TELSTRA has switched on 5G-enabled public Wi-Fi hotspots on the Gold Coast. The hotspots power Southport’s Scarborough and Nerang Streets, giving the Australian public access to 5G for the first time.
Telstra is using 5G backhaul and infrastructure at the exchange to a standard Wi-Fi point to ensure 5G can be accessed on existing devices to give download speeds higher than 3Gbps.
According to Telstra’s group managing director networks, Mike Wright, the telco intends to roll out 5G services widely in 2019.
“This shows how quickly the technology is evolving,” Wright said. “At the start of the year our 5G prototype device was the size of a bar fridge and weighed more than 200 kilograms. Now, in collaboration with Intel and Ericsson, that has been shrunk down to the size of a personal computer and can be installed in a car.”
Not surprisingly, Telstra has imposed a daily download limit of 10GB per device…
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has developed draft technical specifications for 5G which include but are not limited to:
* High data rates (1 Gbps for hotspots, 100 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload for wide-area coverage)
* Massive connectivity (1 million connections per square kilometre)
* Ultra-low latency (1 millisecond)
* High reliability (99.999 per cent for mission critical ultra-reliable communications), and
* Mobility at high speeds (up to 500 km/h).
