Telstra trials 4G 700MHz services in Sydney, Adelaide

Telstra will add Sydney and Adelaide to its trial of 4G services on new blocks of 700MHz spectrum in mid September, ahead of the formal commencement of access licenses in early 2015.

The telco kicked off commercial trials of 4G services using the 2x20MHz of 700MHz spectrum it purchased in the Government's 2013 digital dividend auction across Perth, Fremantle, Esperance, Mildura, Mt Isa and Griffith in June this year, after being granted an early access license to the spectrum.

Rival telco Optus also obtained early approval to go ahead with trials of its own chunk of 700MHz, and has begun trialling its own services in Darwin and the Perth CBD.

Telstra managing director of networks Mike Wright today said the use of low band spectrum like 700 MHz allows for the signal to travel further and reach deeper into buildings.

Only Telstra customers with compatible phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G3, HTC One (M8) and HTC Desire 610, plus compatible mobile wi-fi devices, will able to access the 4G services enabled by the trial at this stage.

4G services on 700MHz spectrum will be be expanded more widely as the spectrum becomes available in January 2015.

The telco hopes that LTE-Advanced services using combined blocks of both the 700MHz and 1800MHz bands will get it close to the theoretically-possible 300Mbps speed range.