Australia’s largest 5G network. With Telstra, you can experience  network with the most 5G coverage. Australia’s best 5G is now covering 50% of Australians.

A lot of 5G smartphones are also available on a Telstra plan. These include the Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, OPPO Reno 5G, Samsung Galaxy A90, and the LG V50 ThinQ.

On March 2, 2020, Telstra announced that it had completed world’s first 5G call over a packetized fronthaul network utilizing Cisco’s segment routing to improve network resiliency. This clearly shows that this mobile network service provider is not slowing down in its drive to bring the best in 5G network to its customers.

But has Telstra’s 5G brought only the best experience to their customers? Below we take a look at the pros and cons of the much-talked-about 5G network offered by Telstra.

The Pros

Low latency on the network

Low latency is the response time between giving a command and command processing on a network device. It is the time between when an instruction is transmitted and when it is processed on a device. The lower the latency, the higher the performance.

Telstra’s 5G network offers ultra-reliable low latency which reduces the lag significantly.

Support for new technologies

Telstra’s 5G network provides a platform to build on future innovations. That’s because it is designed to support them. 5G technology will enable technological innovations that require ultra-high capacity and low latency, which are what the 5G network offers.

5G will also make very many other big things in tech possible, including but not limited to the development of smart city infrastructures, autonomous driving, edge computing, and so many others. This increased network speeds will open doors for Internet of Things technology that is probably still just science fiction.

Faster speed

Telstra’s 5G network basically means faster mobile speed. This means faster downloads that take seconds rather than minutes, seamless live video streaming, and real time gaming. Telstra’s 5G network builds on the solid foundation of its 4G network with innovative technologies, greater access to bandwidth spectrum, and base station upgrade. This basically means that you can now download movies, music or any other downloadables faster than you have ever done before on Telstra’s 5G network

Increased bandwidth and more network capacity

Telstra’s 5G network means more spectrum bandwidth. This means less congestion on the network, which leads to better performance and faster data speeds. People will no longer feel like they are fighting for data with every other user when they enter into crowded places like airports and stadia.

With more bandwidth, users will also be able to do more with their smartphones, which makes them more versatile.

The Cons

Limited coverage

5G network generally requires more mobile phone towers to produce the immense amount of bandwidth required. This explains why the network is currently limited to just small areas in few cities. Mobile network providers (like Telstra) are commercial ventures that are in business to make money at the lowest possible costs, so they will first be expanding their 5G network to big cities and big population centres. Telstra’s 5G network is, however, already covering 32 cities and towns across Australia, which is the highest of any network.

Battery drain

Phones running a 5G network has a lower battery life than their 4G LTE and 3G counterparts. This arises from a battery drain occassioned by the more powerful 5G network, a situation that only a more improved battery technology can remedy.

Low building penetration

5G network signal will not travel far away from the tower like 4G. That’s because 5G waves only travel in the line of sight, which basically means that trees, buildings, and even human obstacles can block, disrupt or even absorb the high frequency of 5G network. This applies to Telstra’s 5G like it does to every other network.

Should I try Telstra’s 5G network?

Telstra already has the widest 5G network coverage in Australia, and has remained busy rolling out the network in more areas. This means you have the highest chances of enjoying faster downloads and every other pecks that come with a 5G network on the Telstra network.

The network also offers some 5G devices along with special Telstra 5G plans, with free trial avaialable till June. So, I see why you shouldn’t try the speed and responsiveness of Telstra’s 5G when you won’t even be paying a dime.