Australia’s largest mobile operator Telstra today announced it has activated its HSPA Evolution network, a world-first that provides theoretical peak speeds of up to 21Mb/s. In a statement from network equipment supplier Ericsson, it was revealed that Mike Wright, executive director of Telstra Wireless, made the first data call on the ‘Next G’ network in Brisbane, Queensland, today. Trials of the mobile broadband service on the Next G network will begin this month with a full commercial launch “early next year.” 

The move follows Telstra’s unveiling last month of what it called “the fastest mobile broadband modem on the planet,” developed by Sierra Wireless and Qualcomm. Telstra believes its HSPA Evolution network, also sometimes referred to as HSPA+ or eHSPA, will be “the most advanced national mobile network on the planet.” Launched in October 2006, Telstra’s Next G network provides 3G services in the 850MHz band and covers 99 percent of the population. Initial peak HSPA speeds of 3.6Mb/s have recently been increased to peak speeds of up to 14.4Mb/s, with the newly touted 21Mb/s figure the latest step.