Australian operator Telstra is ramping up its LTE-A rollout, accelerating the launch of services on the newly-acquired 700-MHz band.
The operator plans to switch on 700-MHz 4G services at the start of next year in a three-kilometer radius of all capital CBDs as well as 50 regional locations.
Ahead of the launch, the company plans to conduct a series of 700-MHz 4G trials starting from next week. Trial sites include Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin, Bundaberg, Yamba and Sarina.
Telstra is adding 700-MHz and 2600-MHz spectrum to existing 4G network, to allow it to support Cat 6 LTE-A devices with peak speeds of 300Mbps.
By next year, the operator said it aims to have the world's largest coverage area for a 150Mbps 700-MHz network, and the world's largest coverage area supporting 300Mbps Cat 6 LTE-A.
Telstra chief operations officer Kate McKenzie said the company has allocated A$1.3 billion ($1.18 billion) towards adding 700-MHz and 2600-MHz to its LTE network.
“Our customers are relying on mobile broadband more than ever. The explosion in applications, shift towards mobile video consumption and use of mobile in commerce means demand for connectivity continues to grow strongly,” she said.