Optus has today announced their plans for the rollout of their Nokia powered 5G network across Australia, with 5G powered customer facing Broadband plans due to go live as well.
The Optus rollout will see 1,200 5G enabled sites, going live across Australia by March 2020. Optus further plans to have 47 sites live by March. Optus’ initial rollout will concentrate on locating cells in the most populous locations targeting ‘residential locations and other key customer hotspots surrounding airports, train stations, sports stadiums and CBD locations.
There are three 5G enabled sites currently, with 5G enabled cells in Dickson and Manuka in the ACT, as well as Glendenning in Sydney. Sites will be enabled across most of Australia with 5G coverage planned in New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
The first 5G plan announced by Optus will offer customers a Home Broadband package offering unlimited data for $70 per month, with a 50Mbps satisfaction guarantee. Optus is expecting services to go live in Q2 2019, and as part of the rolloout will be selecting customers for access to their 5G Broadband plans with an expression of interest campaign, to find customers in selected areas with 5G service.
The first 5G device on the network will be ‘an off the shelf product’ from Nokia, a 5G Gateway device which will be available in the coming months.Optus will be supplying professional installation of the service and device for the first 50 customers who are successful in their EOI, but intend for the equipment to be self-install for future customers.
The rollout of 5G service is a big day for Optus, with Optus Chief Executive Allen Lew acknowledging that this is ‘an historic day for Optus as we begin our exciting 5G journey’.
The expansion of 5G service across Australia will progress, with Mr Lew saying they ‘will open the service up to more customers and more locations as more devices are released and our 5G cells continue to roll-out’. There’s no dates for rollout of 5G service for more regional areas including those customers living in the Northern Territory or Tasmania at this stage, but they will get there.
The Optus 5G service is initially partnering with Nokia for the launch, however Mr Lew has said that Optus will be adopting a ‘multi-vendor approach to our network technology infrastructure that will drive innovation and competition, which is critical to Optus’ DNA’.
This approach will see Optus upgrading and adding new mobile sites to their network, as well as ‘densifying’ their network with small cell solutions to ‘increase capacity and speed in highly populated inner city locations’.
The full list of sites to get 5G in the first wave includes:
ACT: 9 sites
- RUSSELL
- MANUKA – now live
- CAMPBELL
- WEETANGERA
- DICKSON – now live
- MITCHELL
- FRANKLIN
- HARRISON
- WANNIASSA
NSW: 22 sites
- BIDWELL
- WARWICK FARM
- ST JOHNS PARK
- BONNYRIGG
- TASCOTT
- NIAGARA PARK
- SPRINGFIELD
- YATTALUNGA
- WOY WOY BAY
- PHEGANS BAY
- KOOLEWONG
- DALEYS POINT
- GLENDENNING – now live
- ST HUBERTS ISLAND
- RICHMOND LOWLANDS
- SHALVEY
- LETHBRIDGE PARK
- BLACKETT
- EMERTON
- DHARRUK
- MINCHINBURY
- TREGEAR
QLD: 13 sites
- CLAYFIELD
- NEWMARKET
- AUCHENFLOWER
- KENMORE
- KENMORE HILLS
- MACGREGOR
- CAMIRA
- GOODNA
- BROOKWATER
- BELLBIRD PARK
- GAILES
- KALLANGUR
- BURPENGARY
SA: 3 sites
- TROTT PARK
- REYNELLA EAST
- OLD REYNELLA
WA: 13 sites
- MOSMAN PARK
- CITY BEACH
- KIARA
- LOCKRIDGE
- EDEN HILL
- SOUTH GUILDFORD
- BELLEVUE
- MIDLAND
- ORANGE GROVE
- WHITE GUM VALLEY
- HILTON
- HENDERSON
- WATTLEUP
