Biggest myths Australians believe about the new 5G network

The next generation of mobile network has already started to roll out across Australia but there are still a lot of myths about how 5G actually works.

The 5G network started its initial rollout across the country, with more and more Aussies gaining access to this new technology.

Put simply, 5G is the next generation of mobile communications technology and is an improvement upon the 3G and 4G network many people use now.

But even though most people have heard of 5G by now, there are still a lot of confusion over the changes this new network will actually bring.

A new survey from Optus has uncovered the four biggest myths Australians believe about the 5G network, with the company’s head of 5G, Harvey Wright, revealing the truth about the new network.

MYTH 1: IT DOESN’T IMPACT ME RIGHT NOW

While one in five Aussies are still unsure about what 5G is, 34 per cent consider it to be the “future of the internet”, according to the survey of 1000 people.

With that though comes the idea that this change doesn’t impact people right now and won’t be of any benefit until well into the future.

While the 5G network will help advance future technologies, Mr Wright said everyday Australians were already reaping the benefits of the network.

“5G is not just about futuristic applications like driverless cars, drones, connected appliances and video holograms. 5G is also about solving real customer issues today,” Mr Wright said.

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Optus 5G coverage in western Sydney.

MYTH 2: UPGRADING IS EXPENSIVE AND INCONVENIENT

Of the people surveyed, 32 per cent believe that upgrading to the 5G network is going to cost them a lot of time and money.

When you think about changing home broadband providers, most people probably have visions of spending hours on the phone trying to get connected.

It is undoubtedly one of the most dreaded parts of changing providers but Mr Wright said Optus had come up with a way to make the process easier.

“Meeting consumer demand for convenience, Optus has launched plug and play 5G Home Broadband,” he said.

“You can walk into one of more than 170 stores now, purchase a 5G Home Broadband plan and if you live within range of a 5G site you can have access to Optus 5G Home Broadband immediately.”

The 5G Home Broadband offers unlimited data for $70 a month, which is around the same as what other telcos charge for their unlimited NBN plans.

“In terms of speed, we have a 50 Mbps customer satisfaction guarantee, but in reality we are seeing peak speeds in excess of 150Mbps on average and for some customers top speeds in excess 400Mbps,” Mr Wright said.

“According to our customers, of the biggest selling point is that it is Plug & Play / walk-out-working, so no need for an engineer to come around, no need to take a day off work, no missed appointments, drilling through walls, etc.”

One of the first Optus 5G Towers in Australia.

MYTH 3: SMARTPHONES ARE THE ONLY WAY TO BENEFIT FROM 5G

While the mobile 5G network is available now, it is in the home where Aussies could see the most benefit right now, Mr Wright said.

“Optus is leading the charge for 5G Home as it is opening up new possibilities for Australians via its Optus 5G Home Broadband,” he said.

“For example, users can experience an immediate increase in the speed of their favourite TV series downloading on their existing smart TV.”

Another benefit of 5G is that network congestion will have less of an impact on speeds, because 5G allows 10 times as many connected devices as 4G, up to one million per square kilometre.

MYTH 4: AUSTRALIA IS BEHIND THE REST OF THE WORLD IN TERMS OF 5G

Many consumers assume Australia is lagging behind other countries when it comes to introducing the 5G network.

The truth is, we are one of the first countries to roll out the network, with many others still considering the new technology.

“Australian consumers are already benefiting from 5G with the current average download speed experienced by Optus 5G Home customers sitting at 164Mbps (megabits per second),” Mr Wright said.

“Optus recently gave Australians a glimpse into what the future of 5G could look like by flying Australia’s first 5G drone on its network.”

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