HSDPA

Qualcomm announced today that it had achieved a data transfer rate of more than 20Mbps using its MDM8200 chipset in the 5GHz frequency channel during the “world’s first” HSPA+ data call. That’s fast folks. Like Lamborghini-with-the-top-down-on-a-desert-highway fast.

To put all of this in perspective, AT&T’s HSDPA network today achieves between 700Kbps to 1.7Mbps downlink speeds and anywhere from 500Kbps to 1.2Mbps on the uplink. That’s like riding a bicycle with square wheels compared to Qualcomm’s announcement.

Today’s 1.7Mbps downlink speed means you could download a:

• 5MB mp3 in: 23 seconds
• 1GB video in: 10 minutes

A 20Mbps data downlink rate would mean you could download a:

• 5MB mp3 in: 2 seconds
• 1GB video in: 51.2 seconds

The good news is that back in May AT&T’s CEO Ralph de la Vega told a bunch of suits that AT&T plans to take advantage of highspeed packet access evolved technology (HSPA+)  and that the company would offer data speeds between 7Mbps and 20Mbps on its handsets within the next two years.

3G America’s president Chris Pearson told me during a phone call about a month ago that HSPA+ offers real-world speeds between 3-5Mbps on the downlink and 1-3Mbps on the uplink, which is still a far cry from Qualcomm’s 20Mbps claim.

Mobile WiMAX, meanwhile, is available in select markets like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Portland offering 2-6Mbps on the downlink and 1-3Mbps.