Telstra has announced multiple agreements to offer commercial 5G smartphones to customers in the first half of 2019.
Telstra has announced at CES 2019 that it has entered into a number of agreements to offer commercial 5G smartphones on its mobile network, but could not say which companies, the specifications of the devices, or exactly when they will be offered.
According to Telstra CEO Andy Penn, 2018 was about being network ready, while 2019 is about being device ready for 5G.
«From here on the timing on the rollout of 5G is dependent on the availability of the devices — handsets, tablets, and into the whole world of the Internet of Things,» he told media in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon.
The 5G smartphones will be offered in the first half of this year.
«This is the year of 5G, and as a world leader in the testing and development of 5G, we have been working closely with numerous global manufacturing and industry partners to make this revolutionary technology real-world ready,» Penn added.
«These strategic relationships are now paying off directly for our customers, who will soon have exclusive access to 5G-enabled devices… and other devices will also soon hit our stores.»
Telstra had in October announced launching the network across Canberra, Adelaide, and Perth after launching 13 sites in the Gold Coast, one in Toowoomba, and one in Brisbane.
