Australian enterprises are embracing 3G (third-generation) wireless broadband services with Telstra claiming sales have outstripped forecasts by 100 percent.

Telstra said more than 21,000 subscriptions to its 3G service have been picked up by business and government customers since the service was launched in November last year.

Lynda O"Grady , Telstra"s managing director of convergence solutions and sales, said mobility is driving uptake.

"Since launch, we"ve expanded the network in New South Wales to an additional 220 sites, including greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong," O"Grady said.

"In addition, as part of Telstra"s agreement under the Victorian Government"s telecommunications purchasing and management strategy tender, another 63 sites will be rolled out in Victoria, extending coverage in Melbourne and bringing Bendigo and Seymour online."

O"Grady said Telstra"s mobile broadband is expected to reach 6.3 million people by November 2005, translating into more than 33 percent of the population.

Telstra will launch its 3GSM mobile service for consumers and businesses later this year, providing them with multimedia content over mobile phones and laptop computers.

More than 40 3G base stations have been built in Canberra to complement the more than 2,000 base stations already deployed in the five other capital cities as part of Telstra"s network sharing agreement with Hutchison Telecommunications.