Most Australians don’t have or need 5G. However, recent experiments between tech giants Telstra and Ericsson have shown that 5G could be the technology we need to connect the 0.5% of people Telstra currently doesn’t cover.
Australians’ take-up of 5G has been slow.
It’s been about five years since the first 5G internet came to Australia. And all the tests come to the same conclusion that 5G is much faster than 4G. Therefore, you would expect Aussies nationwide to be desperate to use this innovative new technology. But, the truth is, most people seem unbothered by it.
For many, 4G is plenty fast enough. They’d rather wait an extra half a second for a web page to load than get a new 5G-enabled phone and sign up for a more expensive 5G plan.
The brutal reality is that technology can be as advanced, quick, or impressive as it wants. If it’s going to be successful, it needs to serve a need people are willing to pay for.
The struggles of living rurally
Although more Australians live in urban environments, often by the beach, some live in the countryside- often farmers. Whether you’re right “in the bush” or living in a rural town, you get plenty of space, some space away from others, and some stunning views that many don’t experience.
However, one of the downsides of living rurally is that the infrastructure is nowhere near as good. There are hardly any trains or buses, and there are nowhere near as many 4 or 5G towers as there are in the towns. Being left without 4 or 5G technology can be incredibly frustrating.
Telstra says that their service covers 99.5% of Australians. But 0.5% is still 128540 people left uncovered. Not only is that a huge market they are missing out on, but it’s also 128,540 people who might be unable to contact emergency services or keep in touch with the world.
Telstra has recently teamed up with Ericsson to come up with a solution.
How Telstra and Ericsson are helping rural Aussies
When two tech companies put their minds together, the results can often be awe-inspiring. One such example is a recent test that Telstra and Ericsson did. Using one of Telstra’s 5G towers, the two companies performed a data call (that’s a call using data) and found that mobile devices could still receive data, even when they’re 100km from a tower.
Before the experiment, the furthest away a tower could be was 15km. But they’ve just shown that even when a tower is 100km away, you can still use 5G internet at 89 Mbps.
Now, a quick disclaimer. The companies have admitted that the test was under conditions that most rural Aussies won’t experience. For example, there were no trees in the way. For most people, you need to be closer than 100km to use a data tower.
However, it shows that 5G can have an incredibly long range. Much further than the 15km previously thought. Investing in several towers in rural Australia could have some significant payouts.
How many Australians live rurally?
According to aihw.gov.au, 28% of Australians live either regionally or rurally. The regional folks already have decent 4G internet, so this new technology will primarily be aimed at those who live rurally and remotely. According to data, 1.1% live remotely, and 0.8% live very remotely.
Although, I question whether providing 5G to these people makes economic sense. I’m no finance bro, but I shouldn’t imagine 5G is very cheap to set up. Is the money they can make from those who live rurally going to cover these costs? You’ll have to ask someone more financially literate than myself.
Conclusion
Although the overwhelming majority of people have access to 4G internet in Australia, a tiny percentage but a significant quantity of people do not have access to 4G internet. Although most people who live rurally probably don’t mind being away from the internet, we want to allow people to stay connected to their friends across the country. And to be able to contact emergency services when they need to.
Currently, most 4G towers don’t have an ideal range. But, the recent tests with Telstra and Ericsson show that 5G can have a range of up to 100 km. Could Telstra be the first telco in Australia (and I believe the first telco in any country) to give coverage to 100% of the population? It’s certainly exciting to think about!