Prospecta Utilities has rolled out a private 5G standalone millimetre wave fixed wireless network in Australia, starting with the GemLife Gold Coast over-50s lifestyle resort. The move is part of a broader plan to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity to gated communities and eventually scale to other locations.
According to Grand View Research, Australia’s private 5G market is expected to grow by 47.3% between 2024 and 2030, reaching US$504.2 million. Against this backdrop, Prospecta is positioning itself as a key player in building 5G-powered smart living environments.
Building connected communities
The deployment at GemLife Gold Coast enables residents to connect smart devices, including household appliances, to the network without interruptions. By using private 5G, the resort also gains operational efficiencies that contribute to a better overall living experience.
“Using the GemLife lifestyle resorts as an example, we envision bringing private 5G ‘smart cities’ to life across Australia – and potentially to other markets. We needed an agile and seamless 5G solution. Ciena’s routers support our xHaul platform requirements, providing network scalability as required, and offering advanced timing and synchronisation,” said Grant Smith, Head of Telecommunications at Prospecta Utilities.
A multi-vendor, future-ready network
The private 5G network combines technologies from various vendors, with Ciena’s 5130 and 5164 routers forming the core infrastructure. These xHaul routers are open and programmable, acting as a gateway that routes data between connected devices and the 5G network. This architecture helps ensure flexibility and scalability for future deployments.
Grant Smith added, “It was important to us that the routers we chose can provide seamless integration into a multi-vendor ecosystem, as we work with a variety of vendors for our 5G needs. Additionally, Ciena’s routers support our Open Radio Access Network (RAN) fronthaul split requirements, and is a cost-effective alternative to traditional closed RAN, enabling more deployment models.”
The routers are also built to endure harsh conditions. Compact and temperature-hardened, they are designed for areas with limited space or extreme weather – a common challenge in Australia’s diverse terrain.
Resilient performance in harsh conditions
Prospecta’s network infrastructure has already proven its resilience. “Since its remote deployment, our Ciena routers have withstood a range of extreme weather and events – from a cyclone to a heatwave. Through it all, they continued operating reliably, supporting our xHaul platform requirements with low latency and minimal jitter,” said Smith.
Looking ahead, Prospecta plans to expand its private 5G deployments across all 30 of GemLife’s lifestyle resorts by the end of 2028, paving the way for more widespread adoption of smart community living powered by 5G.
