Wireless surfing to gain speed

Cell phone Internet speeds could move into the fast lane within a few years, changing the way people get online, the president of AT&T Wisconsin said Thursday.

The wireless carrier plans to offer 4G, or fourth-generation technology, to boost Internet speed for mobile devices.

It will make tasks such as video conferencing and music downloading smoother and faster. It also could be used to move large amounts of data such as medical records.

All of this comes as sales of smart phones, such as the iPhone and BlackBerry, soar.

Carriers are subsidizing the phones because their average revenue per unit is 1.5 times higher than a voice-only cell phone, according to industry analysts. But with the technology comes an insatiable demand for Internet speed.

"In 2010 and 2011, the speed you will be able to get through your wireless device will easily match what you can get with your traditional DSL line," Scott VanderSanden, AT&T Wisconsin president, said at a Wisconsin Technology Council meeting at Brookfield Suites Hotel and Convention Center.

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