Meet the Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro. It is the first 5G mmWave mobile device in Australia.
As you know Telstra already has its 5G network available in Australia and it’s growing. After making a commitment to increase its 5G coverage area and what was 35 cities, 47 metro and regional locations now have access to 5G. More than 700 suburbs now have more than 50% of 5G coverage in Australia. What most people don’t understand is 5G is actually made up of 2 different parts.
The rollout of 5G devices so far have used the 3.6Ghz spectrum. This provides a decent speed increase over 4Gx and travels decent distances and has penetrative qualities, meaning it can generally make its way through walls etc.
The second part of 5G is mmWave, This uses a completely different frequency at 26GHz Telstra. This spectrum is far more directional and will require many more antennas to achieve blanket coverage of densely populated areas. What you get from this short-range, focused signal is absolutely amazing performance.
mmWave can deliver a theoretical speed of up to and over 2 Gbit/s. Real world testing seen a top speed of 1.8 Gbit/s on AT&T’s 5G network in the US.
The device
The device itself is a mobile hotspot for up to 30 devices. The 2.4″ touch screen includes details of your data usage and monitors the number of active conceptions.
On the back you’ll find a gigabit ethernet connection, should you need to provide connectivity to a wired environment like a LAN party, or your whole small business.
Inside is a 4500mAH battery that Telstra says is good for up to 9 hours of tethering. The 30 Wi-Fi enabled devices can connect on 2.4GHz & 5 GHz with up to 15 on each. As expected for wireless devices in 2020, it supports the new, fast Wi-Fi 6 technology which means if your phone or laptop does as well, that 5G signal will reach your device as fast as possible.
It is expected that mmWave will see wide-scale rollouts in 2021.
Price and Availability
From 26 May 2020, customers can get buy the Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro online and in Telstra Stores for A$599 (or $24.95 /mth over 24 months).
Telstra’s Product and Service Design Executive Andrew Stormont said the launch of Telstra’s first mmWave compatible 5G device is another major step in the evolution of 5G within Australia.
“We’re always working towards the future, and today we’re announcing another huge leap in connectivity for our customers by delivering the first mmWave compatible device.
mmWave is going to be a big part of our 5G future and with the Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro we are offering customers a device that will be able to take advantage of the next iteration of 5G as soon as it arrives.”
Andrew Stormont, Telstra’s Product and Service Design Executive
Early access to mmWave
Telstra currently has just 3 mmWave locations in Australia, and they’re technically still ‘testing’ sites. These sites will be live and people living in these testing locations who own a Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro will be able to benefit from this new technology before anybody else.
The rollout of mmWave technology is not due to officially begin until after the Government auction next year.
Technical Specifications
| Network 5G band | 5G band: mmW n258; – Sub6G n78; – Low band: n5, n7 4G LTE Advanced: 1/3/7/8/28 Category 20 3G: 850MHz |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDX55 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/g/n/ax 2.4 GHz and 802.11a/n/ac/ax 5 GHz (Wi-Fi 6), 2×2 MIMO Dual band, up to 30 users (15 users each channel) |
| Interface | 1x USB3.1 Type-C (Gen2) 1x RJ45 (Gigabit Ethernet) Dual TS-9 external antenna port |
| Battery | 4500mAH, quick charging |
| Display | 2.4” colour touch screen |
| Operating System | IOS 9 or later, Android 4.1 or Windows® 10,8,7 |
| Available colours | Black |
| 4G and 5G | 5G and 4GX (Cat.20) |
| Sim Type | Nano (4FF) |
| Ports | Ethernet/USB Type C 3.1 Gen 2, dual TS-9 antenna ports support 4G/3G only |
| FTM / Exclusivity | Yes |
| What’s in the box | Device and removeable battery, USB type C cable AC charger, Quick start guide, manufacturer’s warranty card |
Hi Jason,
Telstra have now announced they are live at 50 sites across Australia but there’s still no detail on where these sites are other than the major cities on the east coast (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Gold Coast and Goulburn)
Do you have any idea?