News Release September 25, 2001 |
Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Limited ACN 003 677 227 Level 3, 504 Pacific Highway St.Leonards NSW 2065 Ph: 02 9964 4646 Fax: 02 9964 4649 |
Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Limited has introduced a number of new initiatives in preparation for today's introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP). Hutchison provides Orange mobile products and services in Australia. Orange network licence areas include greater Sydney and Melbourne along with the regional centres of Wollongong, Newcastle, Gosford and Geelong. Roaming arrangements are in place to ensure Orange mobile customers have access to a network that covers 96 per cent of Australia's population.
Hutchison's CDMA network in Australia is the world's first network to combine local telephony with mobility, giving fixed local call rates for the user's nominated home or work address. The Orange network provides customers with high quality mobile coverage, with clear reception, especially in buildings.
"In preparation for MNP we are introducing an exciting new range of handsets and various mobile plans to suit the needs of consumers and small business", said Toni Brendish, Hutchison's Marketing Director. "We believe we have the best value product in the market supported by a state-of-the-art network and a strong global brand.
"We are offering flexible mobile plans to meet our customers' differing needs. Our Orange JustGo plan has no minimum monthly spend and one low flat mobile rate of eighteen cents per thirty seconds (plus an eighteen cent flagfall). Orange TalkEasy and Orange FreeTalk allow customers to benefit from our world-first TalkZone capabilities providing industry low rates for untimed local calls.
"We are also targeting the small business market, providing new Orange mobile services designed specifically for tradespeople, home workers and small business operators who make most of their calls during the day. Orange JustBusiness, JustBusiness Plus and JustBusiness Talk have been tailored to provide low rates for small businesses," she explained.
Hutchison has the strong support of parent company, Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL), a Hong Kong-based multinational with a market capitalisation of around A$69 billion. HWL has a 57.82% shareholding in Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Limited. HWL is part of the Li Ka-shing group of companies, which together represent about 15% of the total market capitalisation of the Hong Kong stock market. With close to 100,000 employees worldwide, Hutchison Whampoa operates five core businesses across 34 countries: telecommunications and e-commerce; ports and related services; property and hotels; retail and manufacturing; and energy and infrastructure.
For all media inquiries please contact:
Marie Kelly, Director of Public Affairs 02 9964 4831; 0425 231 984