We Americans live in a broadband backwater for the most part. Internet users in a few locations can get super fast speeds from fiber optic and cable networks, but for the bulk of Americans broadband really isn't very broad. Australian web surfers on Telstra are set to get a new speed increase that will bump available speeds up to 100Mbps on cable access.

That is very fast and there will certainly be a premium for the access. Exactly what that price premium will be is unknown a this point. The new speed is set to hit on December 1 in selected areas of Melbourne.

Along with the new speed is a new BigPond Velocity Home Network Gateway that is capable of parting that 100Mbps speed out through four Gigabit Ethernet ports and an 802.11 wireless network. The box also has dual TV tuners and works as a DVR.