As researchers demonstrate world’s fastest Wi-Fi network, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry smartphone is preparing for a taste of those incredible downloading speeds by adding Wi-Fi capabilities.

Researchers from Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) at Georgia Tech have previewed the results of a Wi-Fi test for a network that supports the dazzling speed of 60Gbps, at a distance of 1 meter.

Probably under the influence of those tests (and presumably the iPhone’s pressure), RIM’s BlackBerry 8820 will feature Wi-Fi connectivity features that will add even more value to the already highly-praised handheld.

Currently RIM’s thinnest smartphone design with a full and highly tactile QWERTY (also available in AZERTY and QWERTZ configurations to support different language groups)  keyboard, large and bright display (320 x 240), user-friendly trackball navigation system and voice and data functionality, the BlackBerry 8820 also includes built-in GPS (Global Positioning System), RIM’s latest media player enhancements, and a microSD / microSDHC (microSD High Capacity) expandable memory slot that can support current and future generations of microSD memory cards up to 32GB.

The BlackBerry 8820 is a quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE-enabled smartphone that provides global wireless voice and data capabilities     through UMA (unlicensed mobile access) for fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) service offerings from various wireless carriers around the world.

"The BlackBerry 8820 is an extraordinary business phone for people who really care about mobile communications and productivity. It features all the renowned power and usability of the BlackBerry platform with executive class styling and unprecedented connectivity features, including cellular, Wi-Fi and built-in GPS," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM. "The BlackBerry 8820 complements our carrier partners' cellular networks with the added ability to stay connected via Wi-Fi at home, through hotspots and corporate campuses."