Telstra to offer iPhone 3G in Australia?

Australian carrier Telstra is set to be announced as the country’s third iPhone 3G service provider, according to a new report. Citing people close to the company, Australian IT reports Telstra chief Sol Trujillo may make an announcement next week, and could launch the device as early as July 22. Sources also indicated that Telstra retail chief David Moffatt and a team of his senior executives were given a preview of the new flagship Apple retail store in Sydney last week. According to the report, previously announced carriers Optus and Vodafone have already seen heavy interest in the device. Vodafone’s pre-registration site has seen around 40,000 visitors a day since launching early last week, while Optus has been forced to stop accepting advance deposits on the phone, as demand is simply too high. “Due to an overwhelming response, we have removed the deposit-taking mechanism from [our] website,” said an Optus spokesperson. Telstra has yet to comment on the story.