Australia's Telstra Corporation plans to launch the world's fastest wireless broadband network in the next few months.

According to the company, the Guinness World Records declared that the Telstra Next G network is the world's fastest wireless broadband network, with peak network speeds reaching to 21 megabits per second. Additionally, Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo also unveiled the modem that will actually access the network: the Turbo 21, displaying the device at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Guinness World Records' Chris Sheedy even balked at the sheer awesomeness of the modem's speed, saying that Telstra's achievement was phenomenal and "a real win for everyday Australians and Australian businesses."

"It is great to see an Australian company leading the way globally in the telecommunications industry," Sheedy added. "I've witnessed amazing records around the globe, but this is the first time I've had the honor of announcing a record which delivers such tangible benefits to an entire nation."

Apparently, consumers hooked up to the blazing fast network with the new Turbo 21 modem will experience download speeds ranging from 550 Kbps to 8 Mbps.  However, Telstra said that consumers will see peak network downlink speeds increase even further to 42 Mbps on parts of the Telstra Next G network later this year. Many businesses residing in the covered area can expect to pick up the Turbo 21 modem after February 23, with the rest of the business and consumer base able to jump onto the Next G network in the coming months. All interested parties should head here to express an interest.

"These record breaking speeds mean it can take only six seconds to download a two megabyte video from BigPond or four seconds for a song," said Telstra Consumer Executive Director Jenny Young. "These new speeds will also be a boost for Australian business that can use the Turbo 21 modem to help save time, cut costs and increase productivity."

Previously Telstra Corporation set a Guinness World Record for having the fastest national broadband network back in 2007, with speeds recorded up to 14.4 Mbps. However, the new technology will enable speeds up to four times faster than those from other Australian telecommunications companies, depending on network conditions. Opus, the nation's second fastest network, features a maximum speed of 7.2 Mbps; others range around 3.6 Mbps. However, the high velocity comes with a price, costing Telstra subscribers $59 per month for 1GB, whereas Opus offers 6GB download for $60 and 6GB for $40 from Vodefone.

Still, despite the hefty pricetag for the limited 1GB download limit, Telstra Networks and Services Group Managing Director Michael Rocca seemed rather elated over the Next G network and the speeds it achieves. "We've supercharged the Next G™ network to a peak network speed of 21 Mbps using HSPA+ technology but this is just the beginning."

According to the BigPond website, the planned availability date for the BigPond Wireless Broadband 21 USB Mobile Card--which runs on the Telstra Next G network- is mid April, 2009.