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This table shows the growth of the Telstra 5G network across Australia, starting in May 2019:
| # Telstra 5G Sites | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | May-19 | Aug-19 | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 | Jan-20 | Feb-20 | Mar-20 | Nov-20 | Mar-21 | May-21 |
| Adelaide | 46 | 47 | 57 | 60 | 67 | 73 | 73 | 118 | 118 | 335 | 340 | 340 |
| Brisbane | 63 | 115 | 121 | 130 | 131 | 139 | 139 | 172 | 181 | 525 | 535 | 538 |
| Canberra | 38 | 38 | 41 | 44 | 45 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 110 | 122 | 123 |
| Gold Coast | 54 | 62 | 66 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 83 | 83 | 120 | 125 | 127 |
| Hobart | 16 | 21 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 44 | 47 | 47 |
| Launceston | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 47 | 47 | 47 |
| Melbourne | 52 | 52 | 95 | 200 | 370 | 387 | 409 | 435 | 481 | 999 | 1,026 | 1,035 |
| Perth | 43 | 49 | 67 | 70 | 85 | 92 | 92 | 106 | 106 | 326 | 348 | 352 |
| Sydney | 64 | 75 | 85 | 138 | 238 | 256 | 270 | 300 | 347 | 1,085 | 1,078 | 1,153 |
| Toowoomba | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
| Other | - | 35 | 73 | 112 | 133 | 139 | 139 | 140 | 142 | 569 | 624 | 599 |
| TOTAL | 408 | 528 | 675 | 897 | 1,214 | 1,278 | 1,314 | 1,475 | 1,579 | 4,191 | 4,323 | 4,391 |
You can see Telstra or Optus 5G sites, Telstra IoT and more at Australia Cellular Services.
Look here for the most recent 5G statistics.
Australia and Canada have many similarities. One area where they differ is 5G wireless deployment, where Telstra & Optus, Australia's largest carriers, operate 4X more 5G sites than Canada, on a more capacious 3,500MHz band.
But, does this put Canada at a disadvantage? Yes and no — but not how you might think. As Huwaei's chairman said, there is currently no material difference between 4G and 5G technology. Industry and government excitement around 5G is not a sign of its utility — there are few business cases for 5G that cannot be served by an optimized 4G network.
Canada is behind — not in technology — but in plan value. Australia's plans (see right) offer much higher caps at lower prices. Canada's wireless networks are like a tuned Ferrari — with a 1 liter fuel tank.
| Carrier | CAD | Capacity | $ / GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optus | $64 | 500 GB | $0.13 |
| Telstra | $64 | 180 GB | $0.36 |
| Rogers | $175 | 100 GB | $1.75 |
| Telus | $100 | 50 GB | $2.00 |
| Bell | $125 | 50 GB | $2.50 |
| Videotron | $75 | 32 GB | $2.34 |
| Freedom | $90 | 30 GB | $3.00 |
| SaskTel | $120 | 35 GB | $3.43 |
Rogers operates 1,062 5G sites in the 600MHz band, and 575 5G sites in the 2500MHz band. This brings Rogers' total to 1,447 5G sites. (Some 5G sites use both 600 and 2500MHz bands.)
Rogers invested heavily in the 600MHz auction receiving licenses that can serve 35 of Canada's 38 million population. Freedom, Telus and Videotron invested less, receiving licenses that can serve 22, 20 and 10 million, respectively.
| # Rogers 5G Sites | ||
|---|---|---|
| Province | 600Mhz | 2500Mhz |
| Alberta | 241 | - |
| British Columbia | 304 | 150 |
| New Brunswick | 18 | - |
| Ontario | 321 | 270 |
| Quebec | 114 | 155 |
| Saskatchewan | 64 | - |
| TOTAL SITES | 1,062 | 575 |
The 600MHz band has seven paired 5Mhz blocks, labeled A - G. (See band plan below, which is identical to that used by the FCC). Rogers uses blocks A through D allocated as follows:
| Blocks (Downlink | Bandwidth | # |
|---|---|---|
| and Uplink) | (MHz) | Channels |
| A, B | 10 | 2,282 |
| A, B, C, D | 20 | 880 |
| TOTAL CHANNELS | 3,162 | |
