Think of it as supercharged 3G, or the next generation of HSDPA. Vodafone is looking to push mobile broadband into the speed-o-sphere by trialling HDPA+, which uses multiple antennae in order to serve up download speeds of up to 16Mbps. That’s more than double the 7.2Mbps downloads Vodafone currently offers its mobile broadband customers.
Of course, this is just a trial, and Vodafone admits that in reality speeds will probably top out at 13Mbps “in good conditions” and average out at just over 4Mbps in most places. Not quite as impressive as 16Mbps, sure, but not bad all the same.
Vodafone hasn’t given any indication of when this tech could be rolled out to the average consumer, but says it’s working with its “device vendors” on the trialling of new hardware capable of running it. Yep, unfortunately HSPA+ won’t work on current HSDPA handsets, so when it does hit the UK you’ll have to shell out for a brand new phone in order to achieve what Vodafone calls “an Internet experience comparable with fixed broadband.”
Out TBC | Vodafone
