Telstra is expanding its commercial trials of its 4G 700MHz network just in time for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The 20 new areas to be switched on next week will include parts of Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin, Bundaberg, Yamba, and Sarina, joining parts of Darwin, Perth, Fremantle, Mt Isa, Mildura, Griffith, and Esperance, which already have access to Telstra and Optus' 4G 700MHz network.
Telstra has also announced that from January 1, 2014, when the 4G 700MHz network is officially switched on, it will cover a 3-kilometre radius around of all Australian capital city CBDs and 50 regional locations.
It also announced that collectively, Telstra's 4G network will cover 90% of Australia's population by the end January, 2015.
700MHz devices
With the expansion of the commercial trials, Telstra is boasting that customers who buy the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus - available from September 19 - will be able to enjoy the benefits of the 700MHz network already (at least for those in the areas it is currently being trialed).
The iPhone 6 range joins the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8 as 700MHz-ready devices, with the telco noting that more smartphones and devices will be made available before the January 1 network switch-on.
The company also noted that it is expecting a million customers to have 700MHz-ready devices by the end of the year.
Telstra says that with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 later this year, it will look to introduce carrier aggregation (combining 700MHz and 1800MHz spectrum bands), which the telco has also been trialing.
- Check out our reviews of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
