MONTREAL - Rogers Wireless (TSX:RCI.B) has upgraded one of its networks to get ready for the next generation of faster mobile devices, but most currently available devices including the iPhone and BlackBerry Bold smartphones won't be able to take advantage of its features.

The upgraded network is designed to give cellphone, smartphone and mobile laptops users faster Internet speeds to do such things download videos or business files and upload photos, said John Boynton, Rogers Wireless' senior vice-president and chief marketing officer.

"The most important thing is that you now have landline-like speeds," Boynton said in an interview.

But only two mobile phones, HTC Touch Diamond and the LG Vu T915, currently can be used on its next-generation 3.5G network, Rogers said.

Analyst Carmi Levy of Toronto's AR Communications Inc. said the upgrade keeps Rogers a step ahead of competitors such as BCE Inc.'s Bell Canada (TSX:BCE) and Telus (TSX:T).

But he said relatively few devices can take advantage of the new technology.

"That will change over time as new devices some to market," Levy said.

Rogers currently has the only Canadian network to run the new, faster iPhone, released last July. The iPhone and Research In Motion's (TSX:RIM) business-oriented BlackBerry Bold will continue to run on Rogers 3G network, Boynton said.

Rogers said a mobile network stick - Novatel MC950D Rocket Stick-and a mobile network card - Novatel X950 Express - also will work on its upgraded network, but more manufacturers are expected to release faster mobile devices and phones in 2009.

Boynton said Rogers spent most of this year and hundreds of millions of dollars on the network upgrade to give fast Internet speeds on-the-go that are similar to a standard broadband home connection that will cover much of Canada.

"This is really a high-speed Internet connection to 75 per cent of the population," he said.

The 3.5G next-generation network is now available in Canada's top 25 markets from Victoria to Halifax and other main markets, including such cities as Abbotsford, B.C., Red Deer, Alta, Owen Sound, Ont., and Granby, Que., with additional locations to cover 75 per cent of the population by the end of December, Rogers said.

The upgraded network, officially the 7.2 Mbps High Speed Packet Access, is billed as the latest and fastest 3G service available using GSM or Global System for Mobile communications technology, which is considered the global standard. Rogers says this network ranks among the fastest in the world.

Analyst Mark Tauschek said when consumers hear about the network upgrade and don't realize it may not apply to them, Rogers "will probably be hearing about that."

"They (Rogers) said there will be more devices coming out in the next year, but not a lot of people will be able to get the bang out of their buck for that," said Tauschek, senior research analyst at the Info-Tech Research Group in London, Ont.

Tauschek said Rogers' network upgrade was expected given that Bell and Telus have announced plans to upgrade their networks.