Optus Will Deliver 4G LTE Services 2012
- Newcastle will be first to get Optus 4G
- 2G 900MHz spectrum reallocated to 3G network
- New HSPA+ technology to increase data speeds
From April 2012, Optus has announced it will deliver its first 4G LTE services to Newcastle, Port Stephens, the Hunter Valley and Lake Macquarie areas. A 4G capital city rollout will begin next month with Phase One to deliver LTE services in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth from mid-2012. Phase Two of the rollout will see an expansion of 4G LTE services to other capital cities and selected regional centres with Optus to release further details shortly.
The Telco has also been given a licence to trial LTE services in the 700 MHz spectrum band. This spectrum band delivers greater reach and enhanced in-building coverage. The trial will take place in Bendigo, Victoria and will be the first time in Australia that the former analogue TV frequency will be used for 4G services and applications.
Optus also announced today that, in partnership with Huawei, they will be the first Australian carrier to gain first-hand knowledge of the benefits of LTE technology at 700MHz.
In other news the copy said under its spectrum migration program, over half of Optus’ available 2G spectrum at 900MHz is being reallocated for use on the Optus 3G networks.
This process and the addition of extra mobile sites will lift network capacity and ensure customers can get improved Optus 3G signals in more places to make the most of mobile data on their smartphones and tablets, claims the company.
The program to start in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth from this month will involve the upgrade of approximately 3,000 mobile sites in the Optus Open Network. Over the coming months Brisbane and Adelaide will also join the program.
Finally, it also revealed it is rolling out HSPA+ technology to increase potential data speeds on its mobile network. Optus has already upgraded more than 700 mobile sites across the country to HSPA+ and plans to continue to extend its HSPA+ footprint.
