First high-speed 3G network launched
Vodafone boosts downloads to as much as 1.8Mbps with HSDPA release
Vodafone has launched the UK's first high-speed 3G network. The upgraded parts of its network - which cover some of the major conurbations - will provide up to 1.8Mbps of bandwidth downstream, and 384Kbps upstream: around a four-fold increase on current 3G networks.
The upgrade uses a technology called HSDPA, or High Speed Downlink Packet Access, which is a software upgrade to the radio network.
Although Orange, O2, T-Mobile and 3 plan to roll out HSDPA, Vodafone is the first off the mark. Vodafone has been trialling the technology with a range of London-based users over the last three months.
It found an average download speed of 1237Kbps, compared with a 3G average of 230Kbps and a GPRS average of just 30Kbps. Upload speeds trebled in the trial, to an average of 127Kbps with HSDPA, compared with 48Kbps on 3G. Round trip packet delay was cut by over a half.
HSDPA will initially only be available through laptop cards - and a small range of laptops from Dell, HP, Acer and Lenovo which come with built-in HSDPA radios.
Vodafone will sell the datacards from today, branded as '3G broadband', and at the same price as its existing 3G datacards.
The mobile operator will offer two main tariffs. £25 per month will buy 250MB of data, with an initial outlay of £99 for the datacard. Or users can sign up to a £45 monthly tariff, with 1GB of data. International roaming will be charged at a pricey £3.50 or £8.75 per MB, depending on the network used. Existing 3G users can upgrade their card to HSDPA for £99.
Vodafone plans to upgrade all its 3G basestations to HSDPA by next summer. The areas with HSDPA coverage now are:
- Within the M25
- Greater Manchester
- Sheffield
- Glasgow
- Tyneside.
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