Telstra's NextG download speeds to hit 21Mbs, then double

Telstra's NextG service is about to get even speedier. Its 3G customers will soon be offered downloads speeds that near and then surpass what is currently available to users on the ultra fast wired ADSL2+ service.

Company CEO Sol Trujillo made the announcement overnight as he spruiked Telstra's credentials at the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona.

"We have an evolution roadmap with Ericsson [its infrastructure provider] which will deliver customers speeds of 21 Mbps in 2008 across our national NextG network - a world first - and 42Mbps in 2009 using HSPA+ technology," Trujillo said in a statement.

The fastest broadband download speeds presently available to both wired and wireless customers are the 24Mbps offered by many ISPs to those on ADSL2+ services. However, these are mainly confined to metropolitan areas. Telstra's NextG network now has 6400 bases stations and has nearly 100% coverage of the country.

Trujillo will also announce at MWC Telstra's prototype online music concept dubbed netTunity. According to Telstra the "application eliminates the traditional link between a mobile music device and a computer, streaming audio directly from Telstra Next G network".