Telstra's 5G rollout ahead of schedule with 47 cities now switched on

Telstra has announced it has reached a significant milestone in its 5G rollout ahead of schedule, switching on 5G coverage in selected areas of 47 cities and larger regional towns across Australia.

One year ago, Telstra made a commitment to increase its 5G coverage in area almost five-fold and reach into at least 35 cities Australian cities before the end of June 2020. Today that figure sits at 47.

There are now more than 700 suburbs across Australia that have more than 50 per cent of 5G coverage, with some having it available across the entire suburb.

More than 8 million people now live, work and pass through Telstra’s 5G footprint and can access its benefits on any given day.

Telstra’s Network Engineering Executive Channa Seneviratne said it’s another big leap in Telstra’s continued roll out and investment in 5G technology, as we look to make it available to more Australians.

“A year ago, CEO Andy Penn announced our target to hit 35 cities and it is incredibly exciting to announce that we were not only able to hit this but also ahead of schedule – this is a huge achievement.”

“This year is all about 5G, so we are making sure we do everything we can to make sure as many Australians as possible have access to 5G as quickly as possible,” Mr Seneviratne said.

Additionally, to help our customers understand exactly where our network reaches and where it’s planned to go next, we’ve updated our Mobile Coverage Maps so you can see which areas are currently covered by 5G as well as 3G and 4G.

The map also shows customers what sort of coverage they can expect in the next three months, which will continue to update as the coverage continues to expand across the country.

These key milestones within the 5G journey coincide with the announcement that Telstra now has three Australian mmWave testing sites on our network in Sydney and the Gold Coast as well as unveiling Australia's first mmwave compatible device, the 5G Wi-Fi Pro.

Customers can get their hands-on Telstra’s most advanced 5G mobile broadband (MBB) device, the 5G Wi-Fi Pro online and in Telstra Stores from 26th May for $599 (or $24.95 /mth over 24 months). Telstra Plus members will also receive up to 100,000 points with their online orders.

While the rollout of mmWave technology is not due to officially begin until after the Government auction next year, these sites will be live and people living in these testing locations, who own a Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro, will be able to benefit from this new technology before anybody else.

Telstra Media contact:

Steve Carey – Telstra General Manager Media

media@team.telstra.com

058/2020