AT&T Inc is testing its current wireless network to deliver faster speeds ahead of the launch of its next generation wireless standard.

Engineers at the San Antonio-based telecom are testing speeds at more than double the rate of what their current 3G network is theoretically capable of.

The tests are at speeds of 7.2 megabits per second and could exceed 20 megabits per second by 2009, mobility chief Ralph de la Vega said, according to Apple Insider.

It's clear to us that we are in the very early stages of what I would call a wireless data revolution, he said at Morgan Stanley's annual Communication's Conference.

The upgrade would require little if any hardware modifications, he said.

AT&T's current wireless network uses basic GSM technology for most phones. Its 3G technology is called High Speed Packet Access, or HSPA.

The company is also testing its Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard for launch in the 2010 timeframe with speeds increasing to nearly 100 megabits per second, he said. He added that the LTE technology will be compatible with HSPA and GSM technologies which the company has been using.

AT&T Morgan Stanley