Telstra will offer exclusive 5G smartphones in the first half of the year

Telstra today announced it will deliver exclusive access to 5G smartphones in the first half of this year.

A number of manufacturers have partnered with the telco to offer 5G enabled smartphones through Telstra before any other Australian mobile operators.

“We are committed to ensuring our customers get the best technology and deals on Australia’s best mobile network. We continue to hold discussions with a number of device manufacturers and we look forward to making further exciting announcements in the near future,” said Andy Penn, CEO, Telstra.

Telstra recently partnered with Ericsson to offer 5G coverage across 200 sites around the country by the end of last year.

Optus is committed to offering 5G service this year as well, while Vodafone is expected to adopt the new technology in 2020.

More information is yet to come, but speculation suggests LG and Samsung could be likely partners for Telstra – both manufacturers have 5G enabled devices coming to American telcos this year.