3G is getting fast and furious
Three months ago, Vodafone Malta launched High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), or 3.5G, a natural upgrade to 3G, launched last summer. While 3G heralded new services such as video telephony and faster internet access on mobile handsets compared...
Three months ago, Vodafone Malta launched High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), or 3.5G, a natural upgrade to 3G, launched last summer. While 3G heralded new services such as video telephony and faster internet access on mobile handsets compared to the 2G, HSDPA promised to bring even faster internet access, up to five times faster than 3G and 40 times faster than 2G.
A few weeks after the launch of HSDPA, i-Tech tested the new technology on a mobile phone and on a connect card on a laptop computer. The results were impressive at times, the only drawback being the fact that HSDPA is only available in a few selected sites in Malta.
The technology really lives to the promise made at the launch that HSDPA delivers "a faster mobile broadband experience... with mobile transfer of data from the internet and intranet at high speeds and greater capacity (three times that of current 3G levels) meaning that more people in the same location at the same time can benefit from a superior experience. It unlocks three to four times more capacity from the network to minimise the chances of data congestion."
This was true both on a mobile handset and the laptop. On our Motorola V1100 HSDPA-enabled handset, we could immediately feel the raw speed. Graphics on websites for mobile phones are naturally small. Now imagine accessing such websites with the speed equivalent to ADSL or cable modem broadband internet. It's as if you are driving a racing car in the narrow streets of a village.
We tested the service by getting different types of downloads, especially full-track music downloads (FTMD), video news clips and ringtones from Vodafone live!, the operator's internet portal for mobile handsets. Our web surfing experience was better than expected, and we could make out the difference in speed between HSDPA and 3G. It worked just as well in a fast-moving car on the road.
On the laptop the speeds available through the Vodafone HSDPA V740 connect card were comparable to ADSL and cable modem but the real advantage was not in the speed itself but the availability of that speed. We tested it in a car in an open-air car park, away from any fixed-location Wi-Fi connection offered by hotels and other establishments. We did not miss the telephone line or the cable at all. Indeed, the freedom of access at high speeds is the real killer of HSDPA, at least until the new competing broadband wireless access (BWA) is launched in Malta in the coming months.
HSDPA is not for the casual user, not even for the regular 3G user. Its true potential can be mostly appreciated by business users who need everything done quickly and wherever possible. A quick look at Vodafone's HSDPA-related tariffs confirms this.
"The market feedback is positive," Michael Darmanin, head of business at Vodafone Malta, told i-Tech. "Business customers who need to stay in contact and use data extensively have been impressed with the experience of this wireless broadband service."
He explained that the service appeals to both handset and laptop users. The largest portion of customers uses wireless broadband to view and respond to their e-mail. These are often business people and managers who have to keep in touch, review and manage their business remotely. Access assists the decision-making process and responsiveness to the daily business needs and surely translates into a more effective and efficient way of running the business when away from the office.
There is also a growing base of local sales and distribution businesses that are equipping their customer facing staff, such as sales people, to take orders on their personal digital assistant (PDA) and relay orders back to the stores. This has equipped the sales persons with the latest price lists and stock situation, and also contributed to a faster turnaround on delivery to the customer, as the warehouse stores receive and process orders immediately.
"The roll out of HSDPA across the Maltese islands is also beneficial for the tourism industry. Speed and connectivity are a priority for in-bound roamers who come to Malta for conferences and other business activity," added Mr Darmanin.
When we tested HSDPA in the last few weeks we were limited as to where we could get the full service. However, there is a roll-out plan to increase coverage.
"We have started in areas where we knew businesses would largely benefit and will continue down this path. By March 2008, HSDPA will be active wherever 3G is available," confirmed Joseph Muscat, chief technical officer at Vodafone Malta.
While Vodafone Malta was the first mobile operator in Malta to launch HSDPA, it is expected to be available from other local mobile operators, including the third operator if it is licensed in the near future. For the time being, Vodafone Malta is the only provider of a fully mobile high-speed wireless solution for heavy internet users on the move.
• More information on HSDPA is available at www.vodafone.com.mt
A few weeks after the launch of HSDPA, i-Tech tested the new technology on a mobile phone and on a connect card on a laptop computer. The results were impressive at times, the only drawback being the fact that HSDPA is only available in a few selected sites in Malta.
The technology really lives to the promise made at the launch that HSDPA delivers "a faster mobile broadband experience... with mobile transfer of data from the internet and intranet at high speeds and greater capacity (three times that of current 3G levels) meaning that more people in the same location at the same time can benefit from a superior experience. It unlocks three to four times more capacity from the network to minimise the chances of data congestion."
This was true both on a mobile handset and the laptop. On our Motorola V1100 HSDPA-enabled handset, we could immediately feel the raw speed. Graphics on websites for mobile phones are naturally small. Now imagine accessing such websites with the speed equivalent to ADSL or cable modem broadband internet. It's as if you are driving a racing car in the narrow streets of a village.
We tested the service by getting different types of downloads, especially full-track music downloads (FTMD), video news clips and ringtones from Vodafone live!, the operator's internet portal for mobile handsets. Our web surfing experience was better than expected, and we could make out the difference in speed between HSDPA and 3G. It worked just as well in a fast-moving car on the road.
On the laptop the speeds available through the Vodafone HSDPA V740 connect card were comparable to ADSL and cable modem but the real advantage was not in the speed itself but the availability of that speed. We tested it in a car in an open-air car park, away from any fixed-location Wi-Fi connection offered by hotels and other establishments. We did not miss the telephone line or the cable at all. Indeed, the freedom of access at high speeds is the real killer of HSDPA, at least until the new competing broadband wireless access (BWA) is launched in Malta in the coming months.
HSDPA is not for the casual user, not even for the regular 3G user. Its true potential can be mostly appreciated by business users who need everything done quickly and wherever possible. A quick look at Vodafone's HSDPA-related tariffs confirms this.
"The market feedback is positive," Michael Darmanin, head of business at Vodafone Malta, told i-Tech. "Business customers who need to stay in contact and use data extensively have been impressed with the experience of this wireless broadband service."
He explained that the service appeals to both handset and laptop users. The largest portion of customers uses wireless broadband to view and respond to their e-mail. These are often business people and managers who have to keep in touch, review and manage their business remotely. Access assists the decision-making process and responsiveness to the daily business needs and surely translates into a more effective and efficient way of running the business when away from the office.
There is also a growing base of local sales and distribution businesses that are equipping their customer facing staff, such as sales people, to take orders on their personal digital assistant (PDA) and relay orders back to the stores. This has equipped the sales persons with the latest price lists and stock situation, and also contributed to a faster turnaround on delivery to the customer, as the warehouse stores receive and process orders immediately.
"The roll out of HSDPA across the Maltese islands is also beneficial for the tourism industry. Speed and connectivity are a priority for in-bound roamers who come to Malta for conferences and other business activity," added Mr Darmanin.
When we tested HSDPA in the last few weeks we were limited as to where we could get the full service. However, there is a roll-out plan to increase coverage.
"We have started in areas where we knew businesses would largely benefit and will continue down this path. By March 2008, HSDPA will be active wherever 3G is available," confirmed Joseph Muscat, chief technical officer at Vodafone Malta.
While Vodafone Malta was the first mobile operator in Malta to launch HSDPA, it is expected to be available from other local mobile operators, including the third operator if it is licensed in the near future. For the time being, Vodafone Malta is the only provider of a fully mobile high-speed wireless solution for heavy internet users on the move.
• More information on HSDPA is available at www.vodafone.com.mt