June 16 - 11:25am EDT   Australian carrier Optus has let slip the details of new iPhone subscription options, meant to coincide with the release of the 3GS, a leak claims. The carrier's "yes" cap plans should now range from $19 to $79 a month, and by default provide between 100MB and 1GB of data; missing is a $29 option, which will come sometime after launch if at all. Varying payments may be necessary based on the choice of iPhone model, and the length of a contract, spanning one to two years. [full story]

February 26 - 1:10pm EST   A mandatory Internet censorship plan in Australia proposed by the government is facing stiff opposition, with an independent senator's decision to block legislation that would start the blockage of certain websites with morally questionable content, the Thursday edition of the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The Green and Opposition parties have blocked the measure and have been joined by independent Senator Nick Xenophon, who changed his position on the mandatory ban. All now believe a filter would not be effective at blocking unsafe content and would slow Internet access while carrying a risk of blocking legitimate websites. [full story]

February 9 - 10:20am EST   Vodafone and cellular provider 3's parent label Hutchison today said they would combine their operations in Australia, creating a much larger carrier. The move gives the entity about 6 million cellular customers on the island nation and is being made to compete against incumbents Optus and Telstra, both of which have outpaced Vodafone's Australian wing. A combined Vodafone and Hutchison will have about $4 billion Australian dollars in revenue per year and match Optus in size. [full story]

February 5 - 3:45am EST   HTC will begin shipping the Android-powered HTC Dream handset to wireless provider SingTel which will offer it to subscribers in Singapore. In Australia, the phone will be sold by Optus, a carrier owned by SingTel. The first Android handset in either region, the Dream is identical to the T-Mobile G1 currently available in North America and therefore represents the G1's first official launch in a market other than the US and UK. [full story]

August 6 - 3:15pm EDT   Research in Motion today officially began shipping the BlackBerry Bold to Austria and Germany, putting the device in competition with the iPhone 3G and other devices for the first time. The devices are available through T-Mobile in each country and are the first true 3G Blackberries to be available in Europe; both follow the reference design closely with GPS, Wi-Fi, and a two-megapixel camera but support T-Mobile's NaviGate mapping service in addition to BlackBerry Maps [full story]

July 3 - 8:50am EDT   Australian mobile carrier Optus on Thursday announced an extensive range of price plans for the iPhone 3G, in preparation for its July 11th launch. Pre-pay deals see the 8GB iPhone 3G marked at $729, and the 16GB model at $849; unlike most countries, there is also an option to fully unlock the device for use on other networks, for an additional $80. [full story]

June 27 - 10:10am EDT   Wireless carrier 3 Australia has received a strong surge of interest in carrying the iPhone 3G, a corporate blog claims. On Thursday the carrier posted a message explaining that it has contacted Apple about carrying the 3G, but that it is seeking public response on the issue as a means of getting Apple's attention. Hundreds of mostly positive comments have since been posted on the site, and visitors can currently sign up for e-mail notifications about the iPhone. [full story]

May 12 - 10:10am EDT   Telstra on Thursday announced it would be the third Australian iPhone carrier, and that the company's expected June launch date could indicate that it will carry the 3G iPhone. CNET reports that the carrier joins Optus and Vodafone, and will allegedly offer a multi-frequency HSDPA-compatible device, allowing it to work on both competitors' networks and its own Next G network. Telstra declined to comment on the arrangement, but it would potentially be announced before the end of the month. [full story]

May 12 - 7:20am EDT   International carrier SingTel today revealed itself as the next iPhone provider. The carrier will offer the device in the company's native Singapore and will also supply the phone through three of its international providers, including Bharti Airtel for India, Globe in the Philippines, and Optus in Australia. As with other recent announcements, SingTel declines to provide details and says only that it will sell the iPhone "later this year." [full story]

May 6 - 6:45am EDT   Vodafone today made the revelation that it will be an official carrier for the iPhone in ten countries around the world. The telecoms firm will offer the handset to Europeans in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Portugal; Greece, India, and Turkey will be covered by Vodafone in Asia, while Australia, Egypt, New Zealand, and South Africa will also be served by the company. Vodafone doesn't say when it will offer the iPhone other than later this year and avoids other details, including pricing. [full story]

May 1 - 9:55am EDT   The iPhone is indeed coming to Australia, an anonymous source is said to be confirming. CNET is citing an "industry insider," who claims that an Australian iPhone launch is expected in the last week of June, and with the regional carrier Optus. The company is expected to make the announcement in mid-May, just a few weeks before Apple's WWDC conference on June 9th, where a 3G version of the iPhone is expected to be publicly revealed. The source says he cannot confirm that Australia will get the 3G phone, but that Optus is expecting it regardless. [full story]