Telstra strikes 5G edge deal with Cradlepoint

New Telstra 5G for Business product combines cellular modem and edge router

Credit: ID 135795417 © Nasir1164 Dreamstime.com

Telstra will work with US company Cradlepoint to develop a ‘5G for Business’ offering that integrates with a 5G cellular modem and an edge router.

Telstra said it would use Cradlepoint’s NetCloud wireless WAN management platform.

“5G internet broadband for business customers of all sizes represents a significant opportunity for Telstra,” Andrew Stormont, Telstra product and service design executive, said in a statement.

“We know that the networking needs of our small-to-medium business and enterprise customers are very different from consumers’, which has played a key role in our decision to partner with Cradlepoint for a ‘5G for Business’ solution.”

“Telstra’s aim is to deliver Australians with the best 5G available, and we are always testing, evaluating and implementing the latest emerging wireless ecosystem technologies,” Stormont said. “We’re proud to be leading the way in our deployment of this technology, for both consumers and enterprise.”

Andrew Volard, Cradlepoint’s executive director, carrier business development, APAC, said that 5G for Business “will modernise private WAN and internet access for business customers across the country”.

Telstra and Cradlepoint announced the partnership at MWC Americas.

Telstra has pushed edge computing as an early business use case for 5G technology. The telco in early 2019 revealed it was working with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Ericsson on using the new cellular standard to connect branches as part of a trial. Using 5G could slash the infrastructure footprint of CBA branches.

Telstra began offering support for 5G in a limited number of locations earlier this year. The telco already offers some 5G coverage in 10 cities, with the company planning to expand that to around 35 cities in 2020.

Currently the company’s support for the technology is based on the Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G NR standard, which essentially involves grafting 5G on to Telstra’s well-established 4G LTE network. Currently LTE still provides certain functions such as call origination for 5G devices.

However, the company in July announced it had made an end-to-end 5G Standalone call.

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Tags TelstraTelecommunications5G

More about APACAustraliaCommonwealth BankCommonwealth Bank of AustraliaCradlepointNSA

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