Telstra switches on 5G service in Mildura

MILDURA has become one of the first cities in Australia to have access to 5G connectivity.

Telstra said it had switched on the area’s first Telstra 5G base stations as part of its ongoing rollout of Australia’s 5G network.

Telstra regional general manager Steve Tinker said the new 5G capacity, and the ongoing rollout, would not only benefit customers with 5G devices in the selected areas that 5G will initially be deployed, but would also benefit customers with 4G devices in the vicinity of new 5G coverage.

“Telstra has always been dedicated to connecting people in regional Australia and ensuring they are among the first to experience the latest mobile technology,” Mr Tinker said.

“It’s really exciting Mildura is among the first cities in Australia, indeed the world, to have access to 5G connectivity.

“Telstra has been leading the way in pioneering 5G technology with a number of world and Australian firsts – and making 5G technology available to Australian consumers.”

Mr Tinker said that now, with the first 5G sites on air, customers in Mildura had a chance to be part of the cutting- edge technology while improving 4G capacity and speeds.

“We now have commenced the rollout of 5G in 32 cities around Australia,” he said.

He said the start of the 5G rollout in Mildura was part of Telstra’s commitment to extend 5G coverage to selected areas of 35 major and regional cities across Australia by the end of June.

Telstra said service disruptions last week allowed it to complete the work needed as part of the 5G rollout and conduct additional testing before announcing the upgrade.

Mildura joins Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Wodonga (as part of Albury-Wodonga) and Warrnambool as the regional Victorian cities that now have 5G coverage.

Telstra said 5G network benefits included more capacity, faster speeds for uploading and downloading and less latency (the time it takes to send and receive a signal).

To utilise 5G, customers will need a 5G-enabled phone, 5G coverage and a 5G mobile plan.

If they move to an area where there is no 5G service, their phone will revert to the next-fastest technology.

Telstra said that in recent regional testing speeds of about 728 megabits per second had been reached – up to seven times faster than 4G.