Ericsson promises 42Mbps HSPA demo using multi-carrier technology

Leave Ericsson alone for five seconds, and it goes and makes the technology it was just bragging about seem archaic. Just in case Telstra's 21Mbps Next G network seemed a bit -- how do you say, sluggish? -- Ericsson will be showcasing a new approach that enables peak downlink data rates of 42Mbps at Mobile World Congress. In order to achieve such tremendous speeds, it will rely on its so-called multi-carrier technology, which is the next (or is that next-next?) generation of HSPA. The secret? It allows users to "receive data simultaneously on two frequency channels," which doubles the data rate in the coverage area of an HSPA network and on the cell edge. The best part of all this isn't that you can one day look forward to crushing your cable modem with a wireless USB stick, it's that "one day" will be ready to happen before the dawn of 2010. Huzzah!

[Via phonescoop, image courtesy of TornadoChaser]

[Freakin Ijit @ Feb 12th 2009 8:32AM]

I wonder if the setup comes with the shotgun below it, too?

[Fyrewerx @ Feb 12th 2009 9:27PM]

Its the only tool in that car that matters when the chips are down.

[zephxiii @ Feb 12th 2009 8:55AM]

I think T-Mobile USA uses ericsson gear, and they have enough spectrum on AWS to do that. Its a matter of updating the wireless end and supplying the backhaul.

AT&T has enough spectrum most everywhere, and already has 2 channels running where there are 850 overlays (D.C. for example). They use Lucent i think however, so it would be up to Lucent to deliver that capability, and ATT to implement it.

[Bob @ Feb 12th 2009 9:11AM]

It doesn't matter how fast the wireless connection is, when AT&T is too cheap to add extra DS1, DS3 or fiber connections (even though you are paying $30 a month for a freakin PHONE data connection, which would easy use less bandwidth than a regular DSL/cable connection), you'll still get the measly speeds on your 3G phone you are using now. Heck, nobody is getting the 7.2 meg they should be getting now on 3G!

Pretty sad you can get 3 meg down DSL with Embarq for $30 a month if you bundle your home phone with it (or 3 meg down DSL *WITHOUT* bundling with Verizon), but you are lucky to get half that on a 3G enabled phone for the same price.

Welcome to the wireless carrier world in the good ole US of A! The wireless carriers here seem to just want to take our money and keep it without expanding their 3G network. Wait no, my bad, they do expand their 3G network every 2 YEARS or so.

[Joe @ Feb 12th 2009 9:11AM]

"Future evolution steps of HSPA can contain multi-carrier configurations with four frequency channels in combination with MIMO antenna technologies. By combining these improvements, downlink speeds of 168Mbps are possible"


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nick Gold @ Feb 12th 2009 9:45AM]

I'm looking forward to 2015 or so, when 3GPP Release 10 should be rocking (AKA LTE Advanced), and delivering, oh, up to a GIGABIT to your mobile device through the thin air. Uh, YEAH. *GRIN*

[The Shizz @ Feb 12th 2009 10:06AM]

"When" this 40+ MBps service comes out, it will cost an arm and a leg AND your nuts. DOCSIS 3.0 is promising 152Mbps and 304Mbps, so I don't think you'll be smashing your cable modem any time soon...

CABLE FTW!

[The Shizz @ Feb 12th 2009 10:08AM]

Forgot to mention that DOCSIS 2.0 can give you 38Mbps today...

[The Shizz @ Feb 12th 2009 10:09AM]

Oh, and DOCSIS 2.0 gives you up to 38Mbps service TODAY...

[The Shizz @ Feb 12th 2009 10:10AM]

I won't apologize. This site has a sucky posting system...

[andres @ Feb 12th 2009 10:18AM]

then prepare for massive fail

[Jon @ Feb 12th 2009 10:11AM]

I bet whoever owns that car gets a lot of chicks.

[brian @ Feb 12th 2009 10:52AM]

infinity ? not on that laptop!

[superhobo @ Feb 12th 2009 11:16AM]

Or if you slam into someone.

Which is really more likely since it's impossible to accomplish anything with one hand on your iphone.

[unzarjones @ Feb 12th 2009 11:19AM]

Wow, I'll be able to hit that 5G cap even sooner!

[OneLove @ Feb 12th 2009 11:50AM]

Leave Ericsson alone!!!!

[prashanthsharma @ Feb 12th 2009 10:04PM]

Qualcomm too is Demo-ing this at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. I work on the team that is developing it.

They will have MDM chips early next year for data cards.

[cal @ Feb 12th 2009 3:05PM]

surely the advancment of hsdcpa or what ever is the enw hsupa ?

[loosely_coupled @ Feb 12th 2009 8:46PM]

Yeah, just wait.. 42mbps peak speed and 1.5mbps average speed.. lol

[Sid @ Feb 12th 2009 9:37PM]

Looks like a cop car - well, the cop cars with cameras from those cop shows.

[damn it @ Feb 12th 2009 11:35PM]

I was just thinking... Why is BART or Caltrain (forgot which of the two) are spending a crapton of money on wireless when they could just use something like this or satellite? :/