3 Mobile Broadband
Broadband connectivity for mobile computing needs is offered by 3 Mobile in two modes: Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go. Either way, you get a choice of USB dongles or modems you connect to your laptop or netbook.
HSDPA Network
3’s high speed network revolves around the HSDPA or High Speed Downlink Packet Access network, providing true broadband speeds to your internet access at home office or on the road. While other networks boasts about giving you HSDPA’s theoretical limits of up to 2.8 Mbps, you never can get that. Even if 3’s theoretical network speeds can reach 3.5Mbps, it is candid enough to say that your download speed can be diminished be factors such as (1) your proximity from the mobile masthead or antenna (2) obstruction like trees and buildings between you and its mast, and more importantly, (3) the users sharing the same mast. 3 Mobile subscribers are assured download speeds from 600Kbps to 1.6Mbps.
Coverage, Speed and Connection Reliability
These are the three areas that 3 Mobile promises to excel at for its mobile broadband subscribers. You get to connect to its HSDPA mast anywhere in the country. 3 Mobile boasts of having the widest HSDPA coverage reach in all of Britain at 90%. Compare that to T-Mobile’s 84% and Vodafone’s 81%.
Once you’re online, you are sure to enjoy download speeds in the range from 0.6 Mbps to 1.6 Mbps. A 3-4 minute MP3 file can be download in 30 seconds or less. Once in the network, there’s little or no chance of getting disconnected while moving on the road. That’s called high reliability.
Enhancing the Speed and Coverage
3 is currently upgrading its network to secure twice the download speed at HSUPA maximum of 7.2Mbps from its current 3.6Mbps standard while operating greater capacity and coverage. This network enhancement is expected to start rolling out in October with London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester as the first UK cities to enjoy its benefits. By the end of 2010, 3 is expected to reach 98.5% broadband coverage in the UK with 30% faster internet speeds over what current subscribers already enjoy with their mobile broadband high speed connection.
