Major milestone for regional Australia as Optus switches on 1,000th 5G upgrade

• Milestone puts Optus on track for over 1,500 regional 5G upgrades by the end of 2028, as part of its accelerated regional upgrade programme
• Each upgrade means stronger 5G, supporting local businesses, residents and visitors for regional Australians
• This coincides with the latest Regional Movers Index which shows capital city residents moving to regional Australia outnumbering those relocating to cities by 30%

Optus has switched on its 1,000th upgraded regional 5G site in Gympie, marking a major milestone in the company's accelerated rollout to improve connectivity for millions of Australians living, working and travelling in regional communities.

In the past 18 months alone, the number of upgraded regional 5G sites has more than doubled, marking significant progress towards Optus' target of 1,500 upgraded regional 5G sites by the end of 2028, increasing to 2,444 by December 2030.^*

The investment comes as more Australians choose regional living, with the latest Regional Movers Index^** showing capital city residents moving to regional Australia outnumbering those relocating to cities by 30%. This reached a record high in early 2026 - increasing to 20.1% on the previous quarter and sitting 4.7% above the same period last year.

Regional and rural customers, businesses and visitors in the upgraded areas can expect faster, stronger 5G connectivity for streaming, video calls, taking payments, serving customers and working on the move.

Nationally, the Optus 5G network now reaches 94.5% of the Australian population,^*** with more than 320 sites to be upgraded to 5G in the next 18 months reaching 177 communities and serving approximately 1.97 million customers.

Anthony Shiner, Chief Customer Officer at Optus, said: "Switching on our 1,000th upgraded regional 5G site is a significant milestone and reflects the scale of our investment in regional Australia.

“The demand for mobile connectivity continues to grow as more people choose regional lifestyles and businesses increasingly rely on digital technologies to operate and grow.
“We've accelerated the pace of our regional upgrades to keep up with that demand, nearly doubling the number of upgraded regional 5G sites in the past 18 months.

"And we're not stopping there. We're planning to deliver 1,500 upgraded regional 5G sites by the end of 2028, bringing faster, stronger connectivity to more communities across Australia.

"Every upgrade helps unlock opportunities for regional communities, supporting local businesses, remote work, tourism and everyday connectivity."

Optus has been awarded by Opensignal as Australia’s fastest 5G for mobile downloads nationally. To check 5G coverage and planned upgrades in your area, visit optus.com.au/coverage.

ENDS

_{Editor’s notes
*Optus reserves the right to amend the list of planned 5G tower upgrades at its discretion.
** Based on data from Regional Australia Institute, found here: Regional Movers Index
*** 5G standalone network, available on compatible plans, sims and devices}

Media contact
Optus Corporate Affairs | (02) 9037 8179 | media@optus.com.au