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The public 5G WIFI hotspots will combine 5G infrastructure with a standard WIFI access point
Australian telco Telstra has launched the world’s first public 5G hot spot, in Australia’s Gold Coast.
However, as there are currently no commercially available 5G devices on the market, Telstra has utilised WiFi technology to allow users to experience 5G like download speeds. By connecting 5G backhaul and infrastructure to a WiFi access point, Telstra is able to give consumers a taste of 5G.
“Wi-Fi has limited throughput so a single hotspot alone cannot come close to reaching the limits of 5G at our Innovation Centre. By using multiple hotspots with potentially hundreds of smartphone users served through a single 5G device we are able to get closer to demonstrating 5G in a real-world environment,” said Telstra’s group managing director for networks, Mike Wright.
The 5G hotspots will be open to anyone in the Gold Coast area and will be free to use with a download limit of 10 GB per day per device.
“Our 5G backhaul is capable of delivering download speeds of more than 3 Gbps, which is capable of supporting around 1,000 HD movies being streamed simultaneously.
“We have said we intend to lead on 5G and with these 5G-enabled Wi-Fi hotspots Australian consumers will be among the first people in the world to try the technology.
“Taking 5G technology out of a lab and into the hands of consumers is another key milestone on Telstra’s roadmap to offering 5G services in 2019,” he added.
