Huawei to deliver 'smarter' mobile broadband dongles
Huawei are to Embed Network Diagnostic Tools into their 3G Modems.
Carrier IQ has announced that its diagnostic software is to be embedded within a new range of 3G modems from Huawei. The cards will incorporate a diagnostic engine to enable carriers to optimize and improve data performance using Carrier IQ's suite of analysis tools.
Announcing the partnership, Carrier IQ CEO, Mark Quinlivan, said: "These new cards will make for smoother delivery of mobile data services, improvements in customer care services, identification of network coverage gaps and increased awareness of actual user behavior."
"Everybody wins," he added, "the manufacturer of the card, the network operator, but most importantly of all, the actual subscriber to mobile data services."
Spruce up your laptop with this season's must-have accessory, a limited edition polka dot mobile broadband modem designed exclusively for O2 by fashion designer Henry Holland under his House of Holland label.
The House of Holland-designed skin will be included for free with O2 Mobile Broadband Pay & Go from 27 February for a limited time only.
Checking your email or surfing the web on the go has never been more fashionable than with the House of Holland mobile broadband, featuring one of the hottest trends for 2009 – polka dots. "Henry Holland is one of the most exciting designers in London and the perfect partner to help us add some style to our mobile broadband offering. Our customers have been telling us that they continually crave individuality and this delivers stand-out, personalisation and a bit of fun" said Peter Rampling, O2's Marketing Director.
Henry Holland continues: "I'm really pleased to have been asked to design this for O2. It's a fun project and something great to give to all my friends and something I know they all need!"
The exclusive House of Holland O2 Mobile Broadband Pay & Go will be available from 27 February 2009 at O2 stores and from the O2 online shop at www.O2.co.uk.
Orange has announced new products in its mobile broadband portfolio, with two new laptops in its consumer "connected" range and a new dongle with data storage capacity.
The new devices are the HP Compaq Mini 700 and the Toshiba L300 that will both be available on 24 month contracts. The HP Compaq Mini 700 is a 10.1-inch netbook and will cost £30 per month whilst the Toshiba L300, a 15.4-inch full size laptop, will be available at £35 per month.
Both the HP Compaq Mini 700 and the Toshiba L300 come with Orange's "Internet Everywhere" mobile broadband service and dongle, as well as a 3GB monthly data allowance and 24 month manufacturer warranty.
In addition, Orange has announced the availability of the Huawei E160e dongle in black, white and pink that offers support for an 8GB microSD card.
If you're new to mobile broadband and are wondering what it is and what all the fuss is about, then you should read our comprehensive guide to mobile broadband.
Mobile broadband is a generic term used to describe fast internet access on mobile phones or laptops whilst on the move - free from the ties of a fixed phone line. All the major networks: Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, 3 Mobile and O2 offer mobile broadband solutions.
The only equipment you need is a mobile broadband "dongle" which looks similar to a USB flash drive and holds a 3G mobile SIM card - the same as those in 3G mobile phones.
The mobile communications firm, Nokia, is about to launch its version of a mobile broadband dongle which will be available in early 2009.
In 2006 and 2007 Nokia unsuccessfully attempted to enter the 3G market by developing internal modems in partnership with Intel. However this new attempt is likely to be different as they are approaching this through the very much in demand mobile broadband market which has seen huge growth in sales this year.
Yet there is no guarantee that the Nokia brand will be able to complete with the Chinese made Huawei dongle that is available through Vodafone and 3. During 2009, the worldwide market for mobile broadband is expected to grow by thirty per cent to around twenty six million units, compared to the four hundred and forty million mobile phones that Nokia sells.
Option N.V., the wireless technology company, today announced that T-Mobile UK is adding an Option USB wireless modem to its pioneering mobile broadband service. The iCON 431 is an intelligent HSUPA USB modem offering fast, future-proof broadband connectivity: it will be marketed by T-Mobile UK as the Mobile Broadband USB Stick 530.
Option's iCON 431 can download at speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and upload at up to 5.7 Mbps. Tri-band HSPA in the 900, 1900 & 2100 MHz bands ensures iCON 431 users can obtain mobile broadband connections in countries all over the world. Ease-of-use is guaranteed by Option's patented Zero-CD Plug 'n' Play technology that automatically installs all necessary drivers and application software when the device is first connected to a PC.
