3rd November - Swisscom will massively expand its mobile data network, in a series of stages. From mid- November, Swisscom customers will be able to take advantage of much higher speeds - up to 7.2 Mbps for receiving and up to 1.4 Mbps for sending data - thanks to HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) technology.

In a second stage, the HSPA network will be expanded to provide coverage to 70 per cent of Switzerland's population by the end of the year. Stage three will see HSPA becoming available on the entire UMTS network from mid-2008, extending coverage to 90 per cent of the population. By mid-2008, Swisscom will have invested tens of millions of francs in its mobile broadband network.

Currently, Swisscom already supplies 45 per cent of the Swiss population with HSPA. By the end of the year, coverage will have increased to 70 per cent. Thanks to further expansion, HSPA will be available on the entire UMTS network from the end of June 2008, giving Swisscom customers almost everywhere ultra high-speed mobile access to the Internet, e-mails or company data.

Sending and receiving data faster while on the move

But Swisscom is not just expanding its network, it is also making tangible improvements in terms of speed. Throughout the whole HSPA network, the upload bandwidth speed will increase from the previous maximum of 384 kbps to 1.4 Mbps, which will considerably accelerate the sending of e-mails with large file attachments, for example. The maximum data download speed will be 3.6 Mbps. In addition, around 20 locations will be equipped with a double download bandwidth by the end of 2007 - with another 120 locations to follow by mid-2008. This will enable users in these densely populated areas to download data at speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. As a basis for comparison: the most commonly used DSL connection in the fixed network offers a speed of 3500 kbps (3.5 Mbps).

HSPA - new technology

With these new speeds for sending and receiving data, Swisscom is systematically expanding its network. The previously used acronym HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) referred to technology for the rapid downloading of data. But now data can not only be received fast but also sent fast using HSUPA technology (High Speed Uplink Packet Access). If HSDPA and HSUPA are available together, the collective term is HSPA (High Speed Packet Access).

HSPA can be used with Mobile Unlimited PC cards and modems as well as with many of the latest mobile phone models. The maximum available upload/download speed can vary from device to device, depending on the technical specifications of the manufacturer. Swisscom currently offers the following handsets with HSPA: Nokia N95, Nokia 6120, Samsung U700, Sony Ericsson V640i as well as the attractive mobile phones for business customers, Nokia E90, XPA 1615 and XPA v1510.