As an aviation enthusiast and pilot wannabe, I generally just spend my time here lurking and learning from the pages of PPRUNE, but finally I feel there is a thread I can make a valuable contribution to! I have worked in regional Australia for different phone companies over the last four years in different roles.
Given that the Federal Government contributed a considerable sum to the construction of the CDMA network after awarding Telstra the contract for rural coverage, it is not unreasonable that they would be demanding a network that as a minimum standard covers the same percentage of the population (approx 98.7% from memory). Although practically all Next G handsets will function in GSM coverage areas using the existing 1800/1900MHz bands meaning it is much more convienient when roaming internationally, and if you want to use a different company's SIM from time to time.
Seems to be that the Nokia 6120 is the clear winner in terms of the Next G phones, we have had very few complaints about reception issues, or faults with the handsets for that matter. It can also be connected to a bluetooth car kit to an external antenna, making it a popular alternative to the TU500 (which have also had relatively few faults in my experience).
The best advice I can offer is to stay away from the Telstra branded ZTE handsets. The company I work for no longer carries this product line. I am of the understanding that Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) previously tried to enter the Australian market but could not meet standards for receptionand reliabilty on our networks, but with the launch of Next G and lack of handsets compatable with the 850MHz band, they found an in. We have experienced a high rate of failure (some customers requiring their handsets to be exchangedtwo or three times before they have one that performs as expected
). They also have a policy which requires swap overs of faulty handsets to be done only after sending the handset back to them to verify the fault, leading to very lengthy delays and inconvience for the customer!
For Atlas, Optus customers on CDMA are still a bit of a grey area at least where I am working, but it would seem that if the network is shut down, then the alternative is Next G which is wholly funded by Telstra and as such only available to Telstra customers. I will however look into this in the next day or so and post my findings!
I also have heard on good authority that Vodafone intends to invest a nine-figure sum over the next twelve months to increase their GSM coverage, particularly along rural and remote highways, including the Northern and North-western parts of the country where they currently only have coverage inmajor population and a few tourism centres.
Feel free to PM me if you have questions, and I'll answer them the best I can, although I'mnot as close to the big T now as I was when the network was launched.