The sleek and compact device measures just 76 x 27 x13 mm when the USB connector is retracted within its body. An innovative Micro-SD slot can accommodate an 8 GB card making the iCON 431 a versatile data storage device.
The Toshiba G450 works as a USB memory stick, an mp3 player, a mobile broadband modem, and a phone! To get the 3G modem functionality you need to add an appropriate SIM which should have unlimited (or high monthly allowance) 3G access associated with it. The G450 is larger than your average modem-only USB dongle, as there is a dual rotary-layout keypad on one side – plus a screen. Toshiba has made good use of the available screen estate and things are really quite simple and intuative to use.
Modem installation files are drawn from on-board the device, meaning CDs etc are not needed in common with most standard dongles. The G450 charges each time it is connected to the PC. The status monitor software runs in the system tray as a process (on Windows PCs) and reports connection status and allows a manual disconnect which is useful.
The memory stick function doesn't have much capacity (160Mb) so is only of limited use, the MP3 player may be redundant for many who are already equipped in that respect and the same could be said for the phone functionality. However, as a converged package, all it's lacking is a camera! The G450 has everything you need on the move and it's available in the UK for around £130.
Huawei claims 'Best Mobile Broadband Device' award
Chinese vendor and handset manufacturer, Huawei has bagged the coveted 'Best Mobile Broadband Handset/Device Award' for its E180 USB Stick at the Asia Mobile Awards function held at the ongoing Mobile Asia Congress.
The E180 comes in a compact size of 100mm thickness or rather thinness, supports complete range of HSPA/UMTS and GSM/GPRS/EDGE network technologies, allows fast uplink speed rates of up to 5.76Mbps and a downlink of up to 7.2 Mbps claims Huawei. It also has a rotatable USB connector (upto 270 degrees) and is Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista compatible as well as with Mac operating system. It has a MicroSD card slot allowing upto 8GB memory.
"We are delighted to win an award for 'Best Mobile Broadband Handset/Device'," said Edward Chen, CEO of Huawei Communications, "It is recognition of the Huawei's commitment to provide innovative solutions to its customers in Asia and all over the world. We will continue to focus on our customers' needs to bring them cutting-edge products and to contribute to the development of the mobile telecom industry."
Huawei says that it has now shipped over 20 million mobile broadband dongles/USB modems. The growth in mobile broadband products including data card, dongles and embedded modems has far exceeded the forecast of the industry in 2006 and 2007 for two consecutive years.
Over the next three years, industry analysts expect the mobile broadband market to grow at an amazing Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 46%, with annual shipments reaching 100 million by 2011.
"Huawei has emerged as the gold standard in partnering with operators for mobile broadband devices. Its proven ability to focus on operators' needs, to provide differentiated customization, including award-winning industrial designs, and to deliver robust applications suites has been recognized by operators globally," said Edward Chen, CEO of Huawei Communication Technologies. "Huawei's robust R&D systems and processes are engineered to ensure a fast response to meet operators' terminal customization requirements. This has helped it achieve a commanding position in mobile broadband products. As the market leader, Huawei is firmly committed in its efforts to drive worldwide broadband penetration and the fast evolution of this technology."
Australian mobile operator, Telstra has shown off the fastest mobile broadband modem on the planet capable of reaching peak network downlink speeds of 21Mbps.
Speaking at the company's annual Investor Day briefing, Mike Wright, Executive Director, Wireless Engineering and Operations, confirmed Telstra was on track to super charge Next G network speeds with the 21Mbps capability by the end of the year.
At the Investor Day, Telstra hosted its first public enhanced HSPA (eHSPA) data session, showcasing the enhanced network speeds and demonstrating the capabilities of the super-fast new modem. Trials of the 21Mbps mobile broadband modem will begin in December with a full commercial launch to follow early next year.
Hot on the back of the recent T-Mobile USB hub news, 3-Mobile have released details of their mobile broadband sharing hub - and it looks good, very good. The D100 WiFi Router allows you to share your mobile broadband connection without the need for any additional hardware. An ideal solution for landline-free homes.
All it takes is plugging your mobile broadband dongle into the router, connecting to the Wi-Fi enabled device and voila you have Broadband to share. People can share their Broadband with up to four people in their home, who ever they may be. And when they're heading out of the house they can just pull the dongle out of the router and have web access on the move.
