Optus and Nokia achieve world-first 25MHz 5G downlink breakthrough in 900MHz spectrum

World-first live network demonstration of an asymmetric 25MHz downlink 5G channel on a commercial smartphone, getting more from Optus’ existing 900MHz spectrum

Optus and Nokia have demonstrated a new way to get more from Optus’ existing 900MHz spectrum, with the potential to deliver stronger mobile performance in two of the places where connectivity can be hardest to deliver: deep inside buildings and across the vast distances of regional Australia.

Low-band spectrum is particularly important in Australia because it can both travel further across large distances and reach deeper inside buildings. That makes it important to two very different customer experiences: maintaining connectivity across regional Australia and delivering reliable mobile performance in increasingly complex indoor environments.

The breakthrough is designed to make better use of low-band spectrum, which can travel further and reach deeper inside buildings but, like all spectrum, is a finite resource.

It brings together network innovation from Optus and Nokia, with a new chipset from MediaTek and commercial smartphone support from OPPO, demonstrating how collaboration across the mobile ecosystem can turn new network capabilities into technology that customers can ultimately use.

In live-network testing in the ACT using the newly launched OPPO Find X10 Pro Max, the new configuration delivered download speeds up to 91 per cent faster outdoors and 51 per cent faster indoors compared with the existing network configuration.

The world-first achievement uses an asymmetric 5G configuration of 25MHz downlink and 20MHz uplink in the 900MHz band, enabling a commercial smartphone to use Optus’ full 25MHz downlink channel for the first time.

Sri Amirthalingam, Chief Technology Officer at Optus, said:

“This is what good network engineering should do: take a finite resource and find new ways to make it work harder for customers.

"Australians don't think about spectrum or network engineering, and they shouldn’t have to. They expect their mobile network to work where and when they need it, whether that's inside a city building or hundreds of kilometres from the capital city.

“Australia presents a unique engineering challenge. We have highly concentrated urban environments alongside enormous distances between communities, which means we need to continually find smarter ways to use the spectrum available to us.

“Low-band spectrum is critical because it can travel further and penetrate deeper. Getting more performance from the 900MHz spectrum we already have gives us another way to improve the experience in the places where distance, buildings and geography make connectivity harder to deliver.”

Henrique Vale, Vice President of Mobile Infrastructure for Asia Pacific at Nokia, said:

“The next phase of 5G will be shaped not only by new spectrum, but by finding smarter ways to unlock the full potential of the spectrum operators already have. Together with Optus, Nokia has achieved a significant low-band 5G breakthrough that could help deliver stronger connectivity deep inside buildings and across the vast distances of regional Australia.”

The demonstration reflects Optus’ continued focus on making its existing spectrum work harder, using network innovation to improve the experience for customers wherever connectivity is hardest to deliver.

ENDS

Editors’ Notes

1. Technical world-first: Optus and Nokia demonstrated the world’s first live-commercial-network implementation of an asymmetric 25MHz downlink and 20MHz uplink 5G configuration in the 900MHz band (n8) using a commercial smartphone, the OPPO Find X10 Pro Max. A MediaTek M90 test device was also used to validate chipset readiness for advanced network capability support of downlink 4x4 MIMO and uplink 2x2 MIMO in a live 5G network for the first time.
   
2. Trial performance: Testing across two production sites in Banks, ACT, delivered significant performance uplift compared with the existing network configuration on the OPPO Find X10 Pro Max commercial smartphone:
   1. Up to 91 per cent faster download speeds outdoors (86Mbps to 165Mbps) and 51 per cent faster download speeds indoors (108Mbps to 163Mbps)
   2. Up to 36 per cent faster upload speeds at both outdoors and indoors.
      The trial also used a MediaTek M90 smartphone test device to validate chipset readiness for future network capability on low band, such as downlink 4x4 MIMO and uplink 2x2 MIMO, achieving peak download speeds of 264Mbps and peak upload speed of 208Mbps.
      
3. Low-band spectrum for coverage depth: Approximately 15% of Optus mobile connections in metropolitan areas and 35% in regional areas rely primarily on low-band coverage. Low-band spectrum generally travels further and penetrates buildings more effectively than higher-frequency spectrum.
   
4. Trial and deployment status: The results reported in this release relate to live-network testing and should not be interpreted as capabilities currently available across the Optus network. Any future deployment timing, footprint, compatible devices and customer availability remain subject to further network and ecosystem development.

Media enquiries:
Optus Media Team
Phone: 02 9037 8179
Email: media@optus.com.au

About Optus

Optus is Australia’s second largest telecommunications provider, with a network that reaches 99.1%* of the Australian population and provides services that connect around 12 million consumers and businesses across the nation.

Backed by some 7,000 employees, 240 retail stores across the country, award-winning 5G and human tech support available online 24/7, we offer a wide range of services, including mobile and home phone plans, internet and broadband, satellite services and business solutions that help make life easier and better for our customers and the nation.

We're committed to using our network and expertise to help people move forward by removing barriers and enabling action, so Australians can get on with what matters most. This starts with listening to our customers' needs and investing in our people, partnerships, communities and technology to create a better, connected Australia. For more information go to www.optus.com.au.

_{*4G network coverage based on 2021 census data. Check 4G and 5G coverage at optus.com.au/coverage.}