The company has bought additional spectrum, deployed improved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) software and added fiber backhaul, which carries data to wireless distribution points.

FORBES: Wireless Spending Could Be A Drain On AT&T

The company's press release says the 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use High Speed Downlink Packet Access technology.

FORBES: Magazine Article

And since the modules from Intel and Nokia will not hit the market until the latter part of 2007, many believe that by then, the market will already be moving to even higher-speed networks such as WiMax and another technology known as High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA).

FORBES: Magazine Article

Now EDGE's successor, a 3G-wireless technology called HSDPA (High-Speed Download Packet Access), provides transmission rates of 400 to 700 kilobits per second.

ECONOMIST: The competition this time will be a lot stiffer