Mobile Phone Switch Leaves Port Tour Operator Hanging

Newcastle Herald

Thursday January 20, 2000

By SCOTT TUCKER

PORT Stephens tourism operator Graham Sansom has been left marooned by technology.

The owner of Horizon Safaris, which organises eco-tours of the Stockton Bight sand dunes and Hunter vineyards, has lost half his trade after being left out of touch by the introduction of Telstra's new CDMA digital mobile telephone network.

The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system has left his old analogue mobile phone number inoperable.

As a result his business has dived as frustrated tourists turn to competitors with established office staff to take their calls.

`Since CDMA came on-line on January 1 we have had total loss of communicable signal within our area,' Mr Sansom said.

`If our business was in another area perhaps it would be all right.

`It is a case of my call range now being the equivalent of what it was 10 years ago.'

Usually at this time of the year Horizon Safaris is leading about three or four half-filled tours a day.

But since CDMA came into operation, trade has fallen to one or two tours at an average of 20% capacity.

Federal Member for Paterson Bob Horne said the CDMA digital system should have been fully rolled-out before analogue was switched off.

He said he had written to Communications Minister Richard Alston, calling for analogue to be reactivated to protect businesses such as Horizon Safaris.

`Lots of organisations will be affected like the NRMA, roadside tow truck operators, bushfire brigades, and right in the middle of the tourism season,' Mr Horne said.

Telstra's announcement of a special transitional package for regional customers, to help in the changeover, has been criticised as inadequate.

A spokesman for Senator Alston said Labor had made the decision to close the analogue network.

© 2000 Newcastle Herald

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