Editing Telstra (section)

===Fixed-line and mobile telephony===
{{Update|section|date=April 2020}}
[[File:Telstra Mobile Phone Tower.jpg|thumb|Telstra mobile phone [[base station]] in [[Wireless Hill Park]], Western Australia]]
[[File:Telstra payphone with Telstra Air WiFi hotspot.jpg|thumb|Telstra payphone with Telstra Air WiFi hotspot]]
[[File:Wadjemup 100121 gnangarra-162.JPG|thumb|Public phone box on [[Rottnest Island]] connecting via wireless]]

Telstra is Australia's incumbent and largest provider of [[Landline|fixed-line services]].<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www.thecie.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CIE-Report_VHA_Consumer-outcomes-in-communications-markets-FINAL.pdf|title=Australia's telecommunications market structure|date=June 2015|publisher=The Centre for International Economics|access-date=11 June 2020|archive-date=28 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328165826/https://www.thecie.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CIE-Report_VHA_Consumer-outcomes-in-communications-markets-FINAL.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Australia: retail share for fixed line voice services by provider |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/769439/australia-relative-retail-share-for-fixed-line-voice-services-by-provider/#:~:text=Telstra%20is%20the%20country's%20largest%20telecommunications%20company. |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> These include home phone, business and other [[Public switched telephone network|PSTN]] products.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Telstra - Our company |url=https://telstra.com.au/content/tcom/aboutus/our-company |access-date=2024-07-13 |website=Telstra.com |language=en}}</ref>

Telstra outsources a significant portion of network installation and maintenance to private contractors and joint ventures, such as [[ABB|ABB Communications]] and [[Siemens-Thiess Communications Joint Venture|STCJV]] (Siemens Thiess Communications Joint Venture).<ref>{{cite web | title = List of Telstra contracted companies that supply home phone lines | publisher = Telstra | url = http://www.telstra.com.au/movinghome/newhome.cfm | access-date = 11 April 2010 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100327130418/http://www.telstra.com.au/movinghome/newhome.cfm | archive-date = 27 March 2010 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

Telstra also owns and maintains the majority of Australia's [[Payphone|public telephones]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Battersby |first=Lucy |date=2013-02-01 |title=Telstra strikes a deal on payphones |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/telstra-strikes-a-deal-on-payphones-20130201-2dqcl.html |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref> In 2006, Telstra announced it would remove many of the phones, citing vandalism and the increasing adoption of [[mobile telephone]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last=Alberici|first=Emma|title=Telstra to cut number of pay phones|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1574374.htm|access-date=5 October 2011|work=The 7.30 Report|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=20 February 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430063605/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1574374.htm|archive-date=30 April 2014}}</ref> Telstra's support page has a payphones section where information about their plans to add, remove, or move payphones can be found.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Payphones |url=https://www.acma.gov.au/payphones |website=[[Australian Communications and Media Authority]]}}</ref>

Telstra Mobile is Australia's largest mobile telephone service providers, in terms of both subscriptions and coverage.<ref name="cellular-news">{{Cite news | title = Telstra Reports 2 Million Hsdpa Subscribers | url = http://www.cellular-news.com/story/28136.php | publisher = cellular-news |date=17 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016045219/http://www.cellular-news.com/story/28136.php|archive-date=16 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="TheAge">{{cite news |last=Barker |first=Garry | title = Telstra to make Next G biggest, fastest in world | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/telstra-to-make-next-g-biggest-fastest-in-world/2007/02/13/1171128974088.html | newspaper = The Age | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115104515/http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/telstra-to-make-next-g-biggest-fastest-in-world/2007/02/13/1171128974088.html|archive-date=15 November 2013 | date=14 February 2007 | location=Melbourne}}</ref> Telstra operates Australia's largest [[Global System for Mobile Communications|GSM]] and [[3G]] [[Universal Mobile Telecommunications System|UMTS]] (branded as [[Next G]]) mobile telephony networks in Australia,<ref>{{cite web | title = About Telstra&nbsp;– Fact Sheet&nbsp;– Mobiles | url = http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/corp/facts/mobiles.cfm | access-date =11 April 2010
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071026164005/http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/corp/facts/mobiles.cfm |archive-date = 26 October 2007}}</ref> as well as holding a 50% stake in the 3GIS Ltd 2100&nbsp;MHz UMTS network infrastructure, shared with Hutchison (Three).{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}} In September 2007, Telstra had an estimated 9.3M mobile subscribers.<ref name="cellular-news" /> Telstra Mobile services are available in post-paid and prepaid payment types, known as Telstra Pre-Paid (formerly communic8 Pre-Paid).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://telstraprepaidplus.com.au |title=Telstraprepaidplus.com.au |publisher=Telstraprepaidplus.com.au |access-date=22 August 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810185522/http://telstraprepaidplus.com.au/ |archive-date=10 August 2010 }}</ref>

Telstra's [[GSM]] network was the first digital mobile network in Australia. It was launched in April 1993 on the 900&nbsp;MHz band as "Telstra MobileNet Digital".<ref name="GSM Association">{{cite web|title=GSM Roaming Australia |url=http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_au.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526015240/http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_au.shtml |archive-date=26 May 2013 }}</ref> The GSM network has carried the majority of Telstra's mobile subscribers for the last 10 years and has seen numerous upgrades.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}} 1800&nbsp;MHz capacity channels were added to the network in the late 1990s as well as [[GPRS]] packet data transmission capabilities. As part of the [[UMTS]] Next G deployment, the GSM network was also upgraded to a full [[EDGE (telecommunication)|EDGE]] data transmission capability in 2006 providing data transmission capabilities greater than 40&nbsp;kbit/s on its GSM network.<ref name="Global mobile Suppliers Association">{{cite web |title = EDGE Databank |url = http://www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/edge_databank.php4#EDGE_Fact_Sheet |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080509055811/http://www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/edge_databank.php4#EDGE_Fact_Sheet |archive-date = 9 May 2008 }}</ref>

In 1981, Telstra (then Telecom Australia) was the first company to provide mobile telephony services in Australia. The first automated mobile service operated in the major capital cities on 500&nbsp;MHz using the '007' dialling prefix. This network only provided "car phone" capabilities to subscribers as portable hand-held terminals were not practical at that time. The first cellular system in Australia offering portable hand-held phones was launched by Telstra in 1987 using the [[Advanced Mobile Phone System|AMPS]] analogue standard on the 800&nbsp;MHz band. This network at its peak had over 1 million subscribers, but was mandated by the government to be closed down by 2000, partially due to privacy concerns which resulted from the AMPS technology, but also because of arrangements undertaken to secure sufficient interest in the GSM network licenses offered in 1992 to competitors. A license condition placed on Telstra to maintain an equivalent coverage footprint at the time resulted in Telstra deciding to deploy an IS-95 CDMA network in its place.

Telstra operated over 7,400 Next G Base Stations in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itwire.com/your-it-news/mobility/39578-next-g-at-42mbps-to-be-available-in-100-regional-towns |title=Next G at 42Mbps to be available in 100 regional towns |publisher=iTWire |date=4 June 2010 |access-date=22 August 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100806211830/http://www.itwire.com/your-it-news/mobility/39578-next-g-at-42mbps-to-be-available-in-100-regional-towns |archive-date=6 August 2010 }}</ref>