Telstra grows 4G reach

Telstra says its 4G coverage is now within reach of 99 per cent of the national population, following the recent completion of a mobile site in regional Western Australia and other upgrades around the country.

In a statement today, Telstra said the completion of mobile sites in Woongenellup (east of Mount Barker) and in regional Victoria, coupled with 4GX upgrades on the east coast, had expanded the telco’s reach to 99 per cent of the population.

“We are proud to reach this 99 per cent milestone and to be able to offer the latest technologies and faster speeds to more regional communities than ever before,” chief operations officer Robyn Denholm said.

“We now offer 4G across more than 1.4 million square kilometres, which is more than five times the landmass of the UK.

“Telstra is providing even more Australians with access to our world leading 4G service where they live, work and play.”

Ms Denholm said Telstra had also activated its ‘Cat M1’ across its 4GX coverage footprint, making it the first network operator in Australia to offer the technology.

“Cat M1 enables low cost internet-of-things devices, like sensors and monitors, to have greater reach in distance and depth into buildings,” she said.

“It also offers the opportunity for battery life measured in years rather than hours and days.

“Cat M1 operates over our expansive 4GX coverage and we will shortly deploy range extension capability which will take the Cat M1 coverage footprint for compatible Cat M1 devices to around 3 million square kilometres.

“Our ‘networks for the future’ program is about being able to build and support future technology such as 5G, but also supporting the mass adoption of current technology such as IoT.

“This activation is an example of our readiness for the next phase of consumer and enterprise demands.”