This is claimed to be a world-first deployment of the technology in a live commercial 5G network.

Telstra and Ericsson have migrated the 2600MHz and 3600MHz carrier frequencies to the cloud RAN (radio access network) infrastructure, with the first seven sites to go live being located on the Gold Coast.

Cloud RAN benefits are said to include dynamic scalability, increased flexibility, increased capacity, and faster delivery of services.

These cloud-native based architectures will deliver the latest advancements in cloud and network (3GPP) standards and form the foundational functionality for future technologies like 6G, Telstra said.

The two companies will continue to implement and optimise these new network technology capabilities in areas including RAN software, frequencies, features, and deployment and operational practices.

The first 5G data call over Ericsson cloud RAN in the southern hemisphere was made over Telstra's network in December 2022.

Telstra executive for network and infrastructure Iskra Nikolova said: "This step in the validation and rollout of this technology is critical to ensure we get the most out of 5G now and in the future. It will allow us to roll out network capacity and new features faster while making our networks more intelligent, automated, flexible, reliable, and secure.

"This is particularly important when it comes to making sure that areas of high demand, particularly large events and seasonal hotspots can operate at the high standard our customers expect. Our ongoing partnership with Ericsson has once again supported Telstra's efforts to deliver a world-leading 5G experience for the Australian public."

Ericsson ANZ head Emilio Romeo said "The flexibility provided by Ericsson's cloud RAN technology delivers a more open network architecture for Telstra, one that is fully independent of hardware solutions and easily scalable to meet evolving customer demand for optimal service performance now and into the future.

"As Ericsson's cloud RAN infrastructure is rolled out to more sites around the country, Telstra's 5G network is set to offer even more capacity, reliability and performance to its Australian customers."