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Comcast Xfinity internet customers just got a free speed boost
Comcast's internet speeds just got a lot faster. In what is expected to be a nationwide upgrade, the company has deployed free downstream speed boosts in cities within its West division -- namely Oregon and Washington.
HTC Velocity runs impressive speed test on Australia's new 4G network
How fast is Telstra's new 4G network? Pretty darned fast, according to a recent speed test that Ausdroid ran on an HTC Velocity -- Australia's first 4G handset. As the above image clearly demonstrates, the device impressively managed to reach download speeds of 32.82Mbps, with upload rates of 11.26Mbps. Ausdroid was quick to point out that speeds will likely vary across Telstra's network, though it wasn't the only one to report astronomic numbers. Trevor Long, in fact, actually managed to top Ausdroid's results, with a whopping 39.85Mbps downstream, and 11.88Mbps upstream. He also posted an image to his Twitter account, just to rub it in. Update: Long has actually outdone himself yet again, reaching speeds of 40.77Mbps (down) and 20.07Mbps (up). Photographic evidence after the break. [Thanks, Jason]
Telstra's 4G LTE network goes live in Australia, new HTC handset coming next year
Telstra customers woke up to a sun shower of good news this morning, when their provider's new 4G LTE network went live in Australia -- or within parts of it, at least. After months of development and a soft launch in late August, Telstra finally flipped the switch on its broadband network today, bringing LTE coverage to capital cities, airports and other select areas. According to the company, its new infrastructure offers download speeds between two and 40 Mbps (a 25 percent increase over what its 3G network supported at launch), with upstream rates ranging from one to ten Mbps. For now, Telstra has upgraded its base stations in all eight capital cities and some 30 regional centers, though it plans to expand its coverage to 80 sites by the end of this year. Subscribers can hook up to the network with a new USB dongle from Sierra Wireless (pictured above), as long as they're within a five kilometer radius from a capital city's station, or within three kilometers of a regional center. Before long, however, Australians may not even need a dongle to bathe in LTE goodness, as Telstra is planning to launch a new 4G-enabled HTC handset by the first half of next year. At this point, details about the Android-based device (codenamed "HTC 4G") remain fuzzy, though the carrier says it will boast a 4.5-inch screen, eight megapixel camera and dual-core processor. For more details, head past the break for a pair of press releases.
HTC Raider 4G arrives bearing South Korean LTE, looks a lot like the Holiday
HTC has bestowed a sparkly new handset upon its South Korean customers today, with the release of the Raider 4G. Sporting a 4.5-inch qHD display, this Gingerbread-coated device is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and boasts 1GB of RAM, along with 16GB of internal storage. Graced with what appears to be HTC's Sense 3.0, the Raider also features an eight megapixel camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing shooter and supports 1080p Full HD video recording, as well as the usual smattering of WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS capabilities. When connected to a South Korean LTE network, this handset can reportedly achieve downstream / upstream speeds of 100Mbps and 50Mbps uploads, respectively, with HSPA downloads clocking in at 21Mbps and uploads at 5.76Mbps. The manufacturer hasn't revealed any plans for an international release, though rumor has it that this Holiday-like device may be heading to AT&T at some point. Trot past the break for the machine-translated press release, along with an extra image.
Arris' cable technology teases us with 4.5Gbps download speeds
Think your cable connection's fast? Arris thinks it could be a lot faster. At today's NCTA Cable Show in Chicago, the company will demo a new system that can support download speeds of 4.5Gbps, and upload rates of 575Mbps. To achieve this, Arris devoted more of its DOCSIS 3.0 cable channels to broadband (128 downstream, 24 upstream), sourced through a C4 cable module (pictured on the left). Of course, this would leave less space for conventional TV channels, but we're guessing the accelerated streaming speeds would more than make up for it. Unfortunately, the prototype is still in the proof-of-concept phase, so it may be a while before you reap its benefits. Head past the break for the full PR.
