Radio, TV and press mentions of mobile phones and APUMP

1. June, 30 1998. BRISBANE 4QR. Ian, male talkback caller on mobile telephones: ... I'm annoyed by the changeover from analogue to digital ... my analogue service is good and cheap ... why change.
2. June, 30 1998. LITHGOW 2LT Radio News. Federal National Party Senator Sandy MacDonald has called on the Federal Government to encourage Optus and Vodafone (not Vodaphone) to extend the analogue mobile phone network phase out date.
3. June, 29 1998. TAMWORTH/TAREE PRIME TV State Television News. National Party Candidate for New England, Stuart St Clair calls for extension of analogue mobile phone service for rural areas.
4. June, 29 1998. NEWCASTLE KOFM Radio News. Upper Hunter farmers and business people could be hit hard when the findings of a review on mobile phone coverage are handed down tomorrow.
5. June, 26 1998. GERALDTON 6GN Radio News. Regional areas will suffer as the Federal Government opens up the mobile communications industry to more competition according to a phone users lobby group.
6. June, 26 1998 ABC WESTERN PLAINS 2CR Orange. The Australian Communications' Authority is informing the public about all the  developments leading up to the closure of the analog network. Warren Duncan, Analog Closure Public Education Campaign: ... after 2000 it's possible that people will need two phones
7. June, 24 1998. UK BBC RADIO 4 Queries as to why Vodafone (not Vodaphone) could not join with Cellnet and Orange and use the same equipment. Interviews with Harrogate Council spokesman: ... we can't have masts all over the countryside; Mike Caldwell, Vodafone: ... in the countryside we have more powerful transmitters so we need fewer.
8. June, 25 1998ABC VICTORIAN REGIONAL GIPPSLAND GIFM Radio News. The campaign for the retention of analogue mobile phones wants to find out what part they've played during the flood emergency ... APUMP spokesman says landline links have been cut and overloaded but mobiles have maintained communications.
9. June, 25 1998. BUNBURY 6BS Radio News.  Boyd Munro, Association for the Protection of Users of Mobile phones: ... in order to strengthen one of the weak competitors, namely Vodafone, what he's (Richard Alston) done is to demand that Telstra withdraw the superior analogue service.
10. June, 25 1998. BUNBURY 6BS Radio News. The president of a mobile phone lobby group says regional Australians should fight plans by the Federal Government to open up the telecommunications market to more competition.
11. June, 24 1998. MILDURA 3MA Radio News. The Association for the Protection of Users of Mobile Phones has attacked the Australian National Party for a lack of support for regional and rural Australians.
12. June, 24 1998. HAMILTON 3HA Radio News. The analogue mobile phone lobby group, APUMP has lashed out at a Government assurance on the future of regional telephone services. The group is calling on the National Party to reverse the Government's decision to close the analogue network.
13. June, 23 1998. WOLLONGONG WIN TV State Television News. Professional fishers have joined farmers in the fight to retain the analog mobile phone network as the digital phone hasn't the range needed when they are out to sea. The alternative of a satellite phone costs $15,000.
14. June, 23 1998. ADELAIDE 5DN Radio News. In a submission to the Federal Government, the Australian Seafood Industry Council claims the closure of the mobile analogue phone system will have a huge impact on the industry. Analogue mobiles work up to 130 kilometres off shore but digital span only about 20.
15. June, 22 1998. WAGGA 2WG Radio News. Mobile phone users in the Riverina are concerned about the closure of the analogue network.
16. June, 19 1998. ALBURY 2AY Radio News. Analoge mobile phones are being given a reprieve by the Commonwealth. Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer: ... the Federal Government on Richard Alston and my recommendation has decided not to proceed with Labor's turning off of the analog system on midnight 1 January 2000 across Australia ... we are going to vary that decision.
17. June, 17 ABC VICTORIAN REGIONAL GIPPSLAND GIFM. Shire of East Gippsland has come out strongly backing the retention of analogue phones in eastern Victoria
18. June, 15 1998. COLAC 3CS Radio News. Fears are growing about the lack of digital mobile phone coverage in the Otway Ranges and along the Surf Coast in the lead up to the analogue network shut down.
19. June, 9 1998. WOLLONGONG PRIME TV State Television News. Federal Government is under pressure from rural subscribers to retain the analogue phone network in rural Australia.
20. June, 4 1998. BROOME 6BE Radio News. Northwest fishers are lobbying Telstra to maintain the analogue mobile phone system until a more suitable system can be found.
21. June, 4 1998. KARRATHA 6KP. John Kraus, Managing Director of Kraus Fishing Company: ... four boats operate out of Pilbara each have analogue phones ... analogue works 100 miles off coast ... digital doesn't work any further than 10 miles off coast ...
22. June, 5 1998. ABC REGIONAL GOULBURN-MURRAY CO-FM ....the most important aspect is to check on the coverage available from digital and analog in rural areas ... that it is exactly as the carriers have depicted to us ... we're also using independent consultants to verify that coverage ... the most important aspect after that is to ensure that the Government has a fair understanding of the impact ... of what would happen for regional mobile phone users if they were not to have an alternative to analog.
23. June, 5 1998. ABC REGIONAL GOULBURN-MURRAY CO-FM. I don't think most people realise with digitals ... $300,000 a tower but it takes three of those $300,000 towers to cover one analog ...I'd like to see them keep the analog going because it is a far better system and it's cheaper in the long run.

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