Telstra has announced its latest 5G broadband device, the mmWave-ready 5G Wi-Fi Pro.
Designed for use with Telstra’s 5G mobile broadband plans, the 5G Wi-Fi Pro will deliver access to Telstra’s 5G and 4GX networks and will be compatible with the next wave of 5G. The Wi-Fi Pro will support mmWave, the future-proof 5G update that offers greater network capacity in high-traffic areas.
Replacing the HTC 5G Hub in Telstra’s 5G modem line-up, the 5G Wi-Fi Pro is available from today on 12, 24 or 36-month device payment plans. You can also purchase the device outright.
With a full retail price of $599 outright, you can pick up the Pro for $24.95 per month over 24 months.
The 5G Wi-Fi Pro can be used with any of Telstra’s mobile broadband plans, offering 4G networks with wide coverage and 5G networks where applicable with mobile broadband plans. After June 2020, Medium and Large mobile broadband plans have access to the Telstra 5G network, whereas Extra Small and Small plans can opt-in for an additional $15 per month.
Telstra Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Telstra mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners. Prices do not include the cost of the Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro.
Telstra Mobile Broadband PlansThe following table shows a selection of published Telstra mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
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Telstra’s 5G Wi-Fi Pro is a mobile broadband modem/hotspot that can support up to 30 WiFi enabled devices. You’ll get super-fast performance on multiple wireless devices at once, and speeds of up to one Gigabit via an Ethernet connection.
The Wi-Fi Pro features a large 4,500mAh battery that’s compatible with fast charging, and offers up to nine hours of battery life on a single charge. It includes an easy-to-navigate touchscreen, and comes in a small, plug-in-and-go package that makes installation easy.
If you’re a member of Telstra’s customer rewards program, Telstra Plus, you can also score up to 100,000 bonus points when you add the Wi-Fi Pro to a month-to-month mobile broadband plan by 30 June, 2020. If you’re not already a member, you can join within 30 days of purchase to grab your bonus points.
What is mmWave 5G?
Millimetre wave – or ‘mmWave’ for short – is a type of high-frequency network technology that’s designed to offer more bandwidth over a shorter distance. Although it’s not yet commercially available in Australia, it’s one of the technology types that Telstra, Optus and Vodafone intend to use to deliver their respective 5G networks.
mmWave operates on a higher frequency than other technology types used in both 4G and 5G networks, which gives it a short signal range that works well in concentrated areas (such as stadiums or shopping centres). Although an mmWave signal can only reach a few hundred metres away from the base station, it can handle a large amount of traffic at once, making the technology perfect for for small, densely populated or crowded areas that suffer from congestion or slow network speeds.
5G will ultimately be a combination of several different frequencies that work to deliver the best speeds, lowest latency, and highest capacity possible to both mobile and broadband users. The spectrum allocated for mmWave won’t be auctioned off by the ACMA until 2021, but 5G Wi-Fi Pro users will be among the first Australians to access the technology once Telstra’s mmWave testing sites go live.
Australians should keep in mind that mmWave technology isn’t new, and is already in use for other communications services such as satellite internet. Telstra has already conducted mmWave testing on the 26GHz spectrum, and has found that electromagnetic energy emissions are similar to existing 3G, 4G and WiFi levels, and well below all safety thresholds.
Even without mmWave, Telstra’s 5G rollout is proceeding ahead of schedule. The telco has confirmed that more than 700 suburbs now have some level of 5G coverage, and Australians have so far downloaded more than 660 terabytes of data over the Telstra 5G network.
Image: Telstra
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