The dual band network was launched in Sydney, with Melbourne to follow in the coming weeks, and tested on the new flagship Samsung Galaxy S20 5G devices.
Optus - Australia’s second largest telco - says that with access to both 2300MHz and 3500MHz spectrum in Australian capital cities, it’s announcement marks yet another milestone in its push to provide Australians with a “world leading 5G network”.
“As we push ahead with the roll out of our 5G network we are also continuing to test and implement new ways of enhancing our 5G network. Initial findings from our dual band testing have shown that the use of these two spectrum bands delivered increased 5G capacity and coverage which if deployed will ultimately benefit our customers,” said Kent Wu, Optus Head of Network Access Planning and Quality.
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“Our 5G customers are already enjoying higher average speeds, quicker time to download content and a consistent high definition video experience. The implementation of a dual-band 5G network will enhance these elements to ensure experiences are more reliable, particularly during peak usage times.”
Optus says it is the first operator to launch dual band 5G in Australia - with the network developed with Ericsson’s “innovative” 2300MHz and 3500MHz 5G Radio System equipment.
“Having achieved interoperability milestones in all main 5G frequency bands, our teams at Ericsson are well positioned to support Optus in this dual-band network launch in Australia,” said Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei and Philippines and Global Customer Unit Singtel.
“As a global technology leader, we will continue to enable all our customers to deploy 5G and to utilise their valuable spectrum assets in the fastest and most efficient way.”
Garry McGregor, Vice President, IT and Mobile, Samsung Electronics Australia said “The Galaxy S20 range delivers the best in Samsung device performance. It is optimised to power our customers with the latest network capability around Australia.”
“This announcement builds on many years of working with Optus to optimise Samsung devices for their latest network developments. This includes the launch of 5G mobile services in 2019, and now, device support for dual band 5G 2300MHz and 3500MHz frequencies.”