This April, we start to get serious about turning off the Analog television network in Australia.

I know most of you in the bush and regional Australia will ask why am I talking about something that took place years ago?  You see, analog TV in many regional parts of Australia was turned off back in 2010, and yes, that's as much as 3 years ago now.

How time fly's. In fact, test transmissions for Digital TV started way back in 2001, and some of us will remember that large screen Televisions started seeing the light of day, or a dark room for that matter, sometime around then as well.

Ofcourse, in the early naughties (did I spell that right?) if we wanted a large flat screen television then we needed a friendly bank manager. Prices for this early technology were as much as the cost of a family car. But that didn't deter Aussies, because we love technology, love things big, love sport on the tele, and love to have the latest... don't we?

I digress, because aside from chatting about old Analog versus new Digital TV, what is important about the switch off of analog in our major metropolitan cities is the fact the switch off mans a whole load more "Spectrum" and bandwidth becomes available for other use. 

That other use is currently ear marked to provide 4G (LTE) Mobile phone services, which although are already introduced by Optus and Telstra, more space is needed in the airwaves to bring 4G services to everyone in Australia. How quickly things change.

These are the main remaining switch off dates so if you have not got yourself a fancy new digital flat screen television, then it's time you spoil yourself and family. Better do it now, because you will need to start saving for your shiny new 4G mobile phone.

All of this technology got me thinking about our copper network for phones, developed and built starting way back in 1854, and bringing hi-speed internet today. This is soon to be replaced by the NBN.... but this is another story for another time! 

Windows 8 makes a Splash

There is a lot of talk at the moment about which is the best "Smart Phone" and which is the best operating system for your smart phone.

The answer is of course not definitive, but what I can tell you is that Nokia, once the worlds largest and best selling phone manufacturer is not simply lying down and letting the likes of Apple and Samsung take all of the market in the smart phone market.

Evidence of this is what I consider to be the best value smart phone on the market... the brand new Nokia Lumia 620.

This handset offers some of the best features you could want, and at a VERY competitive price. 

These features include: the latest Windows 8 operating system, which is proving to be an exceptional user interface and perfect for business user and social use a like. Add to that a fast 1GHz Dual Core Processor, 3G Quad Band, for all Aussie Networks, a bright 3.8 inch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 5MP Camera.

All of this, and more for only $299 rrp makes this great value.

Check it out here

Confused about Mobile Networks in Australia?

One of the things that is a little difficult to get your head around as a retailer of Prepaid and unlocked Mobile phones is the different bandwidths (frequencies) that Australian networks use, and what phone suits what network.

I get a lot of retailers asking me about this, so maybe it's time I explained it a little here, hopefully in really simple terms.

Firstly, we need to remember that Prepaid Mobile Handsets are generally "LOCKED" to the network they are sold on. In other words, if you sell an Optus Prepaid Handset, like the Optus Samsung Galaxy Mini for $99 to a consumer, then this handset comes supplied with an Optus SIM and is locked to Optus, so will not accept a SIM from Telstra or Vodafone.

Telstra Prepaid and Vodafone Prepaid handsets are also usually locked to their respective networks.

You can arrange to unlock Prepaid Handsets, but there is a fee charged by the carriers for this.

Unlocked handsets are just that... sold outright and not locked to any particular network, but this is where it starts to get a little tricky, because the carriers use slightly different bandwidths to deliver their mobile network service.

There is good news here though, because the cheaper unlocked handsets, like the Samsung E1170 ($39rrp) or the Nokia 101 DUAL SIM ($49rrp) operate on 900 and 1800 Mhz bandwidths, which are supported by all the carriers. This simply means that these cheaper 2G handsets will operate with any SIM from any Australian carrier, provided that carrier is providing a 2G service in the area. 

When we talk about 3G, it gets a little more difficult. Telstra uses 850 & 2100 Mhz, Optus uses 900 & 2100 MHz, and Vodafone currently use 850, 900 & 2100 Mhz. However, the phones Vodafone generally sell are 900/2100.

