Australia will become the third country in the world to launch speedy 5G mobile network

The next big thing in connectivity, 5G internet, is here. Australia will become just the third nation in the world to accelerate mobile data speeds by up to 20 times.

Australia finally has a launch date for 5G. And it’s a date that will make the country just the third in the world to access the next-generation service.

Telstra has announced it will release Australia’s first 5G smartphone and modem next Tuesday, May 28. Both devices will be able to access download speeds up to 20 times faster than those currently on the market.

The launch will be a major coup for Australian telecommunications, as it will mean the country only follows South Korea and the United States to launch 5G for consumers.

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G will be the first 5G smartphone to launch in Australia.

Telstra chief executive Andy Penn said the launch of Samsung’s first 5G smartphone, the Galaxy S10 5G, and the HTC 5G Hub next week represented “the moment 5G becomes a reality for Australian consumers”.

“This is just the start,” Mr Penn said. “The rollout of 5G coverage is ongoing and as 5G develops there will be more devices and more technologies to come. But this is an important step we take today as the first Australian network to offer mobile 5G.”

5G technology is theoretically capable of delivering up to 10 gigabits per second, or 10 times the speed of the fastest NBN plan currently on the market.

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Australians will only be able to access the higher 5G speeds in limited areas for the time being, however.

Telstra deployed 200 5G base stations throughout Australia last year, though 5G coverage is mainly centred around central business districts in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart.

Exceptions include areas of the Gold Coast and Toowoomba in Queensland, and Launceston in Tasmania.

The Telstra launch will also see the anticipated arrival of Samsung’s first 5G smartphone, which Samsung Electronics Australia mobile vice-president Garry McGregor said was “designed to perform at a level we have never before seen”.

Telstra’s commercial 5G launch will make Australia just the third country in the world to use the technology. Picture: JUNG Yeon-Je / AFP

“This is the most anticipated device Samsung has ever launched in Australia as it combines additions to our amazing Galaxy range but also opens the door to the opportunities that 5G experiences will bring people in future,” Mr McGregor said.

The smartphone, which will be exclusive to Telstra, will come with a larger screen than the Samsung Galaxy S10+ at 6.7 inches and a larger battery than its predecessor, though it will be both longer and heavier.

The device could also break smartphone price records in Australia when it is launched next week, though neither company has revealed its outright cost.

Telstra will offer the HTC 5G Hub modem on 24-month plans starting from $70 per month.

Australian smartphone users are expected get greater 5G choices later this year, as Telstra rival Optus is currently testing its 5G networks with select consumers.

The company is currently testing five 5G devices on its networks, including two smartphones, and is now asking for consumers to test the devices in Bonnyrigg and Minchinbury in Sydney’s west, Niagara Park on the Central Coast, Cook in the ACT, and Kenmore in Brisbane.

Originally published as Australia will become the third country in the world to launch speedy 5G mobile network