Today we previewed the future of mobile connectivity in Australia at an event with our technology partners Qualcomm, Netgear and Ericsson.

We showcased the incredible customer experience a gigabit class LTE mobile device and network can deliver. A decade ago gigabit-class speeds on mobile networks could scarcely be imagined. From next month they become reality when we introduce the Telstra Nighthawk M1 mobile broadband hotspot which is the fastest mobile device in the world. It’s going help people further embrace a new breed of mobile applications and experiences including immersive virtual reality, connected cloud computing and rich entertainment. And it brings us one step closer to introducing 5G in Australia.

With Nighthawk M1, customers in select Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane CBD locations can:

Download a typical 3.5MB song in a fraction of a second

Download a 20MB PowerPoint presentation in as little as one second

Download a 300MB one hour TV episode in as little as sixteen seconds

Download a 3GB HD Movie in as little as 3 minutes

Not only is this hotspot pushing mobile broadband technology to the limit in terms of speed, but it’s also pushing the envelope when it comes to features.

To cater to our customer’s evolving needs, the Telstra Nighthawk M1 can charge smartphones on the go and doubles as a media server for watching movies or storing large files.

It will be a boon for our business customers too who demand office-like bandwidth on the go to power increasingly mobile workforces and sophisticated cloud-based applications.

Here’s an example of one of our customers, Ray Nielson from Enviropacific Services talking about how the Telstra Nighthawk M1 is mobilising his business and improving the way he works:

This device will be available next month to new and existing customers for $360RRP outright upfront or on a range of plans.

We will look to make gigabit LTE technology available on more devices, including smartphones, this year.