7.2Mbps HSDPA service to hit Cingular next year
There's always thrilling news coming from ITU Telecom World in Hong Kong for those residing overseas, but this time it's the Americans rejoicing. A Qualcomm official has stated that USA's own Cingular Wireless "is set to launch" a 7.2Mbps HSDPA service this coming January (at the earliest). While we're not sure if that figure is theoretical or otherwise, nor do we know its complementary upload speed, we've found that the service will hit speed-hungry laptops equipped with PCMCIA slots real soon. While upping the speeds of HSDPA services seems to be alltherage these days, we're glad to see such a substantial jump happening right here. Notably, Cingular probably won't be alone in such launches come 2007, as Australian service provider Telstra is already planning to hit its customers up with the same luxury, while a spokesperson from SK Telecom boasted that its networks were "already designed" to support the blazing speeds, insinuating that a boost in service could be just around the bend. Per usual, we've got no details as to just how much coinage this speed will demand, nor any way to tell if this January date will actually stick, but we've got just about a month until we know for certain. [Warning: subscription required]
Update: A Qualcomm official pinged to let us know that this information was supposedly never given to Telecoms Korea, and that Qualcomm "doesn't speculate on operator plans." So there you have it, maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't.
