On Wed, 07 May 2008 05:16:29 +0000, Alan Parkington wrote:

> from
> http://news.theage.com.au/cdma-network-no-longer-
ringing/20080429-2995.html
>
> After months of public and political debate, Telstra's CDMA mobile phone
> network was switched off in the early hours of Tuesday morning with
> barely a whimper.
>
> According to Telstra, the shutdown occurred without any problems.
>
> "The switch off went to plan with no incidents reported from the very
> few customers that were still connected to the old CDMA network,"
> Telstra spokesman Peter Taylor said.
>
> "While the past few days have been very busy in our shops and dealers,
> the vast majority of CDMA customers made the move to the Next G network
> many months ago with the new network already boasting hundreds of
> thousands more customers than CDMA ever did."
>
> A spokeswoman for the Consumers' Telecommunications Network said they
> had not received any calls of complaint since the network's closure.
>
> "We haven't received any calls today," the spokeswoman said.

Their phones don't work any more and there aren't any phone boxes left in
rural areas, and nobody's called to complain? What a surprise!

> She added that they had received a high number of calls leading up to
> the original January 28 shutdown, but that this had reduced to a trickle
> in the past two weeks.

And the trickle stopped when their phones stopped working? How weird.

> "I think most were suffering from consumer complaint fatigue, given the
> resigned tone of those calls," the spokeswoman said.

Tel$cum customer service fatigue, more likely. After you've spent half an
hour trying to explain what you want to a stupid computer, and then
listened to some crap music with advertising every few seconds for
another half an hour, it does get a bit fatiguing.

> "Most people were hoping against hope that it wouldn't close."
>
> Telstra Country Wide director Gary Goldsworthy said the telco was now
> focused on the decommissioning of approximately 3,500 CDMA sites across
> Australia and the removal of redundant equipment.
>
> "The CDMA network equipment is now up to a decade old and well past its
> use by date," Mr Goldsworthy said.
>
> "Our technicians will therefore be removing old CDMA equipment and
> anything of value will be reused, sold or recycled."
>
> CDMA customers are being reminded that have until the end of May if they
> wish transfer their old mobile phone number to a Next G service.
>
> Telstra said it will continue to operate the 1800 888 888 support line
> for any customers with any concerns with their new Next G handsets.

Do they get many calls from people complaining that they can't call to
complain cos their phone doesn't work and there's no phoneboxes?