Optus and Nokia have completed a 6G research trial in Australia, reaching peak download speeds of 3.5 Gbps on a smartphone using 200 MHz of upper 6 GHz spectrum. The trial ran at an existing Optus site in Sydney alongside a live 5G network, using a MediaTek-powered test device and Nokia's 6 GHz massive MIMO antenna.
The companies said the capacity could support more than 140 simultaneous 4K video streams, or download a two-hour HD movie in seconds. The upper 6 GHz band also delivered an outdoor coverage footprint similar to Optus' existing 3.5 GHz 5G network, suggesting future 6G services could reuse much of today's infrastructure. Australia, like the UK, plans a hybrid model in which mobile and Wi-Fi share the band.
The trial's most unusual element: in what the companies call a world-first demonstration, an AI-powered robotic dog trotted through buildings to measure indoor mobile coverage, helping design future 6G networks. Indoor coverage remains the band's weak spot — the test showed upper 6 GHz signals do not penetrate walls well — and the robot dog is pitched as a faster, more accurate way to plan in-building infrastructure. "This trial is an important milestone in Optus' long-term 6G research program and helps us better understand how future mobile networks can be designed to meet Australia's unique connectivity needs," said Sri Amirthalingam, Optus chief technology officer.
