Not many cell phones are yet compatible with ’3G broadband’, and not every laptop has a PCMCIA slot for a modem card. Now Vodafone introduces its first external HSDPA modem, that can be connected to any computer with a USB port. At some traffic levels, maybe someone can unsubscribe from their fixed ADSL service.
Vodafone’s new USB Mobile Connect, to be launched by the carrier in Spain on October 16, can connect any USB-equipped computer to the Internet at a rated speed of 3,6 Mbps (megabits per second), using Vodafone’s HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) mobile network. The company says this rate is 8 times higher than the one available on its UMTS (3G) network.
The price of Vodafone’s new USB modem depends on the price plan. Contract customers can choose between two flat-rate plans: 1 GB for 39 Euro/month or 5 GB for 59 Euro/month. The USB modem comes free with the latter.
Prepaid customers must fork out 169 Euro (VAT included) for the USB Mobile Connect, regardless of the price plan: basic (25 MB, 20 Euro), advanced (200 MB, 40 Euro) or premium (1 GB, 60 Euro). The modem includes 25 MB of traffic in either case.
The main benefit of an USB modem is that it can also be used with computers lacking a PCMCIA slot, such as desktop PCs or Apple’s iBook laptops. Depending on their data traffic, some users may decide to avoid a fixed ADSL line and use the HSDPA mobile network for all their Internet access. This also applies to users without ADSL coverage.
Vodafone’s announcement describes the new modem as self-installing. A mention is also made of Macintoshes: Mac users will be able to download the required drivers, too.
More on CanalPDA:
- HSDPA, más rápido, igual de caro (21 jul 2006)
- Los futuros portátiles Centrino llevarán HSDPA integrada (28 sep 2006)
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