AT&T today announced it has upgraded its 3G wireless network to increase downlink speeds up to 1.7Mbps, a 20 percent increase over previous top speeds.

The increased speeds are the results of recent network enhancements the company will complete by the end of the month. HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) is a mobile broadband technology that is comprised of two wireless broadband protocols, known as HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), that operate on 3G mobile devices. HSUPA will result in uplink speeds of 1.2Mbps, a 50 percent increase over its previous peak uplink speeds of 800Kbps.

AT&T's 3G network is available in more than 275 major U.S. metropolitan areas. By year-end, the company plans to offer 3G service in nearly 350 major metropolitan U.S. areas.

Post a comment and discuss this story with other readers.