High Speed Internet Access (HSIA): Mobile Broadband

A 3G capable Skype for iPhone app is on the horizon according to Skype representative Peter Parkes and posted on the Skype blog.

It’s thanks to the iPad as Apple have updated the Software Development Kit for the new iPad which removes restrictions on making VOIP calls over 3G mobile broadband.

The app isn’t available just yet. Skype are holding out until they can deliver the best audio quality.

As for Skype for iPad we’ll be hearing about that “in due course”.

More details are emerging about the Apple iPad that were glossed over in the launch or at least the impact of which wasn’t fully realised at the time.

Recent discussion has been on the new form factor for the SIM card which goes into the iPad. It’s quite a bit smaller than the SIM cards currently used in mobile phones. Telstra, Optus and VHA have all confirmed that they will stock the micro SIMS so that they can sell the 3G version of the iPad.

This is all very well but it means that consumers won’t be able to switch between an iPhone and an iPad by using the same SIM card and the therefore same data plan. It is thought that there will be quite a bit of resistance to purchasing another monthly plan for a device like the iPad by those who already have an existing mobile broadband plan.

The manufacturer of the micro SIM has said that the difference between the existing SIM standard and the new micro form is the amount of plastic surrounding the card’s chip. It is envisaged that people will have a go cutting SIMs down to the required size to fit in the iPad. Apparently punches to accomplish this very task are already being manufactured in China.

There is quite a bit of cynicism around as to why Apple chose to go with the micro SIM instead of the standard size. The Apple iPad will be sold unlocked but the choice of carrier will nevertheless be restricted to those who stock the micro-SIM. In Australia, all main providers have said that they will do this. Initially in the US, only Apple’s telco partner AT&T will be ready with the new SIM form, hence the cynicism. It might all be a non issue in a few months however as all carriers and handset makers are apparently switching to this standard. Apple are just getting in early.

Internode have announced a MiFi product which lets users combine a 3G broadband modem with a wireless access point. The device is $349 per unit unlocked and with no contract requirement. This is a launch special. The standard price will be $399 with the option of $299 when bundled with a 24-month wireless broadband plan from Internode.

A Mi-Fi device is small and light, smaller than a pack of cards. It’s an easy way to create your own portable, wireless hotspot so that a 3G mobile broadband connection can be shared by up to devices such as laptops or smartphones. The devices connect by wi-fi up to a range of about 10 metres.

It can be useful in different situations. From a business perspective, up to 5 co-workers can be online with one 3G connection. Friends can share a connection in the same way which could be useful when travelling.

The technology isn’t new but these type of devices makes it easy with auto-install and auto-connect so the personal hotspot is available at the push of a button.

Virgin Mobile also offer a MiFi modem available from Dick Smith and Coles.

Tablets are the next new thing to connect to the Internet apparently with buzz generated by the rumours that Apple will announce a tablet product at this end of this month, possibly on the 26 or 27 January and scheduled to be on the market in March.

Not one of the details has been officially confirmed. Best guess is that the Apple tablet will have a 10-11” touchscreen, keyboard, wireless connectivity and will retail for under $1000.

The Apple tablet is the most talked about but the coolest gadget announcement at CES was the Lenovo Ideapad U1 Hybrid.

The Lenovo Ideapad U1 Hybrid is two computers in one (or 3 maybe?). It works as a laptop but the screen is detachable and morphs into a tablet. When the screen is detached the keyboard can then be attached to another display. It really is two separate computers because each component when working separately runs with different processors and operating systems.

When working as a laptop with both halves together it runs on Windows 7 Home Premium on an Intel Core 2 Duo SU processor. When you separate them, the tablet runs on a customized version of Linux and a Qualcomm ARM Snapdragon processor. The tablet also has embedded 3G and 16GB of solid state memory.
It looks fantastic and is a very clever idea. How successful it will be remains to be seem. The launch date is set for June and the price is around a thousand US dollars.

Lenovo announced a new mobile Internet device at CES this week that is a cross between a smartphone and a netbook. It looks very like a netbook with a 10.1” screen and a keyboard but it is for accessing the Internet only with no PC functionality.

