UPDATE: Optus has refused to confirm how many of the sites have actually been acquired so far, saying the information is commercial in confidence.
Optus has released a list of the first 50 suburbs it plans to place its Ericsson-built 5G sites, provided it can secure the space.
Construction is expected to start on sites in 30 Victorian suburbs and 20 in New South Wales in “the coming months”, according to Optus, but it qualified “timing and location on planned sites are subject to change to due varying factors, including site acquisition”.
The telco plans to build 1,200 5G sites around Australia by March next year as part of its multi-vendor 5G rollout, which at this stage includes Ericsson and Nokia.
So far no sites are planned in the Northern Territory or Tasmania.
Optus announced its plans for 5G home broadband in January and are now working with Ericsson on a device.
“We are working closely with Ericsson to conduct critical inter-operability device testing so that we can deliver a compatible 5G home broadband product to customers and open these sites up as part of our expressions of interest campaign,” Optus’ Head of Network Access Planning & Quality Kent Wu said.
Customers can check their suburb eligibility and register for 5G Home Broadband via the Optus website.
The prices will start at $70 a month for a 24 month contract, but Optus is also offering month-to-month options.
Download speeds of 50mbps are promised, with a guarantee users can cancel free of charge if they aren’t receiving it, provided they return their device.
Below are the suburbs set to receive the first taste of Optus 5G, pending site acquisition and construction.
