Mobile communications giant 3 has announced that it is to increase mobile broadband speeds in the hope of increasing its share of customers within this increasingly competitive market.

According to a recent report the mobile communications giant 3 is to increase its mobile broadband speeds to up to 7.2Mbps to rival that of its rival provider Vodafone. At present 3 offers maximum speeds of 3.6Mbps, but because most customers cannot achieve this top speed it actually only advertises a top speed of 2.8Mbps.
On the website Vodafone officials stated: “Most people on our HSDPA Network can expect a speed ranging from 1Mb to 1.5Mb, allowing you to download a 3-4 minute music track in 30 seconds or less.” One official from the provider stated: “We’re hoping to bring our network up to 7.2Mb over the summer. Our network currently offers 3.6Mb, which in real terms is around 1Mb, and we’re currently investing in our network.”

He added: “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 provider is already looking to the future, as it hopes to increase speeds even further to 14.4Mbps in time. A spokesperson from 3 said: “You have to bear in mind that higher speeds mean the network becomes more sensitive. For instance, with 7.2Mb you have to be within around 200m of a mobile mast to really get the top speeds. What we hope to offer is greater capacity, in order to serve more users, rather than just focusing on the top speeds.”