This breed of device is is known as a smartbook. It’s powered by an ARM based processor with a linux operating system. The benefits over a typical netbook are that it has about 10 hours battery life and with a quicker start up time.

Lenovo are claiming that the new device, name Skylight, incorporates the simplicity of a smartphone in a PC like device.

What are we likely to see in the mobile phone marketplace in 2010? Telstra’s director of device management, Richard Fink, has put forward his thoughts on emerging trends in mobile technology for the year ahead.

The main prediction is that 2010 will be the year of the smartphone. More consumers will buy smartphones this year and the estimate is that one in four phones purchased will be smartphones. The good news for consumers is that competition will drive smartphone bargains. New devices will come on the market with more features and at cheaper prices. Android is likely to emerge as a popular operating system for smartphones.

Apps and in particular social media apps will drive the popularity of smartphones with more than 100,000 iPhone apps available from Apple’s iTunes store and the Android store likely to compete strongly. Social media apps are likely to spur further growth in social media services and communities such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Traffic on Telstra’s Next G mobile network is doubling every 8 months and Fink says that mobile broadband in general will boom in 2010. The development of better, feature packed devices making it easier to access and use the Internet whilst on the go will drive the growth of mobile broadband.

All the mobile broadband carriers in Australia will soon be offering the new BlackBerry Bold 9700. Telstra got in first and have the Next G Bold 9700 with the Telstra logo and pre-loaded with links to Telstra’s services.  In the next few days Vodafone, 3 Mobile and Optus will follow suit.

The Bold 9700 has been described as “the best Blackberry ever”. It’s smaller in size than it’s predecessor, the Bold 9000 with a better spec meaning more and improved features. These improved features include:

• Support for both dual-band 2100 MHz and 900 MHz 3G network (Optus and nVodafone) as well as 2100 MHz and 850 MHz   (Telstra Next G and 3 Mobile roaming on Next G). The Bold 9700 comes in 2 different models one for each. It’s the first Blackberry to support 3G HSDPA on the 900 MHz band.
• An upgraded camera with 3.2 megapixels and autofocus
• A faster web browser
• The new BlackBerry OS 5.0
• Support for Mac OS X
• An optical trackpad similar to the trackpad on a laptop.
• The smaller size does mean a smaller screen however the screen resolution is better, 480 x 360 instead of 480 x 320.

The Blackberry Bold 9000 is still available and selling well according to RIM who say they are providing a choice for their customers with the Bold 9700.

Vodafone have the best deals with their new unlimited $99 plan with the Bold 9700. It will include unlimited calls and texts and either unlimited Blackberry email and web or 1.5GB of data with the Bold 9700 able to be tethered to a laptop and used as a modem. 2nd December is the date that the plan will be available.

Vodafone will also offer the Bold 9700 with their $79 plan including $550 of calls and text, unlimited BlackBerry email and Web and 50MB of data.

Telstra have an $85 plan with $85 worth of calls and texts and 600MB of data. You can also buy the Bold 9700 up front from Telstra for $999.

Optus have the Bold 9700 on a $79 plan with $300 worth of calls and text, and unlimited Blackberry email and internet.

If you use wireless broadband on Telstra’s Next G network with an iPhone it’s not straightforward to tether the iPhone to a laptop and use it as a wireless broadband modem. Telstra came under some criticism from their customers over this and said last July that the fault lay with Apple rather than themselves in that Apple had disabled the tethering functionality.

Tethering is a feature that is very much in demand and 3 Mobile and Vodafone both allow iPhone data tethering free of charge. Optus also allow iPhone tethering for a fee. However it looks like Telstra have started listening to their customers and they have again announced that they are working with Apple to enable Next G tethering with the iPhone.

No dates have been announced but Telstra CEO, David Thodey, has said that they are ““listening to our customers on this issue”.

USB modems (known also as Internet Keys or dongles) plug into the USB port of a laptop, netbook or computer and provide wireless Internet access. They are convenient, easy to use and provide the ability to get online for business or personal reasons while on the move.

There are a range of mobile broadband USB devices. Vodafone, Optus and 3 Mobile all use Huawei modems rebadged for their brand. The speed and services are similar between these providers. Telstra uses a Sierra USB modem and has the fastest mobile broadband network, which the device supports, but at a cost.

