Indigo Telecom and Australia Post have signed a distribution agreement that will see next-generation mobile GSM/Satellite phones and service plans distributed through regional and remote Australia Post retail outlets around the country.
Indigo managing director & CEO David Ruddiman said the agreement will mean over a million people who live, work and travel in regional and remote Australia will be able to simply walk into a participating Australia Post retail outlet in their local town, buy a phone and a plan, walk outside, switch it on and instantly make a call on Indigo’s national mobile network.
“This deal makes buying and connecting to Indigo’s mobile network anywhere in Australia a lot less complicated for those that live outside the GSM footprint of the other major telcos,” Mr Ruddiman said.
“This effectively puts an end to the isolation felt by many in the bush in so far as convenient and reliable access to retail mobile services is concerned.
“Australians residing in metropolitan cities and centres take mobile telecommunications for granted because it’s so easy to find any number of mobile phone dealers, buy a phone and instantly connect to a mobile network.
“It seems incredible, in a country as large and advanced as ours that this ease of access to buy and connect to a mobile phone network hasn’t been available to regional and remote Australians until now.”
“Over 72% of Australia’s landmass has little or no access to GSM networks. Together, Indigo and Australia Post aim to give easy access to a highly reliable mobile phone network that provides 100% coverage across Australia’s landmass and out to sea.
General manager merchandise services at Australia Post Rowan Howarth said: “Over the next 12 months an increasing number of Australia Post offices will stock a range of Indigo mobile handsets, sell plans, provide access to applications for the Federal Government’s Mobile Satellite Subsidy Scheme, and accept over the counter payment of Indigo mobile phone bills.
“This partnership with Indigo presents an excellent opportunity for us to partner with a highly innovative mobile carrier to deliver essential services to those communities outside the other major mobile network operators GSM footprint.
“This is just another example of how we, at Australia Post are working to ensure we stay relevant and continue to deliver real solutions for regional and remote communities. We very much look forward to working with the team at Indigo Telecom to ensure the success of this initiative,” he said.
This article first appeared on TandLnews.com.au