Optus today switched on its new 4.5G network in Macquarie Park, Sydney, achieving peak speeds of 1.18Gbps in a demonstration given to media.
For comparison, these speeds are roughly 10 times faster than the fastest widely available National Broadband Network speed tier. Optus achieves this using technologies including carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO, and 256QAM. Actual download speeds will of course vary depending on location and network congestion.
Optus sees 4.5G as a key foundation for moving toward 5G. While 5G is technically able to technically go far faster than Optus' 4.5G network - speeds of over 20Gbps have been attained in early trials - but based on the standard, 1Gbps is a more realistic real world speed expectation.
"4.5G is a key area of investment for our network evolution toward 5G," said Optus Managing Director of Networks, Dennis Wong. "It is an important enabler for 5G and we are excited to be able to deliver this new initiative to our customer at Macquarie Park."
Optus says it will initially deploy 4.5G to select capital cities. Over the next 12 months, it is expected that 70% of the Optus network in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide will be 4.5GB enabled.
Subscribers in 4.5G areas might not be able to make use of faster speeds until 4.5G ready devices become available later in the year (this will have an LTE Advanced Pro Chipset), but Optus says the network upgrade will bring immediate benefits such as an improved experience during peak usage periods, thanks to the larger network capacity.
"Putting this technology into Macquarie isn't just about speed," said Wong. "Putting this new technology into our existing networks brings up the capacity and performance of our existing network by two to four times. Even if you don't have the latest device, you're able to enjoy these latest enhancements."
The teclo expects mobile demand to grow by 75% between to 2017 and 2018, driven by increased interested in music streaming, video streaming, and live streaming through technology like Facebook Live and Periscope.
"We need to prepare for 5G now," said Wong.
Optus is also exploring offering fixed 1Gbps 4.5G services to consumers and businesses in Macquarie Park within the next 12 months, but has yet to set a date or discuss pricings.
Optus' news follows a similar announcement from Telstra at the end of January, where it unveiled its own gigabit 4G solution and Nighthawk M1 portable hotspot. At present, Telstra's gigabit 4G is only accessible in CBDs in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.
Alex Choros
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