Telstra ramps up 4G rollout

Telstra will double 4G coverage in major Australian cities, with a goal of covering two-thirds of the population, the telco said. The first new 4G sites have launched today in Bondi and the North Shore rail tunnel in Sydney.

Over the next 10 months, Telstra will boost 4G LTE coverage in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, Telstra said. It will install 1000 new LTE base stations by mid-2013, it said.

“Once the network expansion is complete Telstra 4G will cover even more of Australia’s highest population centres,” said Telstra chief operations officer, Brendon Riley. “For instance, coverage will stretch out in a 10- to 15-kilometre radius from the Sydney GPO and a 15- to 20-kilometre radius from the Melbourne GPO.”

Telstra 4G is currently available in more than 100 metropolitan and regional locations, including all capital CBDs. The service covers 40 per cent of the population, Telstra said. The telco has connected more than 500,000 devices connected to the 4G network, including 160,000 smartphones.

Telstra said most of the 4G connections (26 per cent) are in Queensland, followed by Victoria (22 per cent) and New South Wales (21 per cent).

Telstra detailed expansion plans in each target area:

• Brisbane: Double coverage, from Brisbane Airport to Indooroopilly and from Coopers Plains to Chermside.
• Gold Coast: Cover from Surfers Paradise to Nerang and from Tugun to Hope Island.
• Sydney: Double coverage, from Manly to Greystanes and from Kogarah to Hornsby.
• Canberra: Cover from Queanbeyan to Duffy and from Farrer to Moncrieff.
• Melbourne: Double coverage, from Ringwood to Werribee and from Bentleigh to Epping.
• Adelaide: Double coverage, from Magill to Henley Beach and from Torrens Park to Broadview.
• Perth: Double coverage, from Maida Vale to Fremantle and from Willetton to Dianella.

Telstra and its rivals Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia are all investing billions in 4G rollout. Click here for a report card on each carrier’s status.

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