One of the biggest sticks that Telstra's had to beat its competition with has been the unrivalled nature of its 3G coverage map. This made Telstra the only choice for many communities if you just wanted simple coverage, let alone 3G data speeds.
Vodafone's finally announced rollout dates for upgrades to its own 3G network, with according to Vodafone CTO Andy Reeves, the opportunity to "generate greater competition in the telecommunication market and provide greater choice for more Australian customers."
The initial phase of the expansion will see a rollout across regional centres in the first week of May. If you happen to live in Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Ballina, Bunbury, Byron Bay, Cairns, Darwin, Hobart, Kiama, Lismore, Mackay, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Townsville, Wollongong, Bowral, Nowra or Wagga Wagga, your Vodafone 2G signal should become 3G by then.
Vodafone's plans don't stop there, with an aggressive claim that they'd finish their entire rollout by the 31st of August, and provide coverage to - according to Vodafone's claims - over 94% of the Australian population.
The upgrades were originally projected to be completed by the end of 2008, but it's widely reported that technical issues delayed the rollout. It's an interesting move for Vodafone as they prepare to merge with 3 locally.
Vodafone hasn't announced what will happen to 3's much cheaper metropolitan broadband plans post-merger, but outside metro areas - exactly the spaces that the new Vodafone network upgrades will cover - 3's modems and phones all divert to using Telstra.
Also see Mobile Broadband: The big roundup