Paynesville, quickly followed by Bairnsdale, are two areas that have become some of the first regional Victorian towns to have access to Telstra’s 5G network.
Telstra regional general manager, Loretta Willaton, visited Bairnsdale to make the announcement yesterday.
“It’s really exciting Bairnsdale and Paynesville are the first places in Gippsland and indeed among the leading regional cities across the country to now have access to 5G connectivity,” Ms Willaton said.
“5G underpins what the future of technology holds for us. It works at speeds of 500 to 700 megabits a second so it’s lightning fast.
“Another benefit is that the work we’re doing building more capacity into the network also enhances the 4G network so customers will have better experiences and faster speeds.”
Telstra 5G is available across selected parts of Bairnsdale, Lucknow, Wy Yung, Eastwood, East Bairnsdale and Paynesville with further rollouts and upgrades to occur in the coming months to expand the 5G footprint.
Ms Willaton expects by mid-next year 75 per cent of the Australian population will have access to the network.
“Usually the big cities gain access first but it’s moved really quickly into regional areas,” she said.
“It’s exciting for the people who live and work in those areas because they need good quality telecommunications.”
To make use of the network, people need a 5G enabled handset and plan. President of the Bairnsdale Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jaime Savory, said 5G arriving in East Gippsland was great for small businesses.
“It gives small businesses a competitive edge based on speed of connectivity,” Ms Savory said.
“In the current climate of working remotely due to COVID-19, it’s even more important for small businesses to have quick, fast and reliable connectivity to ensure their businesses are not impacted further.”
East Gippsland Marketing Inc’s marketing manager, Hayley Hardy, said she was excited about 5G and being one of the first regions to have the technology.
“We are a region that is currently seeing growth in some areas of small business, and this technology will go a long way to helping business owners to conduct their business remotely. “It’s a big win for us,” Ms Hardy said.
Nationally, Telstra is switching on 60 sites a week.

IMAGE:
Telstra Bairnsdale licensee, Brendan Roylance, with East Gippsland Marketing Inc’s marketing manager, Hayley Hardy, and Telstra regional general manager, Loretta Willaton, were excited yesterday to announce the rollout of the 5G network locally. K429-41