Samsung’s new Note 4 and Note Edge are the first LTE-A “Cat 6” smartphones able to reach up to 300Mbps and will not only work at such fast speeds on parts of the Optus LTE-A network but Telstra’s growing LTE-A footprint, too.
Telstra today confirmed the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be Australia’s first ultra-fast LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) smartphone and is set to join Telstra’s product line-up later this year – which means from mid-October when the Note 4 will go on sale.
While Telstra points out the Note 4 is the first LTE-A smartphone, it forgot to mention that the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge will likely be Australia’s second LTE-A smartphone, due in stores from November.
The dominant telco points out that LTE-A technology will “enable owners of compatible smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, to experience mobile web speeds previously unimaginable” – unless of course you’re an avid reader of science fiction which makes all of today’s genuinely amazing advances look like the 21st century equivalent of black and white television.
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| Samsung’s 300Mbps Cat 6-class LTE-A Galaxy Note 4, soon to be joined by the Note Edge. |
Indeed, I can easily imagine a 3000Mbps phone, or a 30,000Mbps phone. Heck, if I stretch my imagination, I can imagine a 3,000,000,000,000 times infinity + 1 Mbps phone, but let’s not get even more carried away than is already the case.
For those stuck firmly in the present, it’s good to know that Telstra’s LTE-A carrier aggregation service is already available in parts of Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin, Fremantle, Esperance, Mildura, Griffith, Mt Isa, Sarina, Yamba and Bundaberg.
Even better is the fact that more than 20 additional locations will be added by the end of the year, with a wider launch scheduled from one January 2015.
Telstra’s implementation of LTE-A technology combines the Company’s new 4G 700MHz coverage with its existing 4G coverage on the 1800MHz band to deliver theoretical peak network speeds of up to 300Mbps, which is at least double Telstra’s existing 4G theoretical peak network speeds.
Telstra says this service has demonstrated actual speeds of 220-235 Mbps, however typical user speeds will be lower depending on location, device and other factors, like the number of LTE and LTE-A users in your particular cell.
All of that said, I’d really like to know when Telstra will implement Steve Perlman’s “mobile fibre” pCell wireless network that is compatible with existing 4G phones, from Mr Perlman’s company Artemis Networks.
However, we can be absolutely certain that if Telstra is in contact with Mr Perlman, it is doing so in top secrecy so the company can come out with a blockbuster announcement in the (hopefully!) not too distant future with a “mobile fibre” network that would help deliver a national broadband network even faster and would hopefully help wireless broadband prices to fall dramatically to the low cost of wired broadband.
Sadly, though, there is no indication as yet Telstra is doing this, but we hope David Thodey and Dr Hugh Bradlow are on the case, as they’re the kind of people that can see the value in “mobile fibre” speeds even when there are 1+ million people around Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve clogging “ordinary” non-pCell networks, and would definitely want to smash Optus and Vodafone by being the first Australian carrier to launch such amazing technology.
So, hint hint Telstra – please make it happen, you have the power, the money and technical expertise to “make it so”, although I’m probably getting carried away again.
Back in the land of present day reality, Telstra’s Director of Devices, Andrew Volard, said that beyond the breakneck speeds, LTE-A would help create a more reliably fast connection for Telstra customers.
“The leap to LTE-A will mean customers in coverage areas with compatible devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will enjoy ultra-fast content. But just as importantly, it means a more reliably fast mobile web experience for our customers.
“It’s the technology that will support our growing appetite for video on the go, our love of streaming music services and our fascination with sharing life through social networking sites.
“Australians have an ever increasing appetite for video and mobile phone manufactures are catering to this with bigger, higher-quality screens. Telstra is catering for this shift with the rollout of our 4G 700MHz spectrum and LTE-A technology,” Mr. Volard said.
Telstra’s press released noted some of the Note 4’s excellent specs, and says the Note 4 will come in Charcoal Black, Frost White and, exclusively to Telstra, in Bronze Gold.
Telstra also confirmed it will be launching the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Edge, the Samsung Gear S smart watch and the Samsung Gear VR, a virtual reality headset compatible with Note 4.
Although we already know the Note 4 will sell outright for $949 and the Note Edge for $1249, Telstra says that pricing, availability and pre-order information for the Note 4 and Note 4 edge will be announced in the coming weeks.
To register to for more information head to Telstra’s special Note site.
