Optus has switched on its 900Mhz low band spectrum which will extend its 5G footprint increasing coverage by 20% on a per-site basis and demonstrates an Australian first network capability with Ericsson

At the ACMA low band spectrum auction held in December 2021, Optus acquired 2 x 25 MHz 900 MHz spectrum licenses that will be valid for 20 years, starting from July 2024.

In an Australian first, Optus demonstrated how carriers can create different network slices, each with its own performance characteristics and security rules, to uniquely support the different types of applications businesses rely on.

This will enable flexible and dynamic separation of services and enhance traffic steering to maximise quality of experience on a single device, compared to a static slicing where different applications need to be on separate devices.

Using end to end dynamic slicing with an Android 13 Google Pixel Pro 6 Phone the telco leveraged it’s 5G standalone live network based on Ericsson’s 5G Core and RAN with network slicing capability enabled. Optus also used Cradlepoint 5G routers at the WAN edge to conduct futher testing.

In an Australian Government grant-funded project under the 5G Innovation Initiative, FrontierSI, Ericsson and Optus also demonstrated high accuracy GNSS solutions for 5G with field trials including Agricultural, Drone and Augmented Reality applications.

Also included in the demonstration was a world-first end-to-end test of the latest positioning technology compliant with the standards of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

The demonstration illustrates the improvement in accuracy from 5 meters to 5 centimeters in precise positioning using Real-time Kinematic (RTK) of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) through the 5G cellular network.

Lambo Kanagaratnam, Managing Director, Network for Optus said, “We have now achieved early access to a substantial portion of this spectrum, and we’re using it to carry the Optus 5G even further – instantly increasing our population coverage by up to 20% on a per-site basis,”

“The 900 MHz spectrum carries mobile signals much further than higher frequency bands, so each base station can provide coverage to a broader area and more customers,”

“We have activated close to 1000 sites with the 900 MHz spectrum, with additional sites progressively rolling out across the country,” said Kanagaratnam

What is the 900 MHz spectrum?

The 900 MHz spectrum is categorised as a low band and has a wider coverage range for mobile signals compared to higher frequency bands.

As a result, a single base station can cater to a larger area and more customers, making the spectrum crucial for improving connectivity in regional areas.

Optus purchased the nation-wide spectrum so it’s customers could benefit from better 5G coverage, enabling more of them to enjoy the 5G experience.

Kanagaratnam says as Optus continues to rollout Australia’s fastest 5G network, the additional 900MHz spectrum will allow the telco to potentially deliver 5G’s future IOT applications, ultra-reliable-low-latency-connection (URLLC),

“It will complement with other mid band and high band spectrums to deliver superfast speeds to more Australians,” said Kanagaratnam

PwC’s economic modeling reveals that a competitive nationwide rollout of 5G has the potential to enhance Australia’s economy, generating cumulative benefits of $130 billion over the course of a decade, equivalent to 1.2% of GDP, and create 205,000 new jobs.