Telstra Give Aussies Access To World’s Fastest Mobile Broadband Network

Telstra have just announced the release of their blazing fast Telstra Ultimate USB Modem. While I’m not usually very picky with product names, I couldn’t help thinking how long this NextG modem will remain as the ‘ultimate‘ given the pace of technology these days.

Back to the main point…

With this new wireless broadband modem, Telstra say that one can achieve data transfer rates of up to 20Mbps. This is more than double the speed that I already experience with my current Telstra NextG connection – I deem this fantastic performance even more so when compared to the other major networks in Australia.

Being able pull down this amount of data this quickly will mean no more one hour for movies rented from places like iTunes. In a way I’m grateful that its not any quicker because it means that I still have time to make popcorn

Kudos to Telstra for continuing to improve performance and service on their network. Not only this but also make their data packages more affordable. Lately, for example, they made data / phone call packages with the new iPhone 4 cheaper after listening to feedback from consumers. I personally know of a lot of people who have seen the benefits of transferring to Telstra’s superior network and moved over – despite the budget deals they were getting from other carriers, the service and performance of those networks drove them over the edge.

I’ll be back in Melbourne (just for the weekend) next week and I’ve been told to come pick up a Telstra NextG Ultimate USB Modem for review for a couple of weeks…can’t wait!

Telstra Press Release

WORLD FIRST: Mobile broadband boost puts Australia on top of the world

30th August, 2010 – Australians now have access to the world’s fastest national mobile broadband service with the launch today of the Telstra Ultimate™ USB Modem across Australia’s capital city CBDs and associated airports, selected metropolitan hubs and more than 100 regional centres.

With typical download speeds ranging from 1.1Mbps to 20Mbps in the these selected areas, the Telstra Ultimate™ USB is up to twice as fast as Telstra’s current fastest Next G™ modem*.

Two thousand devices have launched today for Telstra business customers, before the widespread launch of the Ultimate USB Modem later this year.

“Australians are telling us they can’t afford to be tied to the desk all day and these new speeds mean they can now access mobile broadband at speeds typically reserved for the office,” Telstra Business Group Managing Director, Deena Shiff said.

“We have been deploying the high-speed capability in the network since December 2009 and now, with the launch of the new Ultimate USB Modem, these new speeds are available to customers across all capital city CBDs and associated airports, selected metropolitan areas and in more than 100 regional locations.*

“These high-speed zones cover approximately 50 per cent of the Australian population and match the areas of highest customer demand and will make the frustration of waiting around for files to download a thing of the past.

“In other metropolitan and regional areas, the Telstra Ultimate USB Modem offers typical download speeds ranging from 550kbps up to 8Mbps, which is still significantly faster than Telstra’s mobile broadband competitors.”

Ms Shiff said the new speeds had the potential to increase how and where our small and large business customers work – boosting productivity in the process.

“Our customers have told us that they want higher speed mobile broadband so they can work more flexibly outside of the office and we are delighted to be the first in the world to offer these new blistering speeds on a national network.”

“The new Telstra Ultimate USB Modem provides customers with the speeds needed to handle large files, multitask and update cloud-hosted applications effortlessly on the go when they are in a coverage area.”

The Telstra Ultimate™ USB Modem is the latest jump in mobile broadband technology to be made available on Australia’s largest and fastest national mobile broadband network – the Telstra Next G™ network.

The Telstra Ultimate™ USB is the world’s first commercial USB modem to use a new generation of mobile broadband technology called dual channel HSPA+. The modem and enabling network technology was developed in collaboration with leading technology companies Ericsson, Qualcomm and Sierra Wireless.
Pricing and availability for business customers

The Telstra Ultimate™ USB can be purchased in conjunction with a range of mobile broadband plans including for $0 upfront with a $69 plan over 24 months (minimum total cost $1,656) or, from 5 October, outright for $299. It is available from 25 August through Telstra Business and Telstra Enterprise & Government account managers.

For more information, including Ultimate speed coverage areas, visit: www.telstra.com/business/ultimate.

* Capital CBD’s means within 5km from the GPO in each capital city. Outside the selected areas, the remaining metropolitan areas of all capitals cities and many other regional and rural locations support typical download speeds from 550kbps to 8Mbps, and elsewhere typical speeds are from 550kbps to 3Mbps. Actual speeds vary due to factors such as distance from the base station, local conditions, user numbers, hardware and software configuration, download source and other factors. See Telstra for details of locations.