Plans by 3 to increase its broadband to 14.4Mbps

Plans for a high-speed wireless investment by mobile broadband provider 3 will allow it to offer its users speeds of up to 14.4Mbps.

At the moment network operator 3 offer its customers a 2.8Mbps connection speed but with the investment into the high speed wireless connection could be looking to eventually increase that speed to as high as 14.4Mbps, which will exceed the current highest speeds of any of its rivals.

According to a 3 spokesperson work to increase the speed of its broadband to 7.2Mbps is already underway now and will more than double the speed it currently offers to users. The official went on to advise that the speeds currently available on the network were roughly 1Mbps “in real terms”. The “in real terms” speeds are a policy that 3 has stuck with since it released mobile broadband access and it is one of the few providers that gives more accurate speeds for its service than the “up to” speeds of its rivals.

The spokesperson advised “This means we might get 2Mb when we upgrade. The appetite for data is huge, so we have to have a sufficiently deep network, with the right amount of density and backhaul, to cater for all customers.” The spokesperson went on to say that the maximum speeds offered would not be achievable by all of its subscribers because as networks get faster they often become “more sensitive”. The representative explained “For instance, with 7.2Mb you have to be within around 200m of a mobile mast to really get the top speeds.”

If the plans to increase its broadband speed from 2.8Mbps to 14.4Mbps come to fruition it will offer two main benefits for 3. The first will give it a serious advantage over its rivals and the second will mean it will have speeds that will bring it even closer the speeds enjoyed by fixed broadband user.