T-Mobile has revealed a sneak peek of its home hub for mobile broadband, which allows up to three users to connect to a single mobile broadband USB modem using Wi-Fi.
It's a neat alternative to landline broadband, with a simple connection for the USB modem, as well as a built-in ethernet port for devices without Wi-Fi inside.
T-Mobile says its Share Dock 100 will be bundled free with mobile broadband packages costing £20 per month, or available separately at £100.
This follows news earlier in the year that 3 Mobile has plans to bring mobile broadband to the home too. The firm let slip that, since some customers are using mobile dongles as an alternative to a home landline, it's considering the launch of a special router to share the connection between laptops using Wi-Fi.
We can only assume it's still in development, because there's still no word on pricing or a release date. Stay tuned for more as soon as we hear it.
But, should you opt for a 3G-embedded notebooks at all?
In our view, the simple fact of the matter is that (for now) it makes no economic sense to include a 3G module and antenna in a PC unless it's definitely going to be used for a mobile subscription. Otherwise it's just a costly lump of extra electronics - not ideal for consumer or retailer - which would hurt the competitiveness of the PC in the marketplace.
At the top end of the market laptop, 3G might start to become a standard feature in the not too distant future, but if you're trying to sell a £200 low-end netbook with £25 worth of unused electronics inside, it won't make your gross margin look very pretty.
Add to this the fact that you can't then use your 3G SIM in another PC, then you're effectively limiting yourself to mobile broadband access on your netbook. One of the great selling points of mobile broadband via a dongle is that you can use it on any PC.
For us it's a no-brainer at the moment...dongle every time!
Ofcom's annual review, released today, reports that every day in 2007, the average consumer spent 7 hours and 9 minutes watching TV, on the phone, using the internet or using other services. Since 2002, mobile use has doubled and PC and laptop use has grown fourfold.
Key facts:
Communications industry revenue topped £51.2bn in 2007
Average households spend £93.63 per month on communications services
87.2% have digital television
80% of new TV sales are high-definition sets
40% buy communications services in a bundled package
44% of adults use text messaging every day
36% of adults use the net every day
Source: Ofcom market review
The real surge, though, came in the use of mobile broadband after a big marketing push by mobile phone companies selling mobile broadband "dongles". Between February and June this year, monthly sales rose from 69,000 to 133,000 a month.
According to Ofcom figures, two million people say they have used mobile broadband via a dongle or similar device and three-quarters of them say they use it at home as well as on the move - further evidence that the mobile operators are beginning to compete with fixed-line businesses for broadband customers.
3 Mobile network recently put a figure of over half a million on the number of total dongles it has sold to date, accounting for around 16% of its total subscriber base.
Vodafone reported sales of 3.2 million across Europe by the end of June. While the company doesn't split out regional sales, market sources put U.K. mobile broadband sales to date at close to half a million as well.
T-Mobile has made a concerted push into mobile broadband in the past few months, and reported that its share of total dongle sales in June was around 27%, citing data provided by research firm GfK.
O2 and Orange were not able to provide figures for the number of dongles sold or their market share.
Over 80% of mobile broadband sales cited by Ofcom in the five months to June were on a contract basis, with typical contracts worth around £10 to £20 per month, about half the amount mobile operators get from their handset contract customers. Ofcom projects that if 3 million people in the U.K. took up mobile broadband in the next few years, it could generate around £540 million for the mobile industry.
You can read the full (365 page) Ofcom review here.
USB stick manufacturer dismisses embedded Sim fears UK: Mobile Magazine
Dongle manufacturer Huawei believes that USB broadband sticks will continue to outsell embedded Sim cards. The Chinese manufacturer, which produces the majority of Europe's dongles, has seen global dongle shipments surpass 10 million.
Laptop manufacturers have begun to ship a broader range of laptops with embedded Sim capabilities but the company dismissed fears that dongle technology has already reached a peak with embedded Sim cards set to overtake. A Huawei spokeswoman said: "How long it takes the market to move away from dongles to embedded Sim cards depends on the development trend of the whole product chain and the preferences of the end users."
"Embedded Sim cars are a trend, but Huawei believes dongles still have a unique market space and market opportunities, which won't be replaced by embedded Sim cards in the short term."
