5G is all the rage right now, with massive promises of ridiculous multiples of the mobile speed we have today. Other benefits include better range, lower latency and for the faster speeds to make sense, larger data caps and plans for multiple devices (right Telstra?)
The faster, more connected future isn’t waiting for next year, it’s happen now with Telstra turning on the first precinct of 5G-enabled Wi-Fi hotspots in the world ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Located on the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland, locals and visitors to enjoy free broadband while Telstra evaluates 5G technology.
About now you’re thinking, I don’t have 5G in my device, I don’t even know any 5G-enabled devices on the market and you’d be right, they’re basically not available. This is definitely a case of chick and egg, there’s no point in having a 5G-enabled device without the 5G network and no need for a network without the devices. Someone has to go first and Telstra has decided its infrastructure (and backbone) will lead the way.
Telstra’s Group Managing Director Networks Mike Wright said Telstra is using the connectivity via its recently opened 5G Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast to power a series of Wi-Fi hotspots on Scarborough and Nerang Streets in Southport as well as a 5G Connected Car.
“We have said we intend to lead on 5G and with these 5G-enabled Wi-Fi hotspots Australian consumers will be among the first people in the world to try the technology.
Taking 5G technology out of a lab and into the hands of consumers is another key milestone on Telstra’s roadmap to offering 5G services in 2019.”
While there are no 5G compatible commercial smartphones or tablets available today, there are testing devices that do support 5G that are capable of demonstrating the speed, giving people a view to what’s coming, perhaps sooner than we thought. By connecting 5G backhaul and infrastructure in the Southport Exchange, to a standard Wi-Fi access point then people can use the technology on their existing device.
Using Wi-Fi access as part of Telstra’s 5G technical program is an innovative way to show the benefits of 5G capability in real world conditions. The 5G hotspots will be open to anyone in the area and are free with a download limit of 10 GB per day per device.
Mr Wright said,
“Wi-Fi has limited throughput so a single hotspot alone cannot come close to reaching the limits of 5G at our Innovation Centre. By using multiple hotspots with potentially hundreds of smartphone users served through a single 5G device we are able to get closer to demonstrating 5G in a real world environment.
Our 5G backhaul is capable of delivering download speeds of more than 3 Gbps, which is capable of supporting around 1,000 HD movies being streamed simultaneously.”
Telstra is also using mmWave spectrum and its 5G Innovation Centre to put a Connected Car on the road with the Intel 5G Automotive Trial PlatformTM, one of the most advanced 5G prototype devices available in the world today.
Mr Wright went on to say,
“Working with global technology companies Ericsson and Intel, we have put Australia’s first 5G Connected Car on the road.
We are in the very early stages of development and are achieving download speeds approaching 1 Gbps inside the car and the vehicle is also equipped with a Wi-Fi access point.
This shows how quickly the technology is evolving. At the start of the year our 5G prototype device was the size of a bar fridge and weighed more than 200 kilograms.
Now, in collaboration with Intel and Ericsson, we have one that has been shrunk down to the size of a personal computer and can be installed in a car.”
The Connected Car will help Telstra to start getting real results on mobile performance over mmWave and ensure 5G network readiness. These advances are part of a series of 5G related activities that Telstra, Ericsson, Intel and other technology companies will undertake on the Gold Coast in 2018.
The 5G Innovation Centre is central to a $60 million investment Telstra has made to upgrade infrastructure on the Gold Coast to support growing demand and major events in the area.
Actual broadband speeds experienced on the 5G enabled Wi-Fi hotspots and Connected Car will vary and are likely to be lower than the maximum depending on factors such as the type of device being used, distance from the hotspot and the number of people connected to the hotspot at the one time.
