Introduction
LTE has quickly gone from a pipedream to an everyday feature in Australia.
The technology has now involved to include LTE-Advance, TD-LTE and carrier aggregation, with trials for LTE-Broadcast and in-flight 4G use also being conducted.
But what exactly is 4G? How do you get it? How is it different between networks? And what is ahead of us? This is TechRadar's ultimate guide to 4G in Australia.
What is 4G?
Simply put, 4G stands for 4th generation. It's the fourth major technology in mobile telecommunications and delivers faster data speeds than the 3G technologies.
Confusingly, 4G can refer to two different technologies - WiMax and LTE. In Australia though, it's almost exclusively used to refer to LTE, or what's known as Long Term Evolution.
Australia did have a WiMax operator in the form of Vividwireless, right up until the point they were bought out by Optus in early 2012. Optus is now using the spectrum gained through the acquisition to enhance its own LTE network, meaning that WiMax is, for all intends and purposes, obsolete in Australia.
Like previous generations of mobile technology 4G LTE works across a number of different frequencies depending on where you are in the world. In Australia, the current LTE networks use the 1800MHz spectrum.
That said, Optus has also rolled a 2300MHz network in Canberra, while both Telstra and Optus will be launching services on the 700MHz in 2015 thanks to wins in the digital dividend auction.
When Apple launched the iPad3 and claimed it offered 4G, it was only available on the 700MHz and 2100MHz spectrums. Because no Australian carrier offers those frequencies for LTE, the ACCC took Apple to task, forcing them to change the name to "Wi-Fi + Cellular".
The good news is that Apple learnt its lesson from the experience, with subsequent launches supporting available LTE spectrum in Australia.
Interestingly, however, neither the iPhone 5S or 5C support the 700MHz spectrum band, which could prove a bit difficult for those stuck in a 24-month Telstra and Optus plan, as you will likely not benefit from the new spectrum band being switched on.
Telstra 4G
Australia's largest telco was the first to jump on the LTE train, launching its first services in October 2011.
Initially only available to customers who purchased 4G dongles on 24 month contracts, the network immediately impressed pundits across the country for its speed.
At launch, the Telstra LTE network used the 1800MHz spectrum. Previously, this network was used to transmit 2G services, but with the rise of 3G-enabled devices, demand for 2G dropped enough that Telstra was able to repurpose the network for 4G.
That said, early last year Telstra announced it would expand its LTE network using the 900MHz frequency for greater regional coverage.
Telstra claims its LTE network delivers download speeds between 2Mbps and 40Mbps, while upload speeds between 1Mbps and 10Mbps. In the real world, those lofty numbers will elude you, although we've regularly experienced speeds upwards of 20Mbps.
In Perth, where Telstra has access to a bit more spectrum, Telstra rolled out 20MHz services that promised even faster speeds for late 2013.
Speaking of coverage, Telstra makes a big deal out of the fact its LTE network already hit its target of about 85 per cent by Christmas 2013.
Telstra also had Australia's first Category 4 (Cat 4) LTE device available from mid-2013. Currently, Telstra has Cat 4 LTE networks in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, with plans to expand it to the rest of Australia.
Also known as LTE-Advanced, Cat 4 LTE can theoretically push download speed up to 150Mbps. Telstra has also trialed LTE-A carrier aggregation, mixing three 20MHz channels used on 1800MHz and 2600MHz bands to reach 450Mbps speeds.
Telstra has big plans for 4G network developed, with the company trialing Skinet for in-flight LTE data use, as well as LTE-Broadcast, which the telco hopes will help reduce network congestion by streaming the same data content to multiple devices at the same or differing times, similar to a TV broadcast.
That said, Telstra isn't looking to retire NextG just yet, the the HSPA+ network still delivering high speed services to 99 per cent of the population.
Getting connected
Telstra offers a couple of dongle options for connecting PCs and wireless devices to its 4G network. There's a USB dongle, and a wireless dongle, which takes the LTE signal and converts it to a wireless hotspot for multiple devices to connect to.
Telstra also has a new Wi-Fi 4G dongle with 700MHz spectrum support.
On the smartphone side, Telstra offers a large collection of 4G-enabled handsets to purchase on a contract or outright.
In addition to the much-publicised iPhone 5S, Telstra also sells the Samsung Galaxy S5, the HTC One M8 and the Sony Xperia Z2 among other popular 4G phones. We've compiled a list of our top five Telstra handsets.
Optus 4G
It was only in early September of 2012 that Optus officially opened its LTE network for business, despite months of trials earlier in the year.
The footprint of Optus' 4G network at launch was significantly smaller than Telstra's, only available in Sydney, Perth and Newcastle. Two weeks later, Optus added Melbourne to that list, before later expanding to Brisbane, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.
Since then, the network has continued to expand, with Optus planning to reach 90% the population by the end of 2014.
Optus shifted slightly in its LTE network technology last year with the launch of 4G Plus, which uses TD-LTE and promises theoretical speeds of over 200Mbps and practical download speeds between 25Mbps and 87Mbps, though Optus did reach 500Mbps during a trial.
While Telstra and Vodafone have FD-LTE networks, which uses two separate frequency channels for uploads and downloads, TD-LTE is a variation in that it uses the same frequency for uploads and downloads, but does each at separate times.
