December 1 - 3:10pm EST   Nokia Siemens Networks today said it has already run a demonstration of cellular Internet access beyond even 4G. Now called LTE Advanced, the format uses a new radio relaying technique that extends the network without requiring that the carrier build out the entire network infrastructure to a given access point. This will let users on the edge of the network get LTE's faster speeds as carriers can simply put relays in areas where coverage, not bandwidth, hurts performance. [full story]

March 27 - 10:05am EDT   In an unusual break from its emphasis on 3G and 4G cellular data, Nokia Siemens Networks today said it had developed a method to improve the speed of 2G networks. Called EGPRS 2, the subset of the future EDGE Evolution format adds a second carrier to the data path and promises to dramatically improve the practical speed of the connection in both directions. Downloads can run as quickly as 1.2Mbps downstream while historically slow uploads jump to 473Kbps, according to estimates. [full story]

December 19 - 10:00am EST   Setting a new record for long-range wireless, Nokia Siemens Networks today revealed that it has completed a test of fourth-generation cellular data that proves the service quick in real-world conditions. Using the upcoming Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard, the company has successfully reached wireless download speeds as high as 173 megabits per second in a downtown Berlin environment where interference would normally reduce the signal strength and hurt connection speed. The service crests above 100 megabits per second even with multiple users wandering as far as a kilometer (0.6 miles) away from the tower providing the signal, according to Nokia Siemens. [full story]