South Australia has become one of the first locations in the world to offer a third-generation (3G) mobile network capable of providing the high-speed transmission of video and other media-rich services to the next generation of mobile phones.

Picture shows Professor Mike Miller Chairman of m.Net Corporation

South Australian based m.Net Corporation has linked two South Australian cities to its new 3G network. The introduction of this network establishes South Australia as one of the leaders in the development of the emerging mobile broadband industry. Companies involved in the m.Net Corp. consortium include Motorola, Cisco Systems Australia and Alcatel Australia.

"The development of mobile services is not about translating the World Wide Web onto the tiny screen of a video phone," said m.Net CEO Andrew Ekiert.
"This is about building relevant business models for a future of human communication that has not yet been imagined."

Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and Whyalla are the first cities in Australia, and among only a handful in the world, with the network infrastructure to support 3G mobile phones.

Using hand-held computers linked to the 3G network, doctors involved in the trial will have "anywhere, anytime" access to patients' medical records.

South Australia, the fastest growing State in one of the world's most robust economies, has attracted the attention of some of the largest US tech firms such as EDS, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard as an affordable, high-quality and hi-tech, site for expansion into the Asian markets, according to David Brook, Invest South Australia VP North America.
Brook said a new forum called Gallery 4 had also been established in Adelaide to provide access to world-class wireless research, technical development tools and expertise.

"Known as the University City, Adelaide's graduate programs and Government sponsored centers of excellence have attracted some of the leading technology minds from around the country and overseas," he said.
South Australia, like the rest of Australia, is known for its early adoption of new technology, boasting the highest per capita ownership of cell phones in the world.
No larger than most conventional mobile phones, 3G phones provide mobile access to the Internet and are equipped with larger screens and small video cameras.