Optus says it will roll out 5G in key metro areas by early 2019

Optus has stolen a march on Telstra in announcing its rollout of 5G for early 2019 in key metro areas across the Australia.

Having already launched 4.5G in 2017, Optus is now pledging to deploy 5G connectivity which is 15 times faster than what is currently on the market.

Optus Managing Director of Networks Dennis Wong said: “People have been hearing about 5G for some time, and there is pent up expectation, but to date a lot of the talk has been highly theoretical.”

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The announcement follows a successful trial which showed 2Gbps download speeds using a potential device for a fixed wireless service in the home and business.

Wong continued: “Everyone has heard of concepts like self-driving cars, smart homes, AI and virtual reality however their full potential will require a fast and reliable network to deliver. Seeing 5G data speeds through our trial that are up to 15x faster than current technologies allows us to show the potential of this transformative technology to support a new eco-system of connected devices in the home, the office, the paddock and in the wider community.”

Optus plans to showcase its 5G solution during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, allowing visitors to Broadbeach to experience playing sports in VR, competing against machines and remotely controlling robots.

Optus has been working towards the delivery of 5G technology since 2016, and last committed to a $1bn investment to extend regional coverage across Australia.