Telstra launches commercial nationwide LTE-M network

Telstra’s 3G and 4G coverage combined reaches 99.4% of the Australian population and covers 2.4 million square kilometres of the Australian landmass.

Telstra has activated its LTE-M capability across its entire 4GX coverage footprint, becoming the first telecommunications provider in Australia to offer the technology and accelerating the growth of Australia’s IoT ecosystem.

The activation of LTE-M has enabled a coverage footprint of around three million square kilometres for compatible LTE-M devices – easily the largest in Australia and one of the largest in the world.

Telstra’s IoT network is unmatched in Australia and is set up to support any IoT solution. This LTE-M activation is an example of our readiness for the next phase of consumer and enterprise demands.

In addition to coverage benefits LTE-M devices offer battery life in years and significantly reduced module costs. The technology is ideally suited to use cases that require lower speed data and require long use-life devices to be deployed at low cost in vast numbers, such as for vehicle telematics, consumer and healthcare wearables, and smart electricity metering. These low power, low cost and long battery life LTE-M devices are likely to significantly reduce upfront investment, making any IoT deployment, small or large, more accessible.

Industry in regional and rural Australia are likely to benefit most from this technology and extensive coverage. Telstra’s LTE-M technology offers coverage in densely populated cities and regional areas making mass deployment fast and asset tracking possible. It makes connection in even the most challenging locations such as in-building and underground, more feasible with a LTE-M device.