Telstra's 5G network now covers 91% of the population

Telstra today announced that its 5G network now covers around 91% of the population, as part of its half-year results. The telco previously said the network covered 89% of the population.

Telstra expects its 5G network to cover 95% of the population by the end of June. Telstra's full network footprint spans 99.7% of the population currently.

For comparison, Optus says its 5G network covers 80.5% of the population. Vodafone is a bit cagier, and says its coverage is available in over 3,400 suburbs across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, the Gold Coast, the Central Coast, Wollongong, and the Sunshine Coast. Vodafone hasn't made a claim as to how much of the population its 5G network covers.

Telstra also noted that 60% of its mobile traffic is now on its 5G network, as of December last year. This is below expectations however; the telco was forecasting that this figure would be 80% by now.

Telstra's coverage update follows an announcement at the start of the year detailing a partnership with SpaceX. Telstra will test technology that will allow customers to send messages via Starlink satellites when they don't have mobile coverage.

Starlink's next-generation satellites are able to broadcast mobile spectrum, which means existing phones can connect to them without the need for any special equipment. A clear view of the sky is necessary, however.

There's no timeline for when this feature will launch.

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