MOUNT Gambier has become one of the first communities in Australia to experience Telstra’s 5G network with the service now active in the city.
As part of Telstra’s commitment to connecting 35 communities to the 5G network by June, the Blue Lake city has made the switch to join Adelaide as the only South Australia localities with the advanced service.
Experiencing the new network in the heart of the city yesterday, Mount Gambier mayor Lynette Martin welcomed the technology.
“It will increase our visibility and our connectivity with Australia and the rest of the world,” Ms Martin said.
“The Telstra 5G investment matches council’s commitment to first-class communications for Mount Gambier as demonstrated through our investment in the GigCity Project.
“People can sit out in the Cave Gardens and enjoy strong connectivity if they want to work remotely or connect with loved ones.
“It really puts Mount Gambier at the forefront of this technology.”
As the fifth generation of mobile technology, Telstra claims the network is a significant evolution of today’s 4G network and will deliver faster data speeds and the opportunity for greater connectivity.
“It’s really exciting that Mount Gambier will be the first South Australian area outside of Adelaide and among the first cities in Australia, indeed the world, to have access to 5G connectivity,” Telstra SA regional general manager Mark Bolton said.
While upgrades on most base stations in Mount Gambier have been completed and are now operational, work on the base station located on Crouch Street North is planned to start next week.
During this time residents in the city’s north-east who receive service from this tower may notice a temporary reduction in mobile speed or capacity.
As new customers make the switch to 5G, Telstra believes 4G device customers will also benefit as additional capacity is made available.
