Intro – 60 second guide
Here are our findings on the recent news that the three major national carriers, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, are investing in upgrading their infrastructure to support 5G before 2017. There are more key details in the following article below.
- 5G is the future of internet connectivity and is expected to be rolled out by 2020, with some analysts saying it could arrive as early as 2017.
- The progression to 5G will increase both connection and download speeds, providing users with a far superior service compared to what is currently on offer.
- 5G will allow all Australians and businesses to benefit by being connected to a network, much faster than we have ever imagined.
What is it?
With Australian telecommunications companies looking at the gradual transition from 4G, 4G Plus and 4GX to 5G by 2020, the continual expanding of the network is sure to keep the market competitive.
Telstra, Optus and Vodafone are all eyeing up the capabilities and opportunities which will arise from consumers, business and government from using the enhanced 5G networks.
With the rolling out of VoLTE and VoWiFi increasing, the leveraging of existing infrastructure and the combination of spectrum bands is only set to increase.
Optus has said that even though 4G+ and 5G are the future of network connectivity in Australia, 3G is still important to their consumers and won’t be discontinued anytime soon.
Many Australian consumers which have older smartphones or are not heavy users of mobile data rely on the 3G networks for their connectivity, especially Australian’s which live in regional and remote areas of the country.
How will we get there?
The first steps towards true 5G are likely is being in the coming months as the three major Australian telco’s being adding to their existing VoLTE offerings and replacing more of their aging 3G infrastructure, in favour of their 4G networks.
Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have all completed their VoLTE offerings on each of their respective 4G networks, allowing the consumer to experience clearer call quality and quicker connection times.
Already in Australia, a large number of mobile handsets support VoLTE. As the roll out of network infrastructure in the coming years progresses, the majority of the population will be mobile ready for 5G connectivity.
One of the important requirements for 5G is the enabling of increased connection speeds which are far superior to what is currently on offer at the moment. Drop-outs, slow connection times and poor signal strength will all, for the most part, be a thing of the past, once 5G is rolled out nationwide.
What are the major Telecom’s saying?
When asked what Optus Telecom’s thoughts were on the subject of Australia moving towards 5G, Optus replied that they see the introduction of 5G as a methodical and gradual process, rather than a fast leap forward.
Vodafone, on the other hand, sees strategic partnerships such as they one they recently signed with TPG, as the best method of moving forward on the implementation of 5G.
TPG and their partnership with Vodafone Australia will allow them to concentrate on their dark fibre network, expanding the infrastructure and preparing for future 5G connectivity on their network.
Benefits to Australians?
As the future rapidly approaches us it is likely that there will be more than users on the 5G networks, then there currently are using the existing 4G ones.
Australian smartphone penetration is almost at 90%, which means that by the time 5G is rolled out nationwide, a number of users owning a smartphone enabled for 5G will be quite high.
5G is being designed with the future of internet connectivity in mind, as everything from cars to home appliances will be internet enabled and be able to connect to the network.
Not only will there be more devices connected to 5G networks than any other network before it, but everything which is currently possible will be much more efficient and faster on the 5G network.
This will also include the capability of downloading high-resolution videos or live streaming as well as viewing ultra high-definition 4K entertainment options right on your smartphone.
Government and Business use?
When it comes to Australian businesses and government departments, using the 5G networks will increase productivity and improve the way in which services are offered to consumers.
Telecom companies which are investing in 5G infrastructure, are investing in the future of the internet and have the power to transform the way in which Australian businesses work while generating jobs growth in emerging tech industries.
Technology savvy small business owners are looking at the ways in which 5G technologies will transform their businesses and the ways in which they operate on a daily basis.
5G will run a lot faster than the 3G and 4G which is currently on offer, enabling small and medium-sized businesses to compete with much larger companies on an even technology scale.
Why 5G technology is a benefit to Australia
5G technologies will enable users as well as businesses and government departments to connect with just more than their mobile devices. With a 5G world allowing more connectivity on the networks, railways, homes and energy grids will all be interconnected.
With the future of 5G technology expanding and changing the nature of how businesses connect and interact with each other in countless different ways, there are plenty of exciting new developments on the horizon.
5G will allow all Australians to benefit by being connected to a network much faster than we’ve ever imagined. The 5G networks will enable us to do much more than just accessing blistering fast speeds via the mobile networks.
Summing up
Optus is continuing to invest and develop their 4G+ network by combining multiple spectrum bands so that they can make better use of their existing spectrum resources and deliver even greater data speeds to customers, while working towards a fully functional 5G network.
Telstra is also working on their 5G network, which will be accomplished by completing upgrades to their existing 4G network. 5G will be a dramatic overhaul of the existing network infrastructure and radio spectrum.
5G is the future and as such Australian consumers and businesses set to take massive advantages of this technology. 5G networks will be the future of this country and will be able to provide Australians with the capacity to meet their increasing data usage while delivering a faster and more consistent network experience.