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Fuzzy Logic 3 doesn’t ditch dongle, just releases new one
Fuzzy Logic 3 doesn’t ditch dongle, just releases new one | 3 doesn’t ditch dongle, just releases new one |
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| by Alex Zaharov-Reutt | |
| Sunday, 25 May 2008 | |
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Page 1 of 3   
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Problem is, that headline could be wrong too – especially if the new USB mobile broadband key doesn’t fit into your USB port because there are other things plugged in around the port that make it not fit properly. In that case, you’ll need one of those short USB extension cables – one with a male USB connector on one end, and a female on the other – to use the device properly. Still, many people will be able to just stick the new USB key in to a free USB port, thus eliminating the cable altogether – but does it really matter? No. What matters is that you are connected to 3.5G mobile broadband Internet. One benefit of the new USB modem is that it is 7.2Mbps HSDPA enabled out of the box. Sadly, you won’t be able to take advantage of that speed on the 3 Mobile network, or at least, not yet, because the network is still being upgraded to 7.2Mbps status. That means speeds of 500Kbps to 1.5Mbps today, as it is still a 3.6Mbps network. However, when the 7.2Mbps update does officially launch, the USB key will work at speeds of around 500Kbps to 3Mbps – and potentially up to 5Mbps – real world speeds, without needing any firmware updates. There’s no mention that the key is also HSUPA capable, as some of Telstra’s modems are, with maximum speeds of up to 1.9Mbps and real world upload speeds of 250Kbps to 1.3Mbps. That likely means that 3 Mobile’s new broadband Internet key maxes out at a maximum upload speed of 384Kbps. I checked with 3 Mobile’s PR company about owners of the old ‘soap-on-a-rope’ USB modem to see if it would be the beneficiary of a firmware update to also bestow 7.2Mbps speed compatibility in the future, and was told that yes, a software upgrade would be forthcoming – which is good news for existing owners. So, what does the USB key cost, and what does 3 Mobile have to say about its release? Please read on to page 2. |
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