Brisbane-based mobile carrier Indigo Telecom Australia has entered into a partnership with Telstra Wholesale for the use of GSM services for its new dual satellite-terrestrial mobile phone service.
Indigo will resell access to Telstra’s GSM mobile network as part of its hybrid mobile voice and data network service for regional and remote locations.
The dual mode (GSM/satellite) service is up and running as of this week, but its official commercial launch will be October 1, 2010.
With a hybrid handset terrestrial GSM services are used when in range of the GSM network infrastructure and satellite services in other areas where there is no GSM coverage.
Indigo is looking to woo customers in the government, emergency services, outback tourism, transport, defence and resources sectors.
Earlier this month the telco announced a local point-of-presence (POP) in Brisbane for satellite data services.
Indigo Telecom chief executive, David Ruddiman, said the agreement with Telstra Wholesale provides “cost-effective, robust and stable” GSM products and services.
“Months of constructive discussions and negotiations saw Telstra Wholesale emerge as [the] market leader offering an enhanced product suite to assist us in the development of a ubiquitous mobile telecommunications service that covers 100 per cent of Australia’s landmass,” Ruddiman said.
Telstra Wholesale group managing director, Paul Geason, said he was pleased that Indigo Telecom had chosen to sign on with Telstra Wholesale.
“At Telstra Wholesale we are proud to serve an innovative customer like Indigo Telecom by providing access to our robust and reliable networks and a suite of reliable infrastructure-based products, services and support systems,” Geason said.
Rodney Gedda is Editor of TechWorld Australia. Follow Rodney on Twitter at @rodneygedda. Rodney's e-mail address is rodney_gedda@idg.com.au. Follow TechWorld Australia on Twitter at @Techworld_AU.