Telstra Partners with Ericsson to Deploy AIR 3284, the First 5G Triple-Band Radio Revolutionizing Network Capacity

Telstra Partners with Ericsson to Deploy AIR 3284, the First 5G Triple-Band Radio Revolutionizing Network Capacity

(IN BRIEF) Ericsson and Telstra have jointly launched the AIR 3284, the world’s first 5G triple-band FDD Massive MIMO radio, a key part of Telstra’s four-year network transformation. This revolutionary radio enhances network capacity, coverage, and performance, providing crucial benefits for both urban and regional areas. The AIR 3284 supports up to three times more uplink capacity and significantly improves network efficiency with smarter beamforming. For customers, this means faster speeds and better network experience, while enterprises benefit from reliable infrastructure for next-gen services. This deployment is integral to Telstra’s strategy for 5G Advanced, driven by Ericsson’s innovative technology.

(PRESS RELEASE) STOCKHOLM, 3-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Ericsson and Telstra Achieve Landmark 5G Milestone with Deployment of the AIR 3284 Triple-Band FDD Massive MIMO Radio

Ericsson and Telstra have made a groundbreaking announcement with the commercial rollout of the AIR 3284, the world’s first 5G triple-band Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) Massive MIMO radio. This innovative technology will be a cornerstone in Telstra’s four-year network transformation, offering significant advancements in coverage, capacity, and performance, crucial for the next phase of 5G development.

Massive MIMO technology plays a pivotal role in managing finite spectrum resources in high-performance programmable networks. By leveraging this technology, the AIR 3284 enhances capacity, expands coverage, and elevates beamforming capabilities in the mid-band FDD spectrum—long recognized as ideal for balancing broad coverage and high performance.

Ludvig Landgren, Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, highlighted the milestone: “This deployment is monumental not only for Telstra but for the broader telecommunications industry. The AIR 3284 marks the first-ever integration of all three critical FDD bands into a single radio, enhancing capacity and efficiency to support Australia’s evolving 5G needs. This collaboration is integral to Telstra’s mobile network transformation, with a focus on creating a high-performing, programmable network ready for 5G Advanced and beyond. The integration of Massive MIMO across three key FDD bands sets a new benchmark in speed, experience, and network intelligence for Telstra customers.”

Introducing the Ericsson AIR 3284: A Revolutionary Innovation

The Ericsson AIR 3284 is a game-changing radio, delivering up to twice the downlink capacity and up to three times more uplink capacity, which is crucial for applications such as social media, live streaming, fixed wireless access (FWA), extended reality (XR), and enterprise cloud services. The radio also brings smarter beamforming, improving signal quality and boosting performance at the cell edge.

One of its key benefits is the enhancement of Telstra’s regional network, alleviating congestion at low-band sites and expanding the capacity of the mid-band TDD spectrum, which serves as the backbone for 5G capacity in Australia. The AIR 3284’s integration significantly improves the overall network performance, with a broader impact across all bands, ensuring superior service quality for Telstra users nationwide.

Elevating the Customer and Enterprise Experience

For Telstra’s customers, the introduction of the AIR 3284 translates into faster speeds, enhanced streaming, better indoor coverage, and an overall improved network experience—even in areas with traditionally weaker signals. Uplink performance, a critical component for user-generated content and immersive technologies, is dramatically boosted, providing more reliable real-time applications.

For enterprises, the AIR 3284 ensures infrastructure readiness to support next-generation services such as remote operations, smart factories, connected vehicles, and mission-critical IoT applications, offering greater scalability and reliability.

Ash Hunter, Telstra’s Acting Executive of Wireless Engineering, commented: “The AIR 3284 represents a new level of performance across our network. Whether for business-critical applications, gaming, uploading content, or everyday calls, Telstra customers will experience noticeable improvements. This radio is a key element of our four-year transformation plan and underscores our commitment to enhancing Australia’s leading network, both now and in the future.”

Transforming Telstra’s Mobile Network

Telstra’s extensive partnership with Ericsson will drive the transformation of the mobile network over the next four years, with the AIR 3284 forming a foundational pillar in this evolution. By combining Telstra’s significant spectrum holdings—50MHz in Band 7 (2600MHz), along with additional spectrum in Bands 1 (2100MHz) and 3 (1800MHz)—with Massive MIMO, the AIR 3284 substantially increases network throughput and coverage across both urban and regional areas. Early deployments are already underway in Brisbane suburbs, with plans for expansion to Melbourne and beyond as field trials confirm the radio’s performance and energy efficiency gains.

Why the Ericsson AIR 3284 is Important:

• Globally Unique: The only commercial 5G radio to combine the 1800MHz, 2100MHz, and 2600MHz bands with Massive MIMO capabilities.
• Network Transformation in Action: A core element of Telstra’s strategy to deliver 5G Advanced and more intelligent, programmable networks.
• Smarter Beam Control: Real-time signal steering enhances the customer experience by minimizing interference and optimizing coverage.

Spectrum Synergy: Maximizes the efficiency of Telstra’s existing spectrum assets, ensuring faster and more reliable service across Australia.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Ericsson and Telstra pioneer the first programmable network in Asia-Pacific

Ericsson Massive MIMO radios

5G Radio FDD – Network boost with Massive MIMO – Ericsson

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