Telstra has confirmed that it will sell the iPhone, in time of the July 11 launch. It will use the Next G network, allowing iPhone handsets to reach around 99% of the population.

Telstra will join Optus and Vodafone in selling the iPhone. However, both finalised their deals in May - as part of international agreements with Singapore Telecommunications and Vodafone respectfully. Sources say that it took this long to get the deal was due to differences between the content services provided on the iPhone.

Telstra has now said that it will sell the iPhone in Australia, being the third carrier in the nation to announce it will be carrying the prized machine; joining rivals Optus and Vodafone.

However, it will be two weeks late than its rivals, selling it on July 22, not July 11. it is expected that it will sell the latest iPhone. It will operate on the rare 850 Mhz frequency, the Next G frequency that Telstra uses.

Now we have to wait if 3 is going to sell the iPhone. If so, Australia will be the only country where all of its carriers will carry the iPhone.

Telstra is unlikely to offer the iPhone by the July 11 launch date after its negotiations broke down with Apple, the makers of the prized iPhone, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The disagreement came when Telstra wanted to put its Sensis products, including its navigational tool Whereis, on the iPhone preloaded. Telstra is also believed to have agreed to order tens of thousands of iPhones during the negotiation process.

However, this does not stop them getting the iPhone later this year, but it would dent some of its consumer base as people would go to other networks to get the ‘must-have’ gadget in Australia.

Telstra has revealed that more of its support contact centre operation will be going to the Philippines.

Telstra has said that there will be no staff lost during the new movie, but they will provide support as Australian workers will be training to deal with a new billing system being installed.

As well, Australian credit management staff will also commence additional trading in managing peak call volumes - as they are expecting an increase when the new system is introduced.

News.com.au is reporting that Telstra will attempt an Australian first by beaming a live hologram from Melbourne to Adelaide tomorrow morning.

The telco giant has claimed that the hologram will reproduce a real-time image of its CTO Dr. Hugh Bradlow as he gives a talk in Melbourne. It is hoping to wow its business audience in Adelaide to show its broadband network’s data capacity.

The media release, issued today, did not detail the technology.

Despite holograms have been developed over 50 years ago, they were static (non-moving) and dynamic, or motion, holograms are still relatively new. Holograms use three lasers and a photosensitive screen to capture light waves and interference.

It then creates a three-dimensional image of the person in mid-air.

It will present a real-time media conference with the hologram following the event.

Another source has confirmed to CNET.com.au that Telstra will be the third provider of the so-called ‘god machine’ at the end of June.

The news comes after that Optus and Vodafone will be selling the iPhone, with Vodafone confirming that it is selling it, and in New Zealand.

While there is no confirmation from Apple, Telstra and Optus on the deal; the iPhone was speculated not to be on the Telstra network as it was thought the iPhone would be only on the 850MHz 3G frequency, which Telstra does not have on the Next G network.

But with this latest news, it could see a multi-frequency (850/2100MHz) 3G capable iPhone to work on both Next G and Optus/Vodafone’s network. Vodafone and Optus supports both the 850MHz and 2100MHz.

Telstra declined to comment on the matter, but CNET.com.au understands that the deal will be announced at the end of the month.

Optus has announced that it will expand its 3G network coverage to 98 percent by next year and will bring its speeds up to 42Mbps by 2010, to compete with Telstra.

While upgrading its coverage from 96 percent to 98 percent by December 2009, it will cost the telco AU$315 million. This price will also include upping the bandwidth to 28Mbps in 2009 and with the aim of "strategic partners", it will increase that to 42Mbps by 2010.

Telstra is expected to beat Optus to that speed after it was announced in February that it will have its Next G network running at 42Mbps by the end of 2009.

Telstra will shut down the CDMA mobile phone network after the Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has told the press that the giant telco has met the requirements that would allow such closure.

The CDMA network is being superseded for the new Next G Network, and Telstra has told customers to switch or move to another network.

The ten-year-old network served almost two million users in the regional areas of Australia. Telstra wanted to shut down the network in 2007, but the government forced it to be postponed until it met the requirements.

Telstra will also provide a hotline for those who are want their questions resolved and its handset replacement program for those who switched to Next G. You can call them on 1800 888 888. However, on July 1; it will continue the handset exchange using the established customer service line on 125 111.