Optus plans to deploy Ericsson’s multi-operator Radio Dot System across Australia to improve indoor 5G coverage, following a trial at the operator’s laboratory. Optus will begin rolling out the Radio Dot System at various venues in New South Wales and use the equipment as an overlay in locations where the operator has deployed legacy equipment to boost capacity. The multi-operator equipment provides 5G coverage in indoor environments and is compatible with all Australian operators’ 3.5GHz spectrum, enabling them to share overall network costs.
Indoor solutions are becoming increasingly relevant, as 70–80% of mobile data traffic is generated indoors. The use of 5G’s higher frequency bands can bring new challenges, impacting both network operations and customer satisfaction. These indoor solutions can help operators overcome indoor coverage gaps in a quickly changing environment with high data demand and complement existing outdoor solutions. Additionally, the new service will play an important role in Optus’s B2B strategy: using the Radio Dots, enterprise customers across multiple venues can deliver high-capacity 5G services.