Australian telecommunication company Optus is claiming that it has made the world's first 5G data call by making use of a 2300MHz spectrum.

Optus conducted the test in Sydney with Ericsson kit. According to the company, it is the only Australian telecommunications firm with shares in the 2300MHz and 3500MHz spectrum bands.

Optus network managing director Dennis Wong said: “With its lowest frequency, the 2300MHz spectrum band, in the future, will finally offer our customers even higher speeds, as well as provide greater depth of coverage that will allow even more customers to benefit from 5G services.” Optus was looking to activate its 2300MHz spectrum "sometime" in 2020, Wong added.

In its latest Mobility Report, published last month, Ericsson predicted that global 5G subscriptions will exceed 2.6 billion within the next six years. By this time, 5G will cover 65% of the world. The firm also believes that total mobile subscriptions, including to previous generation networks, will reach 8.9bn from 8bn over the next six years. Current average monthly data-traffic-per-smartphone is expected to increase from around 7.2GB today to 24GB in the same timeframe. Over a quarter of the worldwide subscriptions will be 5G by 2025 and will account for around 45% of global mobile data traffic.

A Deloitte survey published last week argued that two in three consumers are more likely to buy a new phone once 5G-compatible devices are available. The survey also found that 16% of consumers who are using smartphones said that 5G capabilities will be the most crucial factor when they choose their next phone. While 26% chose display quality as their top preference, 22% opted for brand.

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