Optus Expands 5G Coverage Using 900 MHz Spectrum

Reported by Srikapardhi February 16th, 2023 at 08:27 am

Optus Demonstrates Australian first network capability with Ericsson at Tech Day. Optus also announced that it has expanded its 5G coverage as the Telco got early access to some of the spectrum to deploy the 5G Network.

Highlights

Optus has switched on its 900 MHz low band spectrum, increasing Optus' 5G coverage by 20% per-site basis.
Optus has secured its new spectrum licenses for 20 years, commencing in July 2024.
A total of close to 1000 sites have been activated with 5G 900MHz to date.

Optus, an Australian telecommunications company that provides a wide range of services to consumers and businesses, showcased three live and 15 digital demonstrations of how Ericsson and the company are driving 5G technology innovation at Tech Day. Optus has announced that it has expanded its 5G coverage as the Telco has got early access to some of the spectrum to deploy the 5G Network.

Also Read: Orange Launches 5G SA Network in 4 Cities of Spain

5G Network on Sub GHz Spectrum

Optus has switched on its 900 MHz low band spectrum, increasing Optus' 5G coverage by 20% per-site basis. Optus has obtained licenses for the new spectrum that will be valid for 20 years starting from July 2024. However, the company has obtained early access to a portion of the spectrum band to deploy the 5G network. Almost 1000 sites have been activated with 5G 900 MHz, and the rollout is ongoing with a progressive approach.

5G Dynamic Network Slicing

The Telco used end-to-end 5G Dynamic Network Slicing Technology with an Android 13 Google Pixel Pro 6 Phone, Optus' 5G standalone live network based on Ericsson's 5G Core and RAN with network slicing capability enabled, and also Cradlepoint 5G routers at the WAN edge to conduct tests.

Also Read: Ericsson Expands Its Portfolio to Boost Indoor 5G Capacity and Precision Positioning

Outdoor precise positioning

During the demo, Optus demonstrated that utilizing the 5G cellular network for global navigation satellite system (GNSS) Real-time kinematic (RTK) precise positioning significantly improved accuracy from 5 meters down to 5 centimetres. Participants rode a scooter equipped with a 5G-based High Accuracy GNSS positioning kit along a predefined route, and the accuracy of their track was compared to the surveyed position of the route.

Also Read: Airtel 5G Plus Launched in 7 New Cities; 5G Now Live in All North-East States

Australian Government grant-funded project

FrontierSI, Ericsson, and Optus showcased the High Accuracy GNSS solutions for 5G in a project funded by the Australian Government's 5G Innovation Initiative. The project included field trials of applications such as Agriculture, Drones, and Augmented Reality, and it featured a world-first end-to-end test of the latest positioning technology in compliance with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards.

Reported By

Srikapardhi Telecom Analyst

Passionately following the Indian #Telecom Industry for over a decade from Business, Consumer and a Technical perspective. My primary focus area is Consumer & Digital Experience.