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Watch Your Back, WiMAX, Qualcomm Makes First HSPA+ Data Call at 20Mbps
July 31st, 2008 by Todd Haselton 
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.
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4 Responses to “Watch Your Back, WiMAX, Qualcomm Makes First HSPA+ Data Call at 20Mbps”
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August 1st, 2008 at 8:44 am
I’m guessing the Qualcom test was between two guys in the lab parking lot who could wave at each other. I wonder how many cell towers would be required to achieve a workable signal density at 5Ghz, city wide or nation wide? Double what we have today at 2Ghz? It would also be reasonable to assume that it would be 2x as difficult for 5Ghz to penetrate buildings. I think for the high speed race I’ll be waiting for the “just around the corner” WiMax.
August 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I’m wondering where AT&T said that they would have HSPA+ support in 350 markets by the end of the year.
As it is today, I don’t even know if they have their old 3G network rolled out in that many markets, much less a “3.5G” tech that as far as I can tell is only available today on a couple datacards and no handsets.
In fact, combining the statement of “HSPA+ on handsets within the next two years,” with “HSPA+ support in 350 markets by the end of the year,” makes it look like they will have their network built out in 5 months but won’t have any devices to run on it for 18 months…
August 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I would like to know where AT&T said they will have HSPA+ in 350 markets by the end of the year…
I’m not sure if they even have that much penetration with 3G yet considering their 3G network is 1/5th the size of Sprint’s. To then say that they will have a “3.5G like” tech in 350 markets by the end of the year seems foolhardy to me.
This combined with HSPA+ on “handsets within 2 years,” makes it seem like AT&T will somehow build out this next gen network in 5 months, but won’t have devices for it until 24 months from now.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
COCOViper,
My mistake, 3G will be available in 350 markets not its 3.5G technology. Thanks