Nokia and Vodafone announce low band 700Mhz 5G rollout in Australia

By Dan Oliver
last updated

Despite the high band 5G spectrum delivering headline speeds, low band spectrum is essential for markets where large distances need to be covered.

(Image credit: Future)

Nokia and Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) have announced the first deployment of low-band NR700Mhz spectrum in a field test environment in a 5G network in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.  

"Incorporating 700Mhz spectrum will complement our existing 5G network plans and help deliver the benefits of 5G speed, capacity and coverage.”

Iñaki Berroeta, Vodafone.

“We are proud to be showcasing this innovative use of the lowest band spectrum available in Australia with the first live test deployment of 5G on low-band 700Mhz spectrum in our region,” said Iñaki Berroeta, Chief Executive Officer at Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA). “Our partnership with Nokia has enabled us to deliver an innovative solution with our customers’ experience front of mind. Incorporating 700Mhz spectrum will complement our existing 5G network plans and help deliver the benefits of 5G speed, capacity and coverage.” 

Hundreds of miles of coverage

A single low band (600-700MHz) spectrum tower can cover hundreds of square miles with a 5G service (unlike mmWave, which only covers shorter distances), with speeds from 30 to 250 megabits per second (Mbps), and they help support 3.5Ghz 5G rollout. Benefits include:

  • The 700MHz spectrum has a large coverage area
  • The 700MHz spectrum has good outdoor-to-indoor penetration
  • Low band spectrum supports massive machine type communication (mMTC)
  • Only moderate investment is required (on top of existing 800/900 MHz grids)

The solution utilizes Nokia’s AirScale range and is being tested on some of VHA’s 5G sites in and around Parramatta, in Western Sydney. The 700Mhz spectrum will be rolled out to selected areas as part of VHA’s 5G rollout. And Nokia and Vodafone experts will repurpose the 700MHz spectrum to 5G 700Mhz enabling the delivery of new 5G services, whilst maintaining 4G performance.

“We have worked closely with Vodafone Hutchison Australia to achieve this important milestone,” said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia. “This demonstrates Nokia’s continued commitment to delivering innovative services across our 5G portfolio, while meeting Vodafone’s requirement for widespread 5G coverage. We look forward to continuing this incredible partnership moving forward.” 






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(Image credit: Future)
Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver

Dan is a British journalist with 20 years of experience in the design and tech sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell and The Sunday Times. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.