3GSM preview: On with the show
Super 3G, or HSDPA, is an enhancement to today's 3G networks that offers the promise of much faster connectivity of up to 15Mbps--although the best achieved in practical trials so far is 3.6Mbps. NEC and NTT DoCoMo are both expected to bring prototype HSDPA handsets to the show. Nortel has said it will demonstrate HSDPA alongside other high-speed wireless technologies, and Sony Ericsson will be showing HSDPA data cards in action. "HSDPA was kind of there last year in terms of a couple of demos but I think this time round it will be a case of, 'It's here, it's real, it's commercial, here are the products,'" says Ovum's Garner. Operators have also been focusing their efforts on putting the mobile broadband technology into laptops. Dell recently signed a deal with Vodafone to include internal HSDPA modems, while Lenovo also revealed it had similar plans to include the technology in its hardware. However HSDPA has its limits. Because it was designed as a broadcast medium it has a much faster downlink than uplink capability. This means that mobile workers looking to upload information may not find the technology flexible enough. HSDPA increases the amount of data a base station can handle to around 4Mbps, under ideal conditions. "Whoever came up with the idea of asymmetric connections missed quite a big aspect of what is needed. Enterprises will probably need HSDPA consumers probably less so but maybe not," says Garner. | |||||||||||||
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