5th November - Telstra has launched a new "super receptive" mobile phone which it recommends for handheld use in rural areas across Australia. The handset is being supplied by China's ZTE.

The Telstra 165 'Country Phone' is one of two new WCDMA (Next G) handsets being added to the growing 'Blue Tick' range of rural specific phones. The other new Blue Tick handset is the Nokia N95, which will be in stores from mid-November.

"The Country Phone is the first Next G handset with a pullout antenna and it's built to meet the demands of Australia's tough outdoor conditions. The handset's bigger design incorporates a large, easy to use key pad to accommodate even the biggest of fingers and the phone is protected in rubber casing, is dust proof, shock and liquid resistant," Telstra Country Wide Group Managing Director, Mr Geoff Booth, said.

Telstra Product Management Group Managing Director, Ms Holly Kramer, said while the Country Phone had a focus on utility, the Nokia N95 had all the style and sophistication synonymous with one of the world's leading handset brands.

"Incorporating advanced multimedia functionality and elegant design, the Nokia N95 is the first Nokia handset to achieve Telstra's Blue Tick for handheld use in rural areas," Ms Kramer said.

Both new handsets offer easy 1-click content and applications including access to BigPond TV, 33 channels on Mobile FOXTEL, Sensis search services plus an array of free BigPond content such as the latest news and weather reports.