Mobile University  |
Mobile Frequencies Used in Australia In Australia the frequency bands used for mobile phone communication are governed by the ACMA and influenced by worldwide standards. The frequency bands are auctioned off to the carriers, each getting an allocated frequency range within a particular band. In Australia the current mobile frequency bands can be broken into 800, 900, 1800 and 2100Mhz. From the early years GSM was on the 900/1800 band, with 3G later being introduced on the 2100 band. As the demand for mobile internet and coverage increased the carriers introduced 3G on the 850 and 900 bands. With the recent introduction of 4G the carriers are turning off their GSM 1800 service and using the space to operate a 4G service. In May 2013 the ACMA auctioned off the new 700 Mhz and 2.5 Hz bands that will eventually be used for 4G services. Licences will not be issued until the beginning of 2015. The carriers have chosen to utilise the lower frequency such as 700, 800 and 900 for their primary bands because they offer much better range and building penetration than the higher bands. As a result you will find that these lower bands are widely used in country areas. The higher 1800/2100 bands are very useful to the carriers in highly populated areas due to the increased user capacity that they offer.
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