Optus announces consumer launch of LTE in Sydney, Perth and Newcastle
Optus has announced the commercial launch of 4G services for residential subscribers. The operator revealing that its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network is now available to customers in Sydney, Perth and Newcastle. Further, it has also confirmed that it expects to expand its LTE footprint to Melbourne from 15 September 2012.
To coincide with the commercial launch of the 4G network, Optus has also revealed that it will be the first Australian mobile network operator to offer the 4G version of Samsung’s popular Galaxy SIII handset. Pre-orders for the device have been opened from 4th September, with delivery to customers expected from 20 September 2012. In the meantime, customers are able to purchase either a 4G-enabled USB or Wi-Fi modem from the operator to connect to its LTE network.
Kevin Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Australia at Optus said “Optus is launching 4G services with significant coverage across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Newcastle and this marks the beginning of Optus’ national 4G network rollout … We’re excited about the new opportunities that 4G will provide for Optus customers.”