SingTel's Optus unveiled Australia's first multi-band 4G network

It'll cover 70% of Australia's metropolitan.

In a release, Optus today announced the launch of its TD-LTE network in Canberra, with a customer trial of the first TDLTE compatible product, the Optus 4G Dual band dongle and WiFi modem.

Currently, 4G networks in Australia run on FD-LTE, which uses two separate frequency channels, one for data traveling in each direction. TD-LTE is a new flavour of 4G technology, where the upload and download of data happens on the same frequency, but at different times.

“Optus’ customers will start to enjoy the next generation of 4G with the pilot stage of our 4G TD-LTE network kicking off in Canberra,” Mr Mr Günther Ottendorfer, Managing Director of Optus Networks, said.

Andrew Smith, Optus’ Vice President of Mobile Engineering team, outlined the network strategy for the coming year.

“Optus will be the first Australian carrier to take its network to the next level with a combined TD/FD-LTE 4G network. Our aim is to expand coverage for both types of 4G in the coming year to reach over 70 per cent of the metro population by mid-2014,” Mr Smith said.

“As part of our national rollout this coming year, many new mobile sites and upgrades across metro locations will have the combined 4G technologies of TD-LTE and FD-LTE , allowing customers with compatible devices access to Optus’ superfast 4G in more places,” Mr Smith said.

The combined 4G TD 2300 MHz/FD-LTE 1800 MHz networks referred to as Optus’ 4G Dual Band Network will be available to customers using 4G Dual Band Devices, with the first of those devices, mobile broadband modems, available from early June.