

- © Fairfax NZ News