Phones of the future looking for towers

THOUSANDS more mobile phone base stations could be installed near homes and playgrounds under a plan by Australia’s telecommunications industry to deliver next generation internet technology.

The industry is lobbying the Federal Government to relax strict rules around installing mobile phone infrastructure in residential areas and to streamline regulations for freestanding mobile towers in cities to accelerate the introduction of 5G networks.

The new networking technology promises to deliver mobile download speeds up to 100 times faster than today and enable innovations including driverless cars, remote surgery, smart homes and even smart street lighting.

But the Federal Government has already warned “some members of the community have expressed concerns about ... increased telecommunications infrastructure” and telcos should consult with communities before installing equipment.

The revelations follow the release of a comprehensive report on 5G infrastructure by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association this week and come just one week after the Federal Government announced it would establish a working group to drive its deployment.

The 5G Mobile report found Australian mobile phone providers would likely spend $5.7 billion on mobile network this financial year alone and 5G would support innovations such as smart home technology, autonomous cars and more robotics in industry by the time it arrived in 2020.