I’ve used an iPhone now for about a year an a half in Australia. I had an imported original iPhone which I used on Optus. It was okay. It was a great little Apple Device, but as a phone it seemed to be pretty poor.

Come the announcement and launch of the iPhone 3G, I was one of the first in Melbourne to get my hands on one. I braved much of the cold July 10 evening and all of the July 11 early morning queued up outside the Optus store in Elisabeth Street, Melbourne CBD.

I got my lovely new black iPhone, but was still a bit miffed at its performance and reception as a phone. On Optus.

Things got worse as they were, at that time, demolishing a school in my area, which had my local Optus cell tower on it. My reception got worse. I could not take any calls whilst at my home office without the calls dropping. Every call dropped.

I soon decided after doing the sums that Telstra would not really be much more expensive for my purpose and switched over. I very rarely get any dropped calls now. Data access works seamlessly, seemingly anywhere.

I use my iPhone a lot. Email (up to 6 accounts are checked), Web Browsing and the occasional App download. I very rarely come close to using all of my 150MB data pack.

I recently have delved a little further into why Optus coverage for the iPhone is so poor.

The iPhone is a multi-band device that uses the following frequency bands:

2G/GSM 850/900/1800/1900

3G/UMTS 850/1900/2100

So its quite a capable device then? Well here’s the rub —

Telstra Use:

2G/GSM 900/1800

3G/UMTS 2100 – Only in metro and they don't really sell this anymore

3G/UMTS 850 – Next G

Optus Use:

2G/GSM 900/1800

3G/UMTS 900/2100

So if you’ve already read between the lines, you’ll see the iPhone 3G uses 2100 on Optus. This part of their network is only available in metro areas and is seldom available in regional areas. At this frequency, it also has a much reduced range and coverage.

If you use your iPhone on Telstra, you will be using the 850 band. Lower frequencies have much further reach. Plus this is the band that Telstra has laid out right across the country. This gives you great 3G coverage almost anywhere.

Optus are expanding their coverage in the 900/2100 bands, and this will improve the situation somewhat, but partly only if more users with suitable handsets start using the 900 band, leaving the iPhone users that can only use their 2100 band with less congestion.

Optus plans are seemingly much more attractive in what you get included, but I have found for my more than modest use of my phone for both data and calls, Telstra and Optus are neck and neck.

Charlie [eWhizz!]

I am on a Telstra 79 Cap with a $10 data pack (150MB). I think this sort of a plan would suite 90% of users out there.

If you’d like any more detailed information please feel free to contact me. If there are any technical inaccuracies in this news item, I’d love to hear from you too. charlie@ewhizz.net

P.S. I’m not affiliated with any telco!