Australia’s 5G network is getting an AI overhaul, as Telstra lays the groundwork for a future 6G network.
Text messages will also soon work in every corner of the country, thanks to deals with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Armed with a four-year plan and $800 million to spend, Telstra is upgrading the brain within every one of its mobile towers.
“We’re going to make our 5G network the most advanced and the most resilient in the country,” Channa Seneviratne, Telstra technology engagement advancement executive, said.
The telco claims speeds will improve first, and soon after, artificial intelligence will follow, which will help Telstra predict and improve connections for customers when they need it, and lay the foundation for the arrival of 6G.
“Just like 4G got better over time, 5G will get better, faster, more efficient. So we can expect better things from the existing networks as it prepares for what’s to come.” technology expert Trevor Long said.
A 6G network isn’t expected to be rolled out until about 2030.
How fast it will be and the standard it has to meet is still being discussed by world leaders.
“In planning for the future, the government will draw on lessons from the experience of the 3G switchover,” federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said.
“The government and industry will continue to work collaboratively to protect the public interest.”
“You’ll see robots talking to other robots and vehicles talking to wearables. It’s going to be massive,” Seneviratne said.
The good news is, you won’t have to wait for 6G to send a text from any corner of Australia.
Right now, there’s a big blackspot in the middle of the country.
But telcos are already signing deals with satellite companies like Starlink so you can make a call or get an SMS from anywhere you can see the sky.
“We will see, probably within two years, satellite communication working on our phones anywhere in Australia – and that’s the big next step,” Long said.
“That’s a game-changer, and this is all part of that future investment,” Seneviratne said.
