Bundy among first cities in world to get 5G coverage

BUNDABERG is now just one of eight cities in Queensland with 5G coverage after Telstra announced the local rollout yesterday.

BUNDABERG is now just one of eight cities in Queensland with 5G coverage after Telstra announced the local rollout yesterday.

Telstra's Regional General Manager May Boisen said the new coverage would not only benefit customers with 5G devices, but would also improve the connectivity and speeds of those with 4G devices.

"Telstra has always been dedicated to connecting people in regional Australia and ensuring they are among the first to experience the latest mobile technology," Ms Boisen said.

"It is really exciting that Bundaberg will be among the first cities in Australia, indeed the world, to have access to 5G connectivity."

Ms Boisen said with the Bundaberg's first 5G site flicking the switch, local customers would have a chance to be part of the cutting edge as there were only 25 cities in Australia with the latest tech.

"The possibilities 5G offers are extensive," she said.

"Its potential to deliver high speeds and low latency can enable not only fast download speeds for our customers, but also unlocks capacity for thousands of new devices working together on our network."

She said Bundaberg was chosen to be among the first cities to get 5G as it was identified by Telstra as an important regional business hub, particularly for the agriculture and tourism sectors.

"Initially the rollout has been focused on cities where higher numbers of our customers work, or pass through on a regular basis. We will extend coverage over time in line with demand," she said.

Ms Boisen said the 5G service would be free for the first 12 months so everyone in 5G areas with a 5G compatible device had an opportunity to try it.

"Once this free trial period ends, customers on our top two plans will have 5G connectivity included in their plan at no extra charge, and customers on our other plans will have the option of adding 5G connectivity for $15 a month," she said.

The Bundaberg rollout was part of Telstra's goal to extend 5G coverage to selected areas of 35 major and regional cities across the nation by June 2020.

The new coverage comes as Bundaberg Regional Council announced a project dubbed "10 Gigaberg".

The Council project aims to bring internet speeds of up to 10 gigabytes per second of affordable internet to Bundaberg within two to three years.