Telstra, along with Optus, Vodafone and TPG spent a total of $543.5 million buying spectrum in the 1800 MHz band at the auction, with Telstra outlaying $190 million for its share.
Telstra CEO Andy Penn said the additional spectrum was good news for customers and would deliver greater capacity and faster speeds to meet growing demand.
“We continue to invest to make sure our customers, particularly in regional areas, have the best mobile experience on Australia’s biggest mobile network.
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Penn said securing the extra spectrum allows Telstra to deliver “more capacity to cater to our customers’ growing demand for mobile data. It will also enable mobile data to be delivered at even faster speeds.
“Australia’s mobile market is very dynamic, which is why we’ll continue to take every opportunity to improve our customers’ experiences on the Telstra network.”
Penn also said Telstra customers in areas covered by the auction will be able to enjoy these benefits when the new spectrum licences come into effect in May 2017, and where possible Telstra will also work with the ACMA to explore earlier access to the spectrum in an effort to bring forward benefits to customers.
The spectrum licences have a term of 11 years and cover the regions of North Queensland, Central Queensland, South Queensland, Northern NSW, Western NSW, Southern NSW, Regional Victoria, Regional SA, Regional WA, Darwin, Canberra, Tasmania.