Ensuring 5G reaches its full potential in Australia

5G will require more sites than 2G, 3G or 4G because the radio spectrum used for 5G in metropolitan areas is generally higher frequency and less able to travel long distances than that used for earlier generations. 5G can be combined with other technologies such as 'edge computing' to deliver its potential. Edge computing is a distributed computing framework that brings enterprise applications closer to data sources (such as IoT devices or local edge servers), delivering faster insights, improved response times and better bandwidth availability.

Lower frequencies are generally good for coverage, but not speed. Higher frequencies are generally good for speed, but not coverage. As illustrated in Figure 7.7, networks need a mix of three frequency bands to offer users the best possible 5G experience across all places in Australia.

•  Low-band 5G uses frequencies under 1 GHz. It provides wide-area coverage, excellent indoor coverage and is ideal for regional areas, although it offers little speed improvement compared to 4G. ACMA is reallocating the 850-900 MHz band for 5G use in 2021. Spectrum in the 700 MHz band is also available to mobile network operators for 5G and Telstra has announced its intention to roll out low-band 5G on this frequency. Additionally, the Australian Government's 2020 Media Reform Green Paper proposes a pathway for television broadcasters to operate using less radio frequency spectrum, enabling the release of spectrum in the 600 MHz band.73

•  Mid-band 5G (Sub-6) uses frequencies between 1 GHz and 6 GHz. Its frequencies are slightly higher than 4G and are a trade-off between coverage and speed. The 3.6 GHz band, which was auctioned and allocated in 2018, is optimal for general metropolitan and suburban use. The Australian Government is also working to improve arrangements in the 3.4 GHz band that will make it more suitable for 5G.

• High-band 5G (mmWave) uses frequencies higher than 6 GHz. It provides ultra-fast speeds but can only bring coverage to shorter distances and has difficulty penetrating walls. This frequency is used mostly to cover high-density urban and central business district areas. The 26 GHz band will be made available to industry in 2021.

Figure 7.7: Networks need a mix of all three bands to offer the best possible 5G experience