The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) today released a request for tender (RFT) to undertake an audit of Telstra's CDMA and WCDMA networks.

The focus of the audit is to ensure Telstra complies with its publicly-stated commitment that 3G coverage will exceed or at least be equivalent to existing CDMA coverage especially in regional areas.

The RFT follows an announcement by IT Minister Helen Coonan in August that the ACMA will be responsible for coordinating the independent audits.

The audit will compare Telstra's CDMA mobile phone network, which was installed in 2000 to replace the analogue service, with its new 3GSM network (otherwise known as WCDMA).

The new 3G WCDMA mobile phone network is being deployed by Telstra to replace its existing CDMA network for more extensive coverage in rural areas of Australia.