Putting record-breaking mmWave 5G speed in your hands

We don’t believe in speed limits, especially when it comes to our 5G network. Not only have we just smashed another speed record with mmWave 5G, but we’re bringing more devices to our network to put this speed in your pocket.
Iskra Nikolova · 28 February 2022 · 2 minute read

Breaking new speed records

This time last year we were sharing how we had smashed not one but two speed records on 5G mmWave back-to-back. We were blown away then by what this technology is capable of, and continue to be as we smash the barrier yet again in 2022.

Working with our friends at Qualcomm and Ericsson, we’ve set yet another new network download speed record of 5.9Gbps on our commercial mmWave 5G network. The last time we broke records we celebrated a result of 5Gbps, and we’re still getting faster.

Our boffins used a lot of gear to make it happen, including using carrier aggregation to stack eight contiguous carriers of 100MHz for higher data speeds.

This test result from our labs sits nicely alongside the awards we’ve collected at this year’s Mobile World Congress from the speedtesters at Ookla for the fastest mobile network in Australia.

I’m really excited by this rapid evolution of mmWave and what it means for our customers. We are always pushing the limits, delivering results that are truly staggering. Even just a few years ago, the idea that you could achieve almost 6Gbps on a cellular data connection would boggle the mind. Now we have that power in our hands.

Fast as a Nighthawk

It’s great to break records, but it’s important we put these speeds into the hands of customers sooner rather than later. We’ve got new modem tech from Netgear coming soon that we want to share.

The Nighthawk M6 Pro puts you on the cutting-edge of connectivity. You’ll be able to connect to our 5G mmWave network (where available as we continue our rollout), and share it with more connections thanks to Wi-Fi 6 compatibility.

Wi-Fi 6 not only allows you to take advantage of a faster connection coming from your network, but also ensures that multiple devices connecting at once get a smooth experience.

For those who want to work, stream or game over a wired connection, the M6 Pro also supports gigabit ethernet for super-fast networking.

Add this to the mmWave capability – which allows for speeds significantly faster than 4G equivalents with ultra-low latency – and you’ve got a portable powerhouse.

Two new Nighthawk devices – the M6 Pro and the M6 – are expected to hit shelves in April for $749 and $549 respectively.

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By Iskra Nikolova

Network and Infrastructure Executive

Iskra Nikolova joined Telstra in November 2020 as the Network and Infrastructure Executive. At Telstra Iskra is responsible for the Customer Access Networks (Fixed and Mobile), Transport and IP, Private Cloud infrastructure and Telstra’s International Network. Born in Bulgaria, Iskra relocated to the UK in her late twenties with her husband and son and has developed her career in London working for companies such as Ericsson, MCI Worldcom and Cable&Wireless in engineering and commercial roles and has worked in senior leadership Network roles in telecommunications businesses across the world. Iskra holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science and Telecommunications and an MBA from London Business School. In her spare time she enjoys cycling and photography and exploring Melbourne and Victoria where she is based.

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