Mobile bb packages; differences? (HSDPA)

tonyj

I've been looking at the HTC Shift UMPC. It has a slot for a sim card, and is 3G+HSDPA compatible. Any suggestions which Irish mobile bb providers I can use with this device?

I'm a bit confused over the difference between 3G and HSDPA. This confusion is compounded when I see the packages on offer from Vodafone;

3G Broadband modem, 3G Broadband datacard and Built-in 3G Broadband
€12.48 for the first three months, 5GB limit, €0.02 per MB after that

3G Phone as a Modem bundles
€10.00 per month, 15MB limit, €2.50 per MB after that

What are the differences between these packages? - I thought 3G was 3G, how come the first package is cheaper? I don't want to buy one of these external USB modems when I should just be able to plug in a SIM chip.

Basically, I want a 3G+HSDPA SIM card that I can plug into the HTC Shift and get decent connection speeds. Then I'll be happy.

watty

3G is voice calls or is data upto 384k.
HSDPA is a protocol on a 3G system allowing upto 3.6Mbps (3600kbps), data only.

The important bit is "up to". It can be as slow as 70kbps.

The data modems can actually also do SMS on 3G.

Some 3G phones can be used directly for data applications (email, browser, internet radio etc) or act as modem for a PC via USB, bluetooth or even WiFi. Some 3G phone in data mode or in Modem mode only do basic 3G data, upto 384k, others can do up to 3600Kbps . Yet others only work upto 115k as a modem, but can do 384k on their own data applications!

The 1st package might be dearer. It has introduction rate for 3months. What is it afterwards?

Using a phone as a modem is only worthwhile occasionally as you can't have phone calls at same time.

Also they may mean Data on the phone, not phone as Modem on PC.

The SIM card does not affect the speed, only the charges.

In terms of connection speed there is no difference on 3G packages (any 3G SIM will give HSDPA if it is an HSDPA device), only on price and Cap and price per MB over cap.

Speed will only depend on Signal, amount of backhaul for mast and how many people using mast and sector. Speed will be between 70kbps and 3600kbps and the Mobile operator can't set or control that. If you want decent connection speeds hope that you are the only user on your mast. Note that the overhead for all the voice calls of other people on your sector of mast may limit the speed too.


Some vodaphone masts may only support 1.8Mbps and some upto 7.2Mbps (but your modem may only do upto 3.6).

O2 has EDGE on GSM (upto 240kbps ish) as well as 3G/HSDPA. Vodaphone falls back to 50kbps approx GPRS on GSM if 3G/HSDPA is full or poor signal.

3 has only 3G/HSDPA, no GSM.

tonyj

Thanks for explaining all that, watty! Much appreciated.