Hello 4G: Telstra Hits OZ @ High-Speed

Telstra revs up 4G coverage as rivals hit town.

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Capital cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will now have next gen, 4G LTE web coverage all over, almost.

The 4G expansion, announced earlier today, will the reach two-thirds of the population over the next 10 months.

The first new 4G sites were launched today in Sydney’s Bondi and in the North Shore rail tunnel for passengers travelling on the North Shore line between Central and North Sydney.

The network expansion will see more than 1,000 new 4G/LTE base stations installed by mid 2013, covering 66% of the population, up from 40% at present.

Telstra’s typical 4G download speeds are 2Mbps – 40Mbps, uploads 1Mbps – 10Mbps.

And Aussies are crying out for 4G services, if Telstra’s figures are anything to go by.

Over half a million of its customers have switched to 4G services – either via smartphone or mobile broadband devices, since it launched the first service in Oz last September (340,000 broadband + 160,000 4G smartphones).

Rival Optus unleashed its 4G service, which it claims is fastest in Oz, earlier this month.

“Since launching the nation’s first 4G LTE service last September, our customers have embraced 4G technology and today they’re using more than half a million 4G devices to browse the web faster, stream music and video and enjoy rich internet content traditionally reserved for PCs,” said Brendon Riley, Telstra’s Chief Operations Officer.

Telstra currently offers limited 4G coverage in capital CBDs and 100 other metro and regional locations.

It also appears men are more enamoured with faster Internet than women – accounting for 56% of Telstra’s 4G customer base, Queenslanders are also the fastest to takeup teh 4G LTE services, followed by Victorians (22%) and NSW (21%).

Is your area set to be 4G-ed?

Check out Telstra 4G Coverage expansion state-by-state:

· Brisbane: Brisbane Airport in the East to Indooroopilly in the West and from Coopers Plains in the South to Chermside in the North.

· Gold Coast:Surfers Paradise in the East to Nerang in the West and from Tugun in the South to Hope Island in the North.

· Sydney: Manly in the East to Greystanes in the West and from Kogarah in the South to Hornsby in the North.

· Canberra: Queanbeyan in the East to Duffy in the West and from Farrer in the South to Moncrieff in the North.

· Melbourne: Ringwood in the East to Werribee in the West and from Bentleigh in the South to Epping in the North.

· Adelaide: Magill in the East to Henley Beach in the West and from Torrens Park in the South to Broadview in the North.

· Perth: Maida Vale in the East to Fremantle in the West and from Willetton in the South to Dianella in the North.*