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Starting in Toronto this August, Rogers will begin rolling out their HSPA+ network, which clocks in at an impressive 21 Mbps. At those speeds, HSPA+ will provide a solid stopgap for Rogers before the big bad LTE train comes trundling into town. The release only mentions an internet stick to be launched alongside the network, so we’ll have to hold our breath for news on HSPA+ capable phones shortly thereafter. The biggest change manufacturers will have to make to accommodate HSPA+ is the inclusion of MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) antennae, something we’ve only seen in USB modems to date; odds are internet sticks will continue to dominate HSPA+ usage for awhile still.
Australia’s Telstra was the first to roll out HSPA+, while AT&T, Telecom Italia, 02 Germany, Vodafone Portugal and Greece are all in the process of getting HSPA+ running in their respective areas. Most of the time when I think of Rogers and Canadian carriers, the only thing that comes to mind is three-year contracts and atrocious ETFs, but every once in awhile, announcements like this are a clear silver lining.
[via CNW]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
