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Telstra hails advent of its 'wireless gateway'

Telstra is hailing its latest creation as the fastest wireless gateway in the world, but a technology expert says it is all a matter of semantics.

At the launch of the Turbo 7 Series Wireless Gateway in Sydney today, Telstra directors said the product clocked faster speeds than any of its competitors.

"This device is now running at 7.2 mbps (million bits per second) and that is the quickest around," Telstra product management executive director Ross Fielding told AAP.

The wireless gateway enables multiple users to access the internet at the same time, and can also be used to operate other electronic devices such as EFTPOS machines.

However, Dr Johnson Agbinya, senior lecturer in information and communication at the University of Technology Sydney, said in theory it was the fastest product available, but multiple users would slow the speed down.

"It's like everyone running to Central Station to get on a train. Not everyone can fit on the same train and if you have to wait for another it will slow your trip down," Dr Agbinya told AAP.

Telstra has made a concerted effort to untangle what it says are the complexities of many wireless internet devices, using the past six months to put together its latest product.

And while it is the first telco to the market with the high speed gateway, Dr Agbinya said it did not mean the product would be unique to Telstra.

"All the networks are upgrading and everybody is testing to improve the speed of downloading," he said.

The telco giant said its wireless gateway would benefit families as well as businesses.

"You have families that temporarily set up location in a caravan, or a holiday rental, and they can still have broadband access with two PCs, three PCs," Mr Fielding said.

Telstra Business Group managing director Deena Shiff joked at the launch that her butcher had a broken EFTPOS machine and was in dire need of the new wireless system - at "mates rates," of course.

"It will probably cost him less than what he charges me for organic meat," she said.

The Telstra Turbo 7 Series Wireless Gateway will be available from tomorrow, July 25.