Telstra launches 5G internet trial on the Gold Coast ahead of 2019 launch date

THE Gold Coast could be getting high speed internet sooner than expected with Telstra launching a trial of 5G. And the company’s boss has revealed when it will be coming to homes.

ONE of Australia’s leading telcos is trialling super-fast 5G internet on the Gold Coast which will revolutionise surf drone rescues and pave the way for self-driving cars.

Telstra will spend $60 million on the Gold Coast upgrading its infrastructure to deliver mobile internet boasting much higher speeds than the NBN, but don’t expect to see it this year.

The 5G system will be rolled out to consumers from 2019 but the telco will first focus on developing the technology and showing how extra bandwidth and speed can be used.

TEEN’S SAVED IN DRONE RESCUE

Champion surfer Nikki Van Dijk and Ironman TJ Hendy take part in the 5G drone demonstrations. Picture Glenn Hampson

Drone technology is one of the major areas of investigation at the company’s 5G innovation centre – the first of its kind in Australia – which opened in Southport yesterday.

Just weeks after the world’s first drone rescue was performed in surf just south of the Gold Coast, an early demonstration was given yesterday of how 5G would improve surf lifesaving technology.

WHY THE GOLD COAST DOESN’T HAVE DRONE RESCUES

A mock rescue was conducted over the Broadwater which replicated the circumstances of a surfer being stuck in a rip. A team of three drones worked together simultaneously to locate the surfer using artificial intelligence, drop a flotation device and allow life savers perform the rescue.

Ironman TJ Hendy took part in the test rescue and said drones had the potential to change how lifesaving was done.

“The ability to be able to spot someone when the surf is big or they are on an unpatrolled beach makes it a really good resource,” he said.

“It is very important to be able to find people when they are in the water.”

The technology has many applications. Picture Glenn Hampson

Telstra’s investment in 5G comes as the Gold Coast continues to struggle with the move from standard ADSL internet to the NBN.

LITTLE RIPPER DRONE CRASHES

The rollout of the NBN was delayed earlier this year after faults were found in the network, while Optus plans to showcase its own 5G network during this year’s Commonwealth Games.

Gold Coast City Council will also be rolling out its own high speed services through fibre-optic cables laid under the light rail.

A drone above the Broadwater. Picture Glenn Hampson

Telstra chief operations officer, Robyn Denholm, said improved internet technology had many applications.

“Like previous generations of mobile technology it will deliver more capacity and faster data speeds but on top of that it will support vastly more connected devices at very high levels of reliability and lower latency,” she said.

5G powered drones could have a big future on the Gold Coast. Picture Glenn Hampson

“These enhancements will unleash a host of new opportunities – everything from smart cities and smart homes, to drones and driverless cars.

“For example, drones can operate over 4G today but when the ultra-high reliability and incredibly low latency of 5G becomes available, more sophisticated applications will be possible, such as drone swarms and autonomous drones that can communicate and adjust behaviour based on real-time data inputs.”