5G Explained

Since its arrival in Australia in 2019, 5G has rapidly expanded to cover more than 75 per cent of the population, with the big three telcos – Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone – all offering 5G service, and a slew of smartphone brands like Samsung, Apple, and TCL selling 5G phones at ever more affordable prices.

While 4G could hit speeds of around 20-100 megabits per second (Mbps), Australia’s median 5G download speed as of April this year was 283.56Mbps, with max speeds reaching 700-1000Mbps on Telstra’s network. This is a huge improvement over 4G, and means 5G is the mobile technology of choice for high-bandwidth applications like gaming, 4K streaming, and downloading large files.

Once only available on high-end flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S series (the S10 5G being the first 5G-enabled phone to be sold in Australia two years ago) and Apple’s iPhones, 5G is becoming more and more accessible just as 4G did, with handsets like Oppo’s A54 5G selling for just $399; the Motorola Moto G 5G Plus, TCL 20 5G and Samsung Galaxy A32 5G for $499 each; and TCL’s new 20 Pro 5G selling for $799.

5G is also coming not just to smartphones, but to the home. Telstra and Optus both offer home 5G wireless broadband plans with accompanying routers as an alternative to fixed-line NBN plans. While NBN tends to be more reliable, only a few NBN connection types can achieve speeds beyond 100Mbps (NBN 100 plans), while 5G home broadband can hit around 225-300Mbps during peak periods; additionally, 5G has easier setup, though only works in areas with coverage.

If you think 5G speeds are fast now, though, just you wait. The next evolution of 5G technology, mmWave (millimetre wave), is on its way, with the big telcos all preparing to roll out the service. Already used for services like satellite internet and fixed point-topoint communications, mmWave could dramatically boost 5G speeds and capacity even during busy events like New Year’s Eve at Sydney Harbour, where thousands of people will be using their phones at the same time.

In a blog post, Channa Seneviratne, Executive, Technology Development & Solutions at Telstra, explains how the higher frequency of mmWave means a lot more capacity and bandwidth over a shorter range.

“mmWave cells broadcast a signal up to a few hundred metres from the base station, meaning it’s best suited for areas where a high amount of users are concentrated – places like shopping centres, crowded inner-city train stations, and even stadiums can all benefit from the capabilities of mmWave.

“Having thousands of attendees stream 4K video to a smartphone or tablet, or holding video calls and send amazing pictures to each other while attending the Melbourne Cricket Ground requires the immense bandwidth and speed that mmWave can offer, and it’s perfectly tuned for the task,” he says.

With all this expansion and innovation, there’s never been a better time to upgrade to 5G – so if you’re still using a 4G handset and are itching for a change, consider taking the next step and getting into the 5G fast lane!