Hutch to shut down CDMA network in August

Hutchison Whampoa has announced that it will shut down the CDMA network of its Australian 2G operator Hutchison Telecommunications Australia (HTA) on 9 August, following successful migration of HTA customers to its 3G provider Hutchison 3G Australia (H3G), which is 81%-owned by HTA and offers services under the brand name ‘3’. HTA first announced plans to mothball its 2G network in February. At that date it was offering services to around 400,000 users over CDMA IS-95A and CDMA2000 1x infrastructure under the brand name Orange. The following month it rebranded HTA as ‘3 CDMA’. Since then Hutch says that more than 200,000 customers have upgraded from HTA to H3G. HTA customers who have not yet upgraded will be extended offers to H3G’s service including the waiver of all current handset instalments, a new handset and 3G plans that can offer the equivalent value as their existing 2G contracts. They will have 90 days to select their new service, and from 10 August will no longer be able to use their 2G service following the network closure.