Telstra is one of the few operators in the world to have committed to a WCDMA 3G network a this frequency and critics have been predicting limited choice, and high cost, of terminal devices. HSDPA is billed as "the baseline for 3G for the full mobile broadband experience."
The GSA has just announced the results of a survey which show that, in total, there are more than 50 HSDPA-enabled devices on the market from 16 suppliers, double the number five months ago, 16 of which are capable of operation at 850MHz.
The total of 50 does not include the many models of notebooks/laptops with embedded HSDPA modules and PC data cards enabling wireless wide area networking access which have been launched by several PC manufacturers, mostly in partnership with mobile network operators.
The survey found: 25 PC data cards (PCMCIA and ExpressCard); 3 USB modems; 3 broadband wireless routers, and 19 mobile phones. Forty of the HSDPA devices also support GSM/EDGE.
Another recent survey by GSA put the number of HSDPA networks planned, in deployment or launched at 108 in 51 countries, of which 45 are providing commercial services today. GSA forecasts that the number of commercial HSDPA networks by end 2006 will reach 80.
The GSA survey, HSDPA Devices – July 31, 2006, should be available for download at www.gsacom.com but was not there when this article was written.
Plenty of HSDPA devices for Telstra's new 3G network
According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), there are already 16 devices on the market that will support HSDPA at 850MHz the operating frequency of Telstra's CDMA replacement 3G network.
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Stuart Corner
Tracking the telecoms industry since 1989, Stuart has been awarded Journalist Of The Year by the Australian Telecommunications Users Group (twice) and by the Service Providers Action Network. In 2010 he received the 'Kester' lifetime achievement award in the Consensus IT Writers Awards and was made a Lifetime Member of the Telecommunications Society of Australia. He was born in the UK, came to Australia in 1980 and has been here ever since.
