StarHub ups HSUPA to 5.76Mbps

Singaporean mobile operator StarHub is tripling its High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) uplink capacity to 5.76Mbps to meet rising demand for mobile broadband services. Its current limit is 1.9Mbps. The upgrade is scheduled for completion at end-December, making StarHub the first operator in the Asia-Pacific region to implement a HSUPA network at 5.76Mbps. Its maximum downlink speed is currently 14.4Mbps, although by the second quarter of 2009 it intends to complete the upgrade of the HSPA network to HSPA+ which will facilitate downlink speeds of up to 21Mbps. In addition, the mobile operator plans to increase the number of base stations on the network to 3,500 to support its roughly 1.8 million mobile customers.