What all this means, that when selling an unlocked 3G handset, it is important to know what network the consumer is planning on using, or is currently using.

Many unlocked are sold in two versions... like the Nokia C2-01 for $109rrp. it is available to suit Telstra (850/2100) or Optus & Vodafone (900/2100) So you need to stock both if you are going to keep your customers happy. 

Higher end unlocked handsets like the Nokia Asha 300 ($149rrp) and HTC One V ($319rrp) and Samsung Galaxy S3 ($779rrp) are QUAD Band, and operate on 850/900/1900/2100 bandwidths, so these unlocked handsets are perfect for all Australian networks.

Of course there is the introduction of 4G now, which puts another spanner in the works, but hopefully things might get a little less confusing with 4G in a few years.

Currently, Optus and Telstra are both utilising 1800 Mhz for their 4G services.

All the carriers have stated they would like to use lower bandwidths, and will be bidding for the 700 Mhz spectrum when it will be auctioned off by the Government  from April 2013. This bandwidth currently provides analogue television, and is the reason we have had to wait for the analogue TV service to be switched off before the Mobile Carriers can bid for this spectrum.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact e here, or via email... james@jenlist.com.au

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Keep an Eye Out

    Our CONNECT plus + retailer guide has proven to be very popular with our retailers, and our staff as well.

    We are currently working on the next version for November which wil cover the the holiday season and welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have to improve CONNECT plus +

Some things we are looking to incorporate thanks to suggestions from retailers include the removal of wholesale pricing removed from products so retailers can show consumers the range available and take orders.

Keep an eye out for the new editon.

Let's get Social

Optus have just launched the new Optus Social Prepaid Rate Plan, and what a great rate plan this is !

With unlimited Optus to Optus Mobile Voice calls and SMS within Australia, and lots of included minutes and data for everything else, this is the prepaid rate plan for all your customers.

Click the image above to learn more about Optus Prepaid Social.

On the right Track

                                                                                                                                                  In a major network milestone, Sydney commuters are able to enjoy 2G and 3G coverage within the Rail tunnels on the North Shore and Western Line between Central Station and Chatswood.

    Consumers can now make use of their travel time to talk, text or even make the best use of their Laptops, Smart phones and Tablets.

    Network expansion continues throughout Metropolitan and regional Australia to meet the demands of today's consumer for better coverage and stronger Data connectivity.

        ENJOY !

Where to with Mobile Networks?

    Where are we headed in Australia with the Mobile Networks?

    We have all heard the hype around 4G, but what does this really mean to the consumer?

    4G is the buzzword terminology being used in the market, but strictly speaking this is not what is on offer. In actual fact, the correct name for our "4G" network is LTE (Long Term Evolution) but I feel it is OK to call it 4G (and simpler) because this is the 4th generation of mobile service being offered in Australia and around the world today.

    We started with an analogue Mobile network, which was the first introduction to Cell Networks where Mobile phones could roam between towers around the country. Then the introduction of Digital Mobile, known as the 2nd generation of Mobile communications. Following 2G, we saw improvements in data handling, leading to some networks naming the service 2.5G, and of course we now have 3G and even 3.5G offering fast data speeds and generally a better mobile experience. With the introduction of 3G came the widespread use of Mobile Broadband. This is still the fastest growing sector for 3G services but is now being challenged by huge take up of the "Smart Phone"... thanks to the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy products, and also the less expensive Prepaid Smart Phones now available in the market.

    What do all these improvements mean to us? A faster data connection and a stronger signal basically. Optus have been testing LTE in regional NSW and Victoria, recording download speeds of 70Mbps. That's about 20 times faster than the typical broadband speed at home over the existing wired network. This means faster web browsing, quicker song and movie downloads and seamless streaming of content to our mobile devices.

    What does this mean to retailers like you? It means more sales ! Consumers will want to upgrade their handsets and Broadband devices to take advantage of the faster speeds on offer using 4G (LTE) services. So, mobile products will continue to become a larger part of you business as Australians embrace technology, usually faster than the rest of the world, wanting the latest and best.

    Keep watching, because this industry is not standing still.