Telus launching North America's first 42Mbps dual carrier HSPA+ network (update: Bell, too)

By Chris Ziegler

posted August 3rd 2010 2:09PM

Australia's Telstra already claimed the title of World's First on this one, but Telus up in Canada isn't far behind, becoming the first carrier in North America to push HSPA+ up to 42Mbps through the magic of dual carrier technology. The concept, of course, is nothing new -- remember those "Shotgun" two-line 56k landline modems back in the day? Dual carrier isn't much different, employing two HSPA+ connection simultaneous to get an effective max theoretical throughput of 42Mbps. Telus has already wrapped up lab trials, but it expects to offer the blazing speeds to customers some time in the first quarter of 2011 with the launch of the first compatible devices -- USB modems at first, we'd presume -- and since Bell shares the network with Telus, we'd imagine that they're in cahoots on this as well. Rogers, ball's in your court. Follow the break for the full press release.

[Thanks, Zach]

Update: Bell reached out to us to let us know that they're in the thick of testing dual carrier HSPA+ as well with trials on real-world cell sites kicking off this month, and that "no one's ahead of Bell in testing this technology." As we mentioned before, Bell and Telus are in bed with each other for their HSPA airwaves, so it makes perfect sense.

Show full PR text

TELUS to increase Canada's fastest wireless data network speeds

First carrier in North America to test and begin deployment to support speeds of up to 42 Mb/s using HSPA+ Dual Cell technology

VANCOUVER, Aug. 3 /CNW/ - TELUS today announced Canada's fastest* mobile network is about to get even faster. Using state-of-the-art HSPA+ Dual Cell technology, TELUS will increase its already ultra-fast 3G+ wireless data network access speeds to up to 42 Mb/s when commercial deployment is complete in Canadian cities and towns. TELUS is the only North American carrier to have successfully tested HSPA+ Dual Cell technology in its wireless labs and to announce deployment in its commercial network.

"Once again, the entire TELUS team is proud to be a leader in the deployment of the most advanced wireless technology to Canadians. With the roll out of this new technology, TELUS clients with 'Dual Cell' capable devices will enjoy unprecedented download speeds that will support even faster wireless access to an online world that connects them with their families, social networking with friends, favourite entertainment and the freedom to meet their business needs when our clients are on the move," said TELUS President and CEO Darren Entwistle. "Canadians are amongst the most sophisticated users of wireless data in the world, and TELUS is committed to meeting their growing needs with the best technology available anywhere."

HSPA+ Dual Cell technology uses advanced multiplexing techniques to combine two wireless data carriers, operating at manufacturer-rated speeds of up to 21 Mb/s each, into a single carrier with manufacturer-rated downlink speeds up to 42 Mb/s. New HSPA+ Dual Cell compatible devices that will allow customers to take advantage of the new network capabilities are expected to be commercially available during the first quarter of 2011.

TELUS is one of only a few carriers in the world to announce HSPA+ Dual Cell deployment. Telstra in Australia is the only operator known to have deployed this capability in its network. The deployment of Dual Cell is consistent with TELUS' evolution towards Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, as the company continues to maximize the potential of HSPA+ as an interim step and ensure the most optimal future transition to LTE.

Laboratory testing of the TELUS HSPA+ Dual Cell technology was completed in TELUS' Canadian laboratories in early July.

By leveraging the investment TELUS has already made in its 3G+ network, the company is able to support the deployment of Dual Cell technology with a small investment that is well within TELUS' overall capital expenditure guidance for 2010.

*Comparing TELUS HSPA+ network service to Rogers HSPA+ network service, based on TELUS' tests of data throughput speeds in large Canadian urban centres. Internet access speed provided by the network operator may vary due to the device being used, network congestion, distance from the cell site, local conditions and other factors. Speed on the Internet is beyond the wireless network operator's control and may vary with your configuration, Internet traffic, website server and management policies, and other factors.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.6 billion of annual revenue and 11.9 million customer connections including 6.6 million wireless subscribers, 3.9 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and 200,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $158 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 3.1 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.