SYDNEY (AAP)

On an island eight kilometres long and five kilometres wide, news travels fast between the 1,800 inhabitants.

But the people of Norfolk Island now have an even quicker way to indulge in gossip.

Mobile phones were finally introduced to the Pacific outpost this week, five years after its residents overwhelmingly rejected mobile technology in a referendum.

And, despite remaining pockets of opposition among some locals and tourists, it appears they have embraced the revolution.

"We've been run off our feet, we've had 300 connections in the first two days," Norfolk Telecom manager Kim Davies said.

That's one-sixth of the population already. Mr Davies expects 1,000 connections will be made within the first six months, which would put the island among the highest mobile phone users per capita in the world.

Being a mobile-free zone was one of Norfolk Island's great attractions to city-weary tourists, while many locals had regarded shrill ring tones as an intrusion on their peace.

"Some of the tourists say: 'You don't need mobile phones'," said Sue Buffett from Norfolk Island Tourism.

"They say it's so nice to go to a restaurant or walk down the street and there's no mobile phones going off.

"A few have said it'd be good to be able to contact family back home and others say it's great there's no mobiles because work can't get hold of them.

"I hope it doesn't change Norfolk."

Change is a slow process on Norfolk where "Dem Tull" - the local translation of 'they say', or gossip and rumour - has kept everyone well informed ever since the Bounty descendants settled the island 151 years ago.

Television was not introduced until the 1980s after similar objections that mobile phones faced when the notion of going cellular was first put to the people.

Islanders voted two to one against mobiles in the 2002 referendum but, following a consultation carried out for Norfolk Telecom, the island's legislative assembly ruled it was economically essential to embrace the technology.

"There are the diehards who don't want them," Mr Davies said.

"Historically, Norfolk Islanders don't like to see change, they don't like to see our way of life changed.

"But sometimes you just have to change to be economically viable."

Norfolk Telecom's annual dividend to the assembly is one of the island's largest sources of income, and topped $1 million last year.

The island paid $1 million to install mobile technology, which Mr Davies said would markedly increase the dividend.

Mr Davies eased the concerns of those who feared the famed Norfolk pines would be matched by towering mobile phone masts, saying the coverage was served by four antennae the size of large fishing rods which had been installed at isolated locations around the island.
21/03/2007 10:28:14 AM