Hutchison 3G Australia will sponsor test cricket in Australia for the next five years in a deal announced today. Hutchison is the parent company of Orange which is the major sponsor of Essendon Football Club. 3G services are the next generation of wireless mobile communications offering users high speed access to multimedia content such as video, audio and photographs through mobile devices. This agreement continues Hutchison’s global strategy of building relationships with premier sporting organisations. The ACB now joins Essendon Football Club, Premier League Football in the UK and Serie A soccer teams AC Milan, Juventus, Roma, Lazio and Piacenza as part of Hutchison’s worldwide stable of sporting partnerships.

“This sponsorship reaffirms Hutchison’s long-term commitment to 3G in the Australian market. It is part of the broader commitment of our parent company, Hutchison Whampoa, to building a leading 3G business worldwide,"" Hutchison chief executive officer Kevin Russell said.