Optus plans to expand both its FD-LTE and TD-LTE network. It has been trialing the 2600MHz band for launch later this year, while also prepping its allotment of the 700MHz spectrum band early in 2015.
Using Optus 4G
Optus has been able to boast a big advantage over its competitors with the extra spectrum it acquired as part of Vividwireless.
The acquisition has enabled Optus to build it's 4G Plus TD-LTE network with the 2.3GHz spectrum alongside the 1800Mhz spectrum, but this does require dual-band devices.
Many dual band phones are hitting the market now, allowing users to enjoy Optus' network better. These include the Samsung range - Galaxy S5, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 3 - as well as the HTC One M8 and LG G2.
For FD-LTE support, you of course have the the popular iPhone 5S and Sony Xperia Z2. You can check out our list of the top five Optus handsets.
Other than that, it's just a USB or wireless dongle for connecting your computing devices to the network, and the telco does have a range of dual-band hotspots available.
Thankfully more and more devices are coming with dual-band support, including smartphones, dongles and hotpots
Vodafone 4G
It's been a rough couple of years for Vodafone, but the mobile operator has been working hard to turn things around, beginning with the launch of its 4G network mid 2013, and the introduction of its competitive Red plans.
Late to the 4G party, Vodafone had kept quiet on its plans for 4G for a long time, even going so far as to say it was waiting for the right time to launch the network despite rolling out 4G equipment to its network towers since the start of 2011.
Vodafone then began progressively rolling out its LTE network across the capital cities and major metropolitan centres from June 2013 for existing customers, before making 4G accessible to to new customers from July 2013.
Cat 4 LTE is also supported on Vodafone's network, and the network was quick to nab the Cat 4-enabled Galaxy S4 model for its customers in October 2013.
Like Telstra and Optus, Vodafone is using the 1800MHz spectrum for its LTE network. The advantage of this frequency for Vodafone is that it has a lot of it, courtesy of its merger with Hutchison's Three network in 2009.
Unlike Telstra and Optus, it didn't participate in the digital dividend auction, so it will likely continue to rely heavily on the 1800MHz spectrum.
Contiguous for the win
Late last year, Vodafone was boasting to have the fastest 4G network on the Australian market, though the telco admitted that this likely wouldn't last because, as it was the last to launch its LTE network, it didn't have as big a load and congestion on its network yet.
In terms of devices, like Telstra and Optus, it has all the big names of the past year on its roster - iPhone 5S, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, LG G2and the Sony Xperia Z2. But unlike its competitors, Vodafone handset prices are in most cases the lowest of the three telcos.
Vodafone also offers pocket dongles and USB Wi-Fi hostpots, including those with LTE Cat-4 support.
As part of its Roam Like Home offer for those on the Red plans, Vodafone will switch on global 4G roaming in NZ, the UK and Europe for Aussie customers.
Virgin, Vaya and more
Richard Branson's Australian mobile network, Virgin Mobile, also offers 4G services. Because Virgin Mobile just packages up Optus's network and sticks its own plans over the top, it is naturally limited to Optus' network coverage map.
Similarly, iiNet launched mobile broadband plans using the Optus wholesale 4G network in 2012. iiNet expanded its 4G offering to include mobile phone plans mid last year, as well as launching a new mobile mobile broadband dongle and a 4G hotspot in May 2014.
While the MVNO market is dwindling, there are those that do have 4G services. Vaya offers 4G plans using Optus' network, while Exetel made headlines early 2013 by charging a 4G premium.
Amaysim has confirmed it will launch 4G plans at some stage, most likely in 2014, though the company won't confirm a date.
The 700MHz Digital Dividend spectrum and beyond 4G
In April 2013, the government auctioned off a chunk of spectrum from the 700MHz and the 2500MHz frequency ranges, set to become available in 2015 after the final switch off of the Australian analogue television network which occurred in December 2013.
Wireless spectrum is pretty hard to come by, so there was plenty of interest in this, especially from telcos looking to beef up their LTE networks.
The Digital Dividend spectrum, as it is known, offers the mobile carriers a vehicle in which they can expand and evolve their current wireless offerings, and also keep up with the rapid consumption of data that having a 4G network provides.
Making sure there's enough bandwidth for customers is one of the biggest challenges faced by mobile network operators with data usage growth continuing rapidly, and this extra spectrum will go a long way to solving those problems.
There were three big winners in the Digital Dividend auction. Telstra and Optus both bought up big, while ISP TPG also had a dabble, picking up 20MHz of spectrum in the 2.5Ghz range.
Optus and Telstra will be folding the spectrum they won into their 4G networks, for better coverage and a way to help offload any congestion.
Telstra is also looking to supplement its 4G network with a national Wi-Fi network, which the telco hopes will also help offload heavy (and stationary) mobile data users off of its 4G network onto a more stable Wi-Fi connection where available.
But while 4G tech is still evolving and developing, 5G technology is already being spoken about - though what it will exactly be is still up in the air.
Telstra CTO Dr Hugh Bradlow has given a bit of insight, however, saying that work has already start on a 5G standard, which may end up being a network that brings together the many different types of networks that are available today, including 4G, the Internet of Things, emergency service networks.