Optus and Samsung, have today advised that they will be bringing a dual mode version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini to Australia.
What is dual-mode? It’s in reference to the two types of LTE that are available – Time-Division Duplex LTE and Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) – FDD is the most commonly used technology in Australia and is being used by most of the carriers in Australia.
Optus are currently the only Mobile carrier in Australia to offer TDD-LTE, and then only in one market – Canberra. Customers in Canberra have had access to the Optus TDD-LTE Network since the 6th of June, but only through use of the Optus 4G Dual band USB dongle and WiFi modem. This announcement should see Optus 4G customers have access to the Optus 4G network Australia wide through the launch of these two devices.
On the subject of the dual mode LTE rollout in Australia, Rohan Ganeson, Managing Director Sales for Optus said
Optus has been a world leader in pioneering an integrated multi-band 4G network, including TDD-LTE technology, so that our customers enjoy more choice and a better 4G experience. We are proud to be the first telecommunications carrier in the world to support Samsung’s devices with seamless TDD/FDD-LTE handover technology on our network, giving quicker access to leading technology for those who choose Optus.
The Dual mode Galaxy S4 is set to arrive in September, while the Galaxy S4 Mini is due to be announced shortly. We are trying to clarify with Optus as to whether there will be anything done for existing Optus 4G handset owners in Canberra, who have already signed up with a handset that is incompatible with the LTE network there.
