UK mobile phone operator Three (3) has revealed its intention to upgrade their Mobile Broadband (HSPA) network before the end of this summer. The move will make downstream speeds of 'up to' 7.2Mbps available, with speeds approaching 14.4Mbps being the ultimate goal.

The operators existing network currently only advertises speeds of 'up to' 2.8Mbps, though it is theoretically capable of delivering 3.6Mbps. However, in reality most consumers can expect an average of around 1Mbps+:


The move comes just days after Orange revealed that it planned to rollout speeds of 'up to' 14.4Mbps by the end of 2009 and 7.2Mbps in the top 30 UK cities over the coming months (news). Meanwhile, Vodafone already has a 7.2Mbps network in place and is currently leading the pack for speed, if not price. We expect growing market competition to be in the driving seat for some time to come, leading to faster, cheaper and hopefully more flexible services.