The Exciting Advance of 5G in Australia

While 2020 has consisted mainly of uncertainty and bad news, the 5G rollout in Australia has progressed and promises an exciting future. The new technology will provide mobile users with greater data speed, lower latency for increased responsiveness, and an ability to have more devices connected at once.

To date, the rollout has featured the initial establishment of 5G with antennae installed in city centres, along transport corridors, and at airports. The next deployment phase will see 5G technology rolled out in suburban areas, which introduces new and exciting opportunities for Altec customers. This phase of the rollout is expected to happen in the first half of 2021 and will involve installing small 5G antennae on existing electricity infrastructure, namely line poles. Given the nature of this work, we expect to see an increased demand for insulated units that will allow companies to conduct telecoms work around powerlines. Deploying antennae will also require material handling capabilities, which Altec offers on a number of our EWPs.

Altec Australia’s close association with our US-based parent company allows us to leverage their experience from the 5G rollout already underway in that country. In the US, Altec customers in the electrical works sector are now branching into telecoms work, and telecoms contractors are performing work traditionally completed by electrical contractors. We expect the Australian market to follow the same trend and are well-positioned to anticipate and meet our customers’ requirements.

5G deployment will require agile units with a small footprint to keep traffic disruption to a minimum. The Altec AT37G with a working height of 13 metres is perfect for pole top work, and with optional spring lockouts, it can be deployed and moved around swiftly to increase work efficiency. If a new line pole needs to be installed, our pole borers allow operators to dig holes and set poles. Altec’s D4050B pole borer offers a sheave height of 15.1 metres while the track-mounted DR42B offers a 12.9-metre sheave height and the ability to drive off-road to access hard-to-reach areas.

Altec Australia offers new, used, and rental solutions for all of your EWP and pole borer needs. To learn more about Altec’s products and services to support 5G rollout, call 1300 1 ALTEC or contact an Altec representative online.