Many carriers including Vodafone and AT&T have said that they will offer faster Enhanced HSPA (eHSPA) aka HSPA+ network before switching to 4G networks. But it looks like Australian carrier Telstra will beat them all and will be one of the first to offer 3G+ network with 21Mbps speed by end of this year. The updated network will be three times faster than the present generation 7.2Mbps 3G network. Telstra will achieve these speeds by using new Ethernet-based network backbone, which will provide true mobile broadband experience.
Telstra will start launching the updated service in Australia this year and some areas will get the service by end of this year. Initially the network will be targeted for use with notebook cards and the company plans to use it with cellphone when device capable of taking advantage of increase speed become available. Telstra plans to further update the network to 42Mbps speed in late 2009 before switching to 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, which will have up to 100Mbps network speed.
[Via Electronista]