The carrier said customers are expected to use as much mobile data in 2013 as they did in the past two years combined, with more than half of Australian’s now owning a smartphone and 71% watching video content on their device.
“We need to cater for the extraordinary growth in demand for mobile services – today and into the future – to make sure Telstra and our customers remain at the forefront of mobile connectivity,” said Brendon Riley, COO at Telstra.
Telstra plans to trial and introduce LTE-Advanced technology across the country later this year in areas with high demand and is also adding 900MHz spectrum to its 4G network to improve signal strength and depth.
The LTE Advanced technology will use both 900MHz and 1800MHz bands together, unlocking more capacity for mobile use.
Telstra also said it is trialling small cell networks to expand network capacity in dense population areas like city centres and stadiums.
Ericsson is undertaking the work as the sole supplier for Telstra’s LTE roll-out.
