Telstra's 5G Standalone – what is it and how do I access it?

While the initial 5G NSA technology allowed us to quickly deploy 5G, bringing improved capacity and data speeds to the areas covered, 5G NSA’s dependence on combining with 4G, limited its capability in how far 5G could reach and in its responsiveness (latency).

5G SA removes 4G dependence which immediately delivers some important benefits over 5G NSA, including:

• improved latency or responsiveness - great for mobile gaming and other critical real time apps.
• greater 5G reach per site - allowing us to start extending 5G across areas of regional Australia.
• improved resilience of voice calling - 5G SA capable devices no longer needing to fall-back to 4G, improving voice quality and reliability.

More importantly, the combination of 5G SA and other emerging technologies is expected to enable greater customisation of our 5G products and services in the future. This will allow us to tailor offerings to individual customer needs and even empower customers to select their preferred service capabilities from a wide range of options.

To access 5G SA, you will need:

1. an eligible mobile plan with access to 5G SA included (check the Critical Information Summary of your mobile plan to confirm);
2. 5G SA compatible device;
3. 5G SA compatible SIM; and
4. be in a 5G SA coverage area. 

5G SA is currently available with Consumer and Small Business Telstra Upfront Plans (including JB-Hi-Fi and The Good Guys).

Good to know: 5G devices (or sims) that only support 5G NSA will continue to access the same 5G coverage they do today. However, they won’t be able to connect to 5G in any new 5G coverage areas that are 5G SA-only.  In those areas, these devices will automatically connect to our 4G.