Struggling telco Optus, has flicked the switch on a brand new LTE network that the carriers claims will theoretical deliver download speeds of 220Mbps, the only problem is that there are no devices around to run on the new network, not even the brand new Apple iPhone 6.
Samsung said that their new Note 4 which will be shown in Australia this week along with their new Galaxy Alpha series of smartphones will not be capable of delivering a category 6 performance.
In live trials of the service Optus said it had been achieving download speeds of 160Mbps which is significantly faster than the 25Mbps to 100Mbps speeds that the National Broadband Network will deliver.
Unlike fixed-line broadband, mobile broadband download speeds are subject to greater variations in speed depending on devices, location and how many users are on the network.
The new network will be available to Optus customers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide (and Canberra in coming weeks).
The telco said it planned to have ubiquitous city-based coverage of the new speeds within 12 months.
Recently Telstra announced plans to double the peak download speeds of its 4G mobile services to 300Mbps and extend the reach of its network to 90 per cent of the population by the end of January.
Optus networks managing ?director, Vic McClelland, said that despite the dearth of compatible handsets the telco would have four “category 6” to sell within the next couple of months.
