Telstra is preparing to roll out the second phase of its 1800Mhz LTE network in Newcastle (NSW), with the coverage area expected to more than double by the end of this year.
A number of new suburbs -- including Broadmeadow, Callaghan, Georgetown, Jesmond, Kotara East, Lambton, Mayfield, Mayfield West, Waratah and Waratah West -- will be added in the coming month.
Telstra Area General Manager Chris Cusack claimed that the network offered "some of the fastest mobile internet speeds available anywhere in the world". Typical download speeds are in the range of 2Mbps to 40Mbps. For uploads, the carrier says you can expect somewhere in the range of 1Mbps to 10Mbps.
"Since launching 4G in Newcastle last September, Telstra has quickly expanded its 4G product range to include advanced smartphones, a 4G tablet and three mobile broadband devices," Mr Cusack said in a statement. "...Soon customers will be able to enjoy 4G speeds on these devices in more places around Newcastle."
During its initial rollout, Telstra 4G was available in each capital city and 31 regional areas, but was limited to 5km from the centre in capitals and 3km from the centre in regional areas. Today, the network is available in more than 100 regional and metropolitan centres.
To give prospective customers a taste of its 4G network, Telstra is setting up a "4G experience zone" in Marketown Shopping Centre this week. Located directly outside the Telstra Store, the experience zone will give shoppers the opportunity to test 4G-enabled smartphones, tablets and mobile broadband devices.
If you want to look into your area in more detail, visit Telstra's 4G coverage area website.
See also:
Get ready for the 4G hype machine
HTC Velocity on Telstra 4G reviewed
Video: Australia's first 4G phone network speeds put to the test
