14 DAY TRIAL // Wireless carrier Telstra announced recently that it had managed to complete the upgrade of its Next G HSPA+ network with Dual Carrier technology. At the same time, the company also revealed that it had released the first wireless broadband device that would take advantage of the technology. According to Telstra CEO David Thodey, the network should be able to meet the growing demand for wireless broadband services on smartdevices.
“The completion of the HSPA+ Dual Carrier upgrade will mean a better customer experience in areas of high demand, making the Telstra Next G network better placed to deal with the capacity demands that are causing headaches for other carriers around the world,” he said. “With HSPA+ Dual Carrier technology we expect to offer speeds that are comparable to the initial speeds we have seen reported from some fledgling 4G LTE networks. Put simply HSPA+ Dual Carrier will give Australians the bandwidth to operate their wireless devices at consistently high speeds.”
The HSPA+ Dual Carrier technology should enable the carrier to send and receive wireless data using two channels simultaneously, something that will result in peak network downlink speeds of 42Mbps. However, the speeds that users will enjoy are lower than the peak speeds, the company notes. According to Thodey, the carrier will work on expanding the Telstra Next G mobile network so as to deliver even faster speeds in the future.
The new device introduced by the carrier comes from Sierra Wireless, and is expected to become available for purchase in Australia later during the ongoing year. According to the company, the speeds that customers using the device will benefit from should be two times faster than those available via the fastest 3G devices on the Australian market today. The HSPA+ Dual Carrier plus MIMO technology will require new devices, the carrier notes, adding that they should land on shelves during 2011.
Sierra Wireless CEO Mr Jason Cohenour said, “We have had the privilege of collaborating with Telstra many times over the past several years in pushing wireless technology forward and improving the wireless broadband experience for customers. With the launch of Dual Carrier HSPA+, Telstra once again leads the world in providing a new level of wireless broadband experience, and we are happy to support the rollout of the higher speed service with our market leading AirCard 312U USB modem and other devices that will leverage the new network capabilities.”