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Samsung Galaxy S3 has DC-HSPA for faster 3G

Samsung has confirmed the new Samsung Galaxy S3 will boast faster Internet speeds with 42Mbps DC-HSPA, depending on your network.

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Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
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The new Samsung Galaxy S3 will boast some of the fastest Internet speeds in the UK, Samsung has confirmed. The hotly anticipated Android powerhouse will connect to the Web via DC-HSPA, the next step up from current 3G speeds.

The S3 will let you surf the Net and stream music and video while you're out and about at up to 42Mbps, the speediest type of dual-channel HSPA currently available here in the UK. We learnt last week that O2 is the first network to make this fastest flavour of 3G available, with prospective S3 owners in major cities set to benefit.

We should point out that 42Mbps is a theoretical maximum. Actual speeds will depend on where you are and the strength of the signal.

Vodafone quietly launched DC-HSPA about a year ago -- also to major UK cities -- but at a theoretical maximum of 28.8Mbps, with no plans to upgrade to the faster version. Vodafone has bagged exclusive rights to the 32GB version of the Galaxy S3 for the first month after release.

Three told us it's planning to launch a 42Mbps DC-HSPA network this summer, while Everything Everywhere -- the company behind Orange and T-Mobile -- said it plans to do the same towards the end of the year.

DC-HSPA is a stepping stone on the way to the next generation of mobile data network, which the phone makers and networks are calling 4G -- although the use of the term 4G has already landed Apple in hot water. In the meantime, the new iPad and Nokia Lumia 900 are leading a new wave of phones and tablets that take advantage of DC-HSPA's improved speeds.

The S3 arrives in shops in just over a week

. If you haven't got your order in yet and want to secure the best package for your money, let us help with our regularly updated Samsung Galaxy S3 price comparison guide.

Not only will it steer you towards the very best S3 deals from all the networks, you might be surprised to discover that buying the phone outright could be a better deal. And while you're here, you might as well hit play on the video below to see what all the fuss is about:

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Watch this: Galaxy S3 vs iPhone 4S vs HTC One X

Are you excited about the S3? Would you switch networks to take advantage of DC-HSPA, or is 3G fast enough already? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.