YES! OPTUS COMPLETES MASSIVE NATIONAL NETWORK UPGRADE PROJECT

Optus today said ‘Yes’ to a better network experience for customers across the country, with the completion of its five year nation-wide 3G network upgrade programme. Optus has now upgraded more than 4,400 mobile sites nationally to provide significantly better coverage indoors, enhanced call quality, and a more consistent experience overall for 3G customers.

“Over the course of the programme, we’ve upgraded the bulk of our 3G network with 900MHz spectrum to create more capacity and coverage, raising our metro 3G indoors coverage from 70% to 94% over the past 2-years,” said Andrew Smith, Optus’ Vice President of Mobile Engineering.

“We’ve now got more customers connecting at the same time, less congestion, and significantly better call reliability and quality, particularly in-building, in the home or office.”

Continued focus on 3G while 4G expands

The 3G 900MHz upgrade program was completed with the upgrade of over 70 sites in the nations’ capital, Canberra this month.

“With 9.5 million customers utilising the Optus 3G network, it’s an important part of our service in terms of voice traffic, and data for many of our customers, particularly outside metro Australia. We’ll continue to enhance our 3G network with the planned roll out of over 100 brand new mobile sites. These new sites will include upgraded 3G and superfast 4G services across major metro and regional areas,” Mr Smith explained

As well as the continued 3G support, Optus is ramping up its 4G and 4G Plus rollout throughout the first half of 2014. This is to meet the increasing data and speed demands of customers, and deliver significant 4G coverage by April in metropolitan and selected regional areas across Australia.

Up next – Optus’ 700MHz 4G plans

Optus is also getting its network ready for when it gains access to the 700MHz spectrum band having been granted trial licences in Sydney to begin testing. This follows on from Optus’ Australian first 700MHz data call trial in Bendigo, in March 2012.

Optus has also been granted Australia’s first outdoor metro trial licences for 4G in the 2600MHz band.
“These new trial licences enable Optus to start live testing the next evolution of our 4G network, due to launch commercially at the end of this year for 2600MHz and early next year for 700MHz,” Mr Smith said. “We’ll be testing the compatibility of the new spectrum with the latest devices and also with the television broadcasters.”

Strong industry collaboration between the Australian Communications and Media Authority, Optus and Australian television broadcasters, made it possible for Optus to secure these licences.

“We are grateful to Network Ten and the Nine Network in particular for their cooperation in securing the 2600MHZ trial licenses. We look forward to working together with broadcasters and industry partners over the next six to twelve months to fully test these new 4G spectrum bands and bring our customers even closer to the 4G networks of the future.” Mr Smith said.

Andrew Smith, Vice President – Mobile Radio Engineering, Optus

Media contact
Melanie Vine
Optus Corporate Affairs
0422 812 724
media@optus.com.au