Mobile Broadband modems can be purchased outright or obtained as part of a mobile broadband contract. The cost of the modem in these cases is often free or with a small monthly charge.

USB Modems from Australian mobile broadband providers

3 Mobile offer a range of USB modems which they call Internet keys. There are no up front costs for the Internet Key on a mobile broadband plan and depending on the specific plan and the choice of modem, a monthly charge for the modem ranges from free to $10 a month.

Virgin Mobile have one choice of modem, the Huawei E169, with a monthly charge of up to $5 a month depending on the plan.

Telstra have the super fast Turbo 21 modem delivering speeds up to 21Mbps at a cost.

The Optus E1762 modem is easy to use, compact with a microSD card slot and a theoretical maximum speed of 7.2Mbps although, as with all modems, this can fluctuate greatly with signal strength. Monthly charges are up to $5 per month.

Vodafone offer their Mobile Connect 3G HSDPA USB Modem

Mobile broadband device manufacturers are constantly bringing out new models which are smaller, faster and more compact than previous models. It should be noted that speeds are quoted are theoretical and depend on the strength of the signal of the mobile provider.

Popular Mobile Broadband Modems

Virgin Mobile – Huawei E169

• Download speeds of 7.2Mbps
• Twin antennas for improved speed in areas of poorer coverage
• MicroSD card slot up to 4GB maximum card size
• Dual band support, allowing the device to take advantage of future mobile broadband networks running at 900Mhz

3 Mobile – Internet Key E1553

• High-speed HSDPA 3.6
• Plug & Play installation
• Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2, Vista (32+64 bit) or Mac OS X (Mac OS 10.4, 10.5)
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4, 2.6 GHz or higher
• Memory: 256MB RAM or higher recommended
• Hard Disk space: 50MB
• Standard USB port
• Supports quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• Supports dual-band 3G UMTS 850/2100MHz
• Micro SD Card slot (up to 8GB – sold separately)

3 Mobile – Internet Key E1803

3’s new slim-line, lightweight Internet Key E1803 has a rotatable USB connector that can be turned 270 degrees, allowing you to optimise reception and position it for ultimate convenience. It also has a Micro SD memory card slot (up to 8GB) and is plug and play for both PC and Mac!

• High-speed HSDPA 7.2 downlink
• High-speed HSUPA 2.0 uplink
• Plug & Play installation
• Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2, Vista 32/64
• Mac OS X, 10.4, 10.5
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4, 2.6 GHz or higher
• Memory: 256MB RAM (512MB or higher recommended)
• Hard Disk space: 50MB
• Standard USB port
• Supports EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 1900/1800/900/850MHz
• Supports 3G UMTS 2100/900 MHz
• Micro SD Card slot (up to 8GB – sold separately)

3 Mobile – Internet Key MF6273

• High-speed HSDPA 3.6
• Plug & Play installation
• Windows 2000, XP SP2, Vista 32/64
• Mac OS X, 10.4, 10.5
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4, 2.6 GHz or higher
• Memory: 256MB RAM (512MB or higher recommended)
• Hard Disk space: 128MB
• Standard USB port
• Supports EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• Supports 3G UMTS 2100/850MHz
• Micro SD Card slot (up to 4GB – sold separately)

Optus – Huawei E160e

• Dual Band 900/2100MHz
• SMS Services
• Plug and Plan Auto Installation
• Micro SD Memory (optional) up to 2GB
• External Aerial (optional) attachment

It’s not easy to get hold of an iPhone 3G S at the moment. It was predicted that the new iPhone would sell out very quickly and in fact 3 Mobile almost sold out on the day of the launch a couple of weeks ago.

Now, the situation is that the telcos offerings the iPhone 3GS have no stock available. Telstra has blamed the “global shortage of iPhone models”. It looks like it will be a couple of weeks before new shipments arrive for Australian carriers. Apple have said that they can’t keep up with the demand for the iPhone 3Gs and are working to address the current shortfall.

The iPhone 3Gs can be purchased directly from Apple at a cost of $879 for the 16GB model and $1040 for 32GB.