Shiny new cell phones and faster service starts today in Orange County — if you’re an AT&T customer.

Called 3G because it’s the third-generation of wireless Internet service, AT&T’s 3G network allows customers to get Internet speeds of 400 to 700 Kbps with bursts of 1 Mbps. access on their cell phones.

That’s slow compared to today’s DSL or cable-modem Internet service, with speeds of 1 to 15 Mbps. But it’s much faster than what AT&T has offered customers, the 2.5 G technology called EDGE with speeds of 70 to 135 kbps, or about double that of a dial-up modem.

For folks who use their cell phone just to call people, you won’t need this. But if you check e-mail, browse the Web or play online games, 3G service is very convenient. And this should excite — or majorly disappoint — all iPhone users. Apple iPhones rely on EDGE technology; however, rumor is that the next-generation of iPhones will support AT&T’s faster Internet service. Woo hoo!

AT&T’s prices for the new 3G service:

1. $9.99 a month for MEdia basic service, which includes 1 MB of MEdia Net
2. $39.99 a month for unlimited service, which includes unlimited video, access to MEdia Net and multimedia messaging.
3. $59.99 a month for the laptop PC card.

Verizon Wireless and Sprint already offer 3G Internet service to users. But they use a different technology. AT&T chose HSDPA/UMTS technology, short for High Speed Downlink Packet Access/Universal Mobile Telephone System.

As part of the launch, AT&T introduced the Tilt phone, pictured on right. This Windows Mobile 6 phone has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 3-megapixel camera plus it makes use of the new 3G data speeds, being launched today.

Since OC and Los Angeles isn’t the first place AT&T launched its 3G service, several phones are available at AT&T’s web site (just search for 3G).

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