Nokia has launched the world’s first live 5G standalone (5G SA) service operating on the 700MHz band in Australia, in partnership with TPG Telecom.
This low-band deployment delivers broad outdoor coverage and improved penetration into deep indoor environments, making it especially valuable for Internet of Things (IoT) use cases and other wide-area connectivity needs.
Barry Kezik, Executive General Manager, Mobile and Fixed Networks at TPG Telecom, said:
“We’re excited to be the first network in the world to realise the true potential of low-band 5G SA at 700MHz.
TPG Telecom’s low-band 5G will expand our 5G coverage, supporting our goal of reaching 85 percent of the population in Australia’s top six cities by the end of the year and changing the way people and things connect to the TPG Telecom 5G network.”
The service is built on Nokia’s latest ReefShark-based AirScale platform and features a triple-band remote radio unit that supports 700, 850 and 900MHz bands, enabling flexible use of low-frequency spectrum.
Dr Robert Joyce, Chief Technology Officer at Nokia Oceania, added:
“Nokia is proud to support another 5G world first. We have a long-standing partnership with TPG Telecom, and we have jointly developed our unique triple-band radio solution specifically for them.
Today, we get to see the result of that joint effort and collaboration which will deliver premium wide-area 5G SA coverage for TPG Telecom and its customers.”
Nokia’s triple-band radio can run 3G, 4G and 5G simultaneously across TPG Telecom’s low-band frequencies, simplifying network consolidation and supporting a smooth evolution to standalone 5G.
The 5G SA service is already live on TPG Telecom’s network in Sydney, marking a significant step toward broader low-band 5G coverage in Australia.
(Photo by Srikant Sahoo on Unsplash)
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