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The most recent world first is a joint trial by Telstra and Ericsson of Enhanced High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology using the 850MHz spectrum to deliver peak network downlink speeds of 21 Megabits per second (Mbps) in 2008 and onwards to 42 Mbps in 2009.

Enhanced HSPA uses software advancements that will maximise the potential of existing infrastructure ahead of the introduction of Long Term Evolution (LTE).

Bill Zikou, CEO of Ericsson Australia/NZ said, "Mainstream mobile network technology continues to advance with the successful trial of Enhanced HSPA, paving the way for the even faster speeds of LTE. Consumers will benefit from a greater range of richer multimedia services on a growing choice of phones and laptops."

Prior to the HSPA+ or Enhanced HSPA trial, Telstra activated 3G Direct Tunnel technology on its live network, which will provide an increase in data capacity to meet the needs of increased broadband traffic such as data-rich services.