There’s been a rash of HSPA+ upgrades — which brings 3G GSM-based networks up to supporting 21mbps. It looks like devices to support those speeds are being readied as well.
This week Huawei Technologies announced it has demonstrated "the world's first commercial ready HSPA+ [21mbps] devices," on PCCW's network in Hong Kong. Huawei, which also is providing network gear for PCCW’s 21mbps upgrade, said its HSPA+ mobile broadband terminal E182E will be ready to go live in the first part of 2009.
Other movement on the device front is under way: Ericsson said it’s working on it with various laptop makers, while Telstra and Sierra Wireless have demoed 21mbps devices on Telstra’s new Turbo 3G network.
PCCW will join Telstra and 3 Scandinavia in deploying 21mbps mobile broadband commercially. A U.S. version of HSPA+ is on its way with AT&T Inc., which said last spring that it planned to use the spectrum it won in the 700MHz auction to deploy HSPA+ ahead of building out an LTE 4G network.
