Europe Finland : Sonera upgrades the data transmission services in its 3G network to turbo speed by HSPA technology. The network has been opened in the province of Uusimaa, and the upgrade will be carried out in the 3G networks of the whole country during this summer. The upgraded network will provide customers with many times faster access than the standard 3G network.

"Turbo 3G redefines wireless access. The data transmission rate of fixed broadband can now be achieved with a laptop and a data card, and the phones capable of high-speed data transmission become genuine power packages of mobile communications," says Director Pasi Mehtonen, Mobility Services Finland.

High-speed data transmission in a mobile communications network is particularly useful for corporate users and all customers who want to use Internet and e-mail services independently of time and place. The upgrade gives customers a faster access to services, and Internet pages, e-mail and large files, for example, are quicker to download.

According to Sonera’s recent trend survey, there is a growing demand for faster data transmission. Finnish companies invest in mobile work: eight out of ten respondents will work out of the office at least as much as before, and 40% of companies will increase their investments in new communications technology and services. Consumers also want increasingly to use e-mail on their mobile.

"At the first stage we provide our customers with maximum data transmission speeds of 1 and 2 Mb. With the terminal devices currently available, this provides customers with an up to 6 times higher transmission rate than before. With technology upgrades, the customers can utilize even higher data transmission rates in the future," says Pasi Mehtonen.