Telstra customers in Melbourne are being promised “extreme speeds” on “one of the world’s fastest mobile services” with the announcement that the telco’s 4GX network has been switched on in the city.

4GX, as Telstra has officially branded its 700Mhz spectrum, is being periodically rolled out across the country following its official launch at the start of the month when it was switched on in parts of Hobart and Brisbane.

According to Telstra, the low-frequency spectrum offers better indoor coverage and is capable of reaching greater distances, making it good for regional and rural areas. In addition, Telstra says customers will be able to access speeds of 2 to 100Mbps on Melbourne’s 4GX network — double the top speeds currently available on the existing 4G network.

You’ll still need a 700Mhz-compatible device, but there are a range of these already in market, including the iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z3.

The service will be available in parts of central Melbourne and surrounding suburbs from today, including St Kilda, Windsor, Albert Park, South Yarra, South Melbourne, Docklands, West Melbourne, North Melbourne, Collingwood, Fitzroy, East Melbourne, Parkville, Elsternwick and Cremorne.

From January, the service is set to cover an area spanning 3km of the Melbourne GPO, with other regions around Australia set to follow.

According to Telstra, the mobile data carried over its network in an average day has increased 500-fold in the past 5 years, making the 4GX rollout particularly timely.

“The explosion in applications, shift towards mobile video consumption and use of mobile in commerce means demand for connectivity continues to grow strongly,” said Telstra Director of Networks, Max Jennings.

“We’re staying ahead of this demand by introducing 4GX to boost network capacity. This will allow us to continue to offer our customers Australia’s most reliable mobile service that’s faster in more places.”