The faster peak network speeds will give customers increased average user speeds and provide more cell and traffic capacity on the 3G network which claims to already service 98 per cent of the Australian population.

Executive managing director of Telstra Wireless, John Gonner, said the field tests will reinforce the global leadership position Telstra has created with the early launch of its super fast Next G network.

"We have broken the distance barrier with the world's geographically largest national 3G network," Gonner said. "We are now in the advanced stage of preparations to be the first to offer our customers even faster, double digit data speeds."

Telstra and Ericsson are using Qualcomm's latest chipsets to test various radio environments and high data speeds to verify throughput and reliability.