Mexican mobile operator Telcel, a subsidiary of América Móvil, is upgrading its nascent 3G network in the country in time for its launch of the new 3G iPhone later this week. According to Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), Telcel’s 3G network equipment vendor, the operator will rollout HSPA in several more Mexican cities based on the vendor’s Flexi BTS technology. NSN said the upgraded network would offer speeds of up to 2Mb/s during peak times as well as expanded voice capacity. 

Telcel, Mexico’s largest mobile operator, only launched its 3G network in the first-quarter of this year, making it the first GSM operator in the country to do so. According to the latest Wireless Intelligence data, Telcel has an estimated 223,295 WCDMA connections and 37,215 HSPA connections (Q2:08 estimates). Telcel has announced three iPhone 3G plans with 24 month contracts that start at US$44 for a package that includes 200 minutes, 100 text messages and 100MB of data.