“AT&T’s cellular Internet access will be more than five times faster in 2009 than it is this year, the company’s mobility chief Ralph de la Vega said today at Morgan Stanley’s annual Communications Conference,” Electronista reports.
“The executive says that the company’s HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) network will be improved from the theoretical peak downloads of 3.6 megabits per second common across most of the network today to about 20 megabits per second in 2009,” Electronista reports.
“In spite of the increase in speed, the improvement won’t require a major reworking of AT&T’s existing cell tower infrastructure and will primarily involve a software upgrade for the network,” Electronista reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jen” for the heads up.]
Smokin’ !
Let the “snappier” comments begin.
That’ll make an iPhone pretty damn usable.
Between that kind of improvement and WiMax coming down the road, Apple and AT&T;should be able to move a lot of iPhones to corporate America.
@ MCCFR:
Are you implying that it’s not usable now? If so, I beg to differ.
Edge in my area is as bad as dial-up. so no it isn’t always usable. 3g coverage though for the city isn’t bad but once you live the 40 square miles of the city you get shit speed
Great news!
Waiting for pr0n to d/l while driving was driving me nuts.
This is good news. Here’s a link to another test on their data network, seems that ATT is faster than Sprint & Verizon: http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/05/13/3g.data.networks.tested/
But does anyone else find it troubling that ATT’s data plan has a 5GB cap? I’d rather go with a slower Sprint card and know that I won’t be facing extra charges at the end of the month. Get with the program Mama Bell!
20 megabits per second in 2009 in Montana???
I seriously doubt it.
I want the whole truth!
AT&T;would sound much more credible if they said “Max speed in the top 5 cities might be close to 2 megabits per second at periodic intervals at 3am in the year 2011”. That sounds more realistic. My cable company say I get 5 megabits per second download only and my money only gets around 2.7 to 3 on average. Upload stinks! All while the rest of the world smokes us.
Jay-Z…
Firstly, how did u ever manage to get your hands on a fine woman like Beyoncé?
Secondly, I’m implying nothing: my point – poorly expressed – is that this should kill off any of the 2.5G isn’t quick enough whining once and for all, although – speaking personally – I’ve never been such a data addict that it couldn’t wait until I’m in reach of a Wi-Fi network.
Still, bring it on and the sooner the better.
</i> 40 square miles of the city</i>
WTF?
For the record, I’m glad I don’t have to pay the taxes on 40 square miles of city.
I’ll believe it when I see it. These mobile execs are always over-promising and under delivering.
If it’s just a software upgrade that’s needed, why not shoot it out now? I’ll put in a weekend to help.
That’s a B-i-i-i-i-g promise.
The old saying…”Talk is cheap”.
I’d like to hear this from Steve…he doesn’t want to ever promise 3 gigahertz and Halo again and have to eat his words. If he says it, I will believe it with skepticism.
Technically very impressive, but still too expensive and still have to be tied down to a provider – <h1>NO THANKS!</h1>
I agree with Chris. Why the staggered upgrades if its merely software that presently exist. Turn it up NOW?? At these silly rates, the customer deserves the value-add now.
@Blue Dream
“Talk is Cheap”
Except when you’re on a cell phone plan.
talk about huge promise… and at 20Mbit…. might as well cancel your ISP and tether your phone with your computer. But that is IF it will get 20Mbit. Most likely that means up to 20Mbit if no one in your area is using the internet on their phone.
Why is 3,6Mbit not enough for mobile use???
Explain please!
Data (not voice) is the future… AT&T;wants to be the leader in the US market. I congratulate them, and I hope they make it available for everyone as best as they can!
How fast is five times butt-ass sssslllllooowww! I’m glad to see this, but what’s ironic is that they always had that capability and that the speed only comes from a software upgrade. What’s up with that?
” . . . but what’s ironic is that they always had that capability and that the speed only comes from a software upgrade. What’s up with that?”
The AT&T Committee That Determines What To Charge For Shit has been at a six month long company “seminar” in Hawaii. There’s a two year follow up discussion. And a slide show of all of the photos from limbo contests and that time when Doug sucked Jell-O shots from the naval of that really ugly chick from Wisconsin that looked like she had a mustache and an Adam’s apple.
yeah right……ill believe it when i see it.
I’d actually like to see see AT&T;actually not DROP a friggin’ VOICE call first!
Check out Consumer Reports… AND JD Powers… AT&T;’s crapola network is dead last or second to last in just about EVERY region of the country based on Network Quality…
MW: analysis – as in maybe AT&T;should od some ‘analysis’ as to why their network sux so bad!