Telstra achieves Australia’s first live commercial 5G chipset connection

Australian telecommunications giant Telstra has successfully connected the country’s first commercial 5G chipset to its mobile network

The achievement comes via Telstra’s partnership with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, and brings Australia significantly closer to widespread 5G coverage.

In a blog post on Telstra Exchange, Telstra Executive Channa Seneviratne said it will continue to test its emergent 5G capabilities over the next few months in a bid to refine data rates and performance.

“We’re looking forward to working further with our partners to deliver the next generation of mobile technology to Australia,” Seneviratne said in the blog post.

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“Our 5G rollout is underpinned by the around $5 billion we’ve invested in our mobile network over the three years to 30 June 2019, enhancing its capacity, capability and coverage.”

Telstra opened its 5G Innovation Centre in February this year, which has since developed the first 5G-enabled WiFi hotspot in the world, the first 5G-connected car in Australia, and the first ever end-to-end 5G data call on a commercial mobile network.

According to The Examiner, Telstra has begun preparations to launch 5G in Tasmania, with two 5G stations opening in Launceston to make it one of the first cities in Australia to receive a 5G upgrade.

“This investment is part of our planning to bring 5G services to as many of our customers as possible once 5G compatible devices are commercially available next year,” Seneviratne said at the TasICT Industry Breakfast on 22 November, The Examiner reported.