New spectrum assets will support a wide range of new 5G use cases.
Australian telco Optus has acquired a range of new licences in the 26GHz spectrum band. With the fastest 5G network in Sydney and Melbourne, the additional spectrum will add support to the network and enable state-of-the-art mmWave technology.
Optus acquired 800MHz of 26GHz spectrum in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, and a range of regional areas, and 600MHz in Hobart and Margaret River in WA for a total of A$226.2 million.
These new spectrum assets will support a wide range of new 5G use cases and continue to drive innovation opportunities to deliver leading 5G speeds and the expansion of Optus’ 5G network in metropolitan and regional Australia.
The improved capacity and speed of mmWave will be critical in delivering enhanced video experiences such as AR/VR as well as next generation cloud gaming services. It will also support massive simultaneous usage at transport hubs and major events.
Importantly, Optus have secured the best and most highly valued position at the top of the spectrum band in most of the capital cities and regions, which include “golden GHz” segment supported by both the 28GHz range enabled in US and the 26GHz range to be enabled in Australia.
This allows early access to compatible smart phone devices which are already available more widely in the world. In addition, Optus’ customers can benefit from synergies with Singtel’s similar spectrum holdings to drive the user equipment ecosystem for this spectrum band across Singtel Group.
The Optus 4G mobile network reaches 98.3 per cent of the Australian population. Licences won at auction will come into force later this year, for a 15-year term ending in 2036.
