3G with HSDPA: a serious mobile broadband contender

Stuart Corner
Sunday, 09 October 2005 14:37

Business IT - Technology

A new report from US subscription research service Unstrung Insider claims that high-speed upgrades to 3G cellular networks could be a key factor in driving the expansion and profitability of wireless broadband communications.

Unstrung Insider estimates that a subscription price of $US30 (euro 25) per month will be the point at which mobile broadband over cellular networks will become attractive to the mass market. But to deliver that competitive price per bit and scoop a mobility premium, it says that operators will require radio access systems vastly more efficient than today's 3G UMTS cellular networks.

"HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) and HSUPA (high-speed uplink packet access) are the first steps down this road for UMTS-based 3G systems," it claims. The report "analyses the implementation of these high-speed upgrades to mobile networks worldwide and assesses the impact of this disruptive technology on the mobile infrastructure market."