Hutch 3G speed upgrade goes nationwide

in brief Mobile carrier Hutchison today said it had completed a nationwide speed upgrade to the third-generation mobile network it shares with Telstra.

The upgrade to the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) protocol allows typical download speeds ranging from 600kbps to 1.5Mbps, with a theoretical maximum of up to 3.6Mbps. Hutchison's network covers some 96 percent of the Australian population, but falls short in rural areas.

In comparison, Telstra is already offering -- in theory -- top-end HSDPA speeds of up to 14.4Mbps in rural and urban areas on its separate and exclusive Next G network.

Like Hutchison, Telstra's typical speeds are much lower than the theoretical maximum. Vodafone and Optus have limited HSDPA coverage on their own networks.

Also today, Hutchison unveiled an alliance with upstart broadband telco iiNet on a bundled mobile and fixed broadband package aimed at consumers and dubbed the "X-Series".