In an Australian first, telecom provider Telstra has recorded smartphone speeds in excess of 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) on a commercial network using the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. Kevin Teoh, Telstra’s Head of Mobiles said it’s the first time in Australia that speeds in excess of 1Gbps have been demonstrated on a commercial network with a commercial smartphone.
“While customers using these phones on Telstra’s 4GX service will typically see download speeds in the range of 5-300Mbps, tests like these show that, from time to time, Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners may see significantly higher speeds in Telstra’s gigabit-enabled coverage areas,” said Teoh.
“Cracking the magic gigabit mark on smartphones is an exciting milestone. As smartphones evolve and we move into the 5G era there will be a new raft of sophisticated features that are enabled by reliably fast data speeds,” he added. “High-quality augmented reality, virtual personal assistants that anticipate needs and virtual doctors that monitor vital signs are just some of the technologies that are on the horizon.”
Telstra’s gigabit-enabled coverage is available in the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs (3km radius), Brisbane and Adelaide CBDs (2.0 km radius), and a number of sites in selected high traffic locations. Gigabit LTE deployment is also underway in the Perth CBD. Typical customer speeds will be less. For Cat 16 or Cat 18 devices, typical speeds are in the range of 5 to 300 Mbps in 4GX coverage areas, with the upper end of that range more often experienced in the gigabit-enabled areas noted.
This follows Telstra’s record-breaking demonstration of 4G download speeds at 2Gbps at Mobile World Congress 2018, which was only one year on from the launch of Telstra’s world first commercially available gigabit-enabled 4G service in early 2017.
