We hardly finished discussing bean-spilling on Apple's Atom-powered Mac tablet (not officially confirmed) and now this: an executive from one of Apple’s Australian networks (Telstra) has told local publication ChannelNews that Apple's upcoming 3G device (widely believed to be unveiled at WWDC '08) will offer a whopping 42Mbps data transfer speed.

"Apple’s forthcoming 3G iPhone seems set to offer insanely great data transfer speeds, putting the device on par with some broadband connections," 9to5mac is reporting. According to the above-mentioned exec "[they] know what is coming," as the man is quoted as telling local publication ChannelNews. "We have seen the new device and it will be available on our network as soon as it is launched in the USA," the Telstra executive said.

The loud-mouthed exec even goes and reveals the exact date when the iPhone will be capable of such incredible transfer speeds for a wireless device. "By Christmas, this phone will be capable of 42Mbps, making it faster than a lot of broadband offerings and the fastest iPhone on any network in the world," he told the publication.

It is commonly known among wireless service users that HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) is currently capable of speeds of up to 14.4Mbps, while the network has already committed to support for higher speeds in the future (21Mbps by the end of the year). However, by 2009, users of phones compatible with HSPA+ - Evolved HSPA, also known as HSPA Evolution, will be able to enjoy speeds of up to 42Mbps.

"We believe that this will be a major driver for many people to invest in a new smart phone it will also create a big buzz as many vendors plan to launch new smart phones at the same time," the exec added.

Well, if there's but one device worthy of this data transfer speed, that device surely sounds like Apple's upcoming 3G iPhone. What do you think you'll do with this much "wireless horsepower" at hand, once the service is up and running?