Is Mobile Broadband the same as using a phone with 3G for computer connectivity?

flaka

Hi,
I'm thinking about getting mobile broadband. I've a 3G capable SIM and phone (SE K800i - the brown one) and I'm O2 bill pay.

Is the only difference between using my phone as the 3G connection and Mobile Broadband the charges for data transfer?

Can I configure my phone to perform the same function as the USB mobile broadband?

It seems redundant to get separate SIM and bill contract from O2 when I have the hardware (phone), SIM and contract.

If I've not got this all wrong from a technical point of view - Would a Broadband/Voice/Test tariff with attractive pricing enable "Mobile Broadband" for existing users like me?

Should I expect the same speeds from the phone as the Mobile Broadband?

Cheers
flaka

MickLimk

Your 3G K800i is not capable of HSDPA so will give you a max of about 384kbps on a download in ideal conditions. The Huawei E220 USB broadband dongle is capable of download speeds of a max of 3.6Mbps as it uses HSDPA (sometimes referred to as 3.5G).

Obviously you need to take these figures with more than a grain of salt as to what speeds you will really see but the quick answer to your last question is No!

watty

The separate modems have a different contract, higher cap and do HSDPA on 3G. Few phones do HSDPA on 3G.

Many phones only do basic UP TO 384k, or if they do HSDPA it is UP TO 3600k, only on phone and 384k to PC. Some phones will do the full HSDPA speed to the PC. However normal phone SIM contract may be only 3G enabled rather than the HSDPA extension, and have high data charges.

Also while doing HSDPA modem mode you can't easily take or make calls on most phones that support such a mode.

I've tested my phone SIM in Data card and Data card SIM in Phone. The Data Card SIM does allow phone calls on the phone, but at EU roaming price approx. My phone only does up to 384k (3G only) and indeed with Data Card SIM does do that. Via Bluetooth you only get 115k on PC! USB is faster. There is also software to make WM6 and Symbian phones with WiFi into a 3G/HSDPA hot spot for your computer, but no encryption so anyone could freeload

So yes, you are right and also wrong...

If you make few calls and use Internet a lot and phone does do HSDPA and does do it via BT /USB/WiFi at full speed, then changing to a Data contract on existing SIM is I beleive possible and cheapest solution.

I'd be sceptical that your phone does HSDPA speeds though.

BUT:
PLEASE don't call it USB Mobile Broadband.
1/ It can use PCMCIA, ExpressCard, USB, PCIe, MiniPCI, phone handset or dedicated Module for hardware of Modem.
2/ It is not Broadband. It's Mobile Internet.

For 3 it is 3G/HSDPA only
Vodaphone GPRS on GSM when no 3G, or 3G/HSDPA
O2 is GPRS or EGDE(virtually as fast as basic 3G) on GSM or 3G/HSDPA
Meteor is GPRS /EDGE only.

Basic GSM fixed 14.4k or 28.8k
GPRS (on GSM) UP TO about 50k
EDGE (on GSM) UP TO about 240k
Basic 3G UP TO 384k
HSDPA (on 3G) UPTO 3600k (only if entire sector free of any other users)

wheresmybeaver

I use my Sony Ericsson T650i as a mobile broadband handset regularly and it works very well, even though its not HSDPA and is only 3G. Web pages still load at a very respectable rate. And of course the handiest thing is it connects via bluetooth, so I don't even have to plug in anything or carry around anything extra. I have a shortcut on my laptop that connects straight away.

The only issue is whether you have access to a data bundle or not. I'm on O2 billpay and I have the 250mb data add on for €7.50 a month. I spend about half the month away from my home broadband connection, and the rest of the month using my Sony Ericsson as a modem, so 250mb is plenty to fill in the browsing gaps between regular home broadband use.

You tend to get between 30 and 40 kBps download speed:



Certainly better than dial up, but not as fast as one of the dedicated modems / HSDPA phones.

Dave

flaka

Wow thanks for the great replies!

I wikied HSDPA as I'd not come across the term before. It seems to fit into the 3G family. When I bought the phone the O2 lady in the shop gave me a new SIM because "its a 3G phone". My old sim was from a Ready To Go phone (circa 1998)

watty: However normal phone SIM contract may be only 3G enabled rather than the HSDPA extension, and have high data charges.

I've disabled the 3G because I could not get the browser to use it so all my data has been GPRS. I'd say I don't even have 3G services

As I've not got broadband in my new place I was hoping to use the 3G phone for this and thought that 3G meant "mobile broadband". I suppose I should know better than listen to marketing from operators that said "WOP (wap) is the internet on your phone"

watty: PLEASE don't call it USB Mobile Broadband.

Yup - its the USB device from O2 made by Huawei in this specific case.

At the moment my phone is grand for a quick google or checking the live wind reports at the airport.

I know someone who can get good bit torrent speeds on HSDPA but lousy webpage loading, and don't even try youtube without letting the entire movie load.

wheresmybeaver: The only issue is whether you have access to a data bundle or not. I'm on O2 billpay and I have the 250mb data add on for €7.50 a month.

Thanks for explaining all this. I'll look into getting a data bundle.

Cheers,
Flaka

zilog_jones

flaka wrote: »

I wikied HSDPA as I'd not come across the term before. It seems to fit into the 3G family. When I bought the phone the O2 lady in the shop gave me a new SIM because "its a 3G phone". My old sim was from a Ready To Go phone (circa 1998)

UMTS (the 384kb/s Watty was talking about) is 3G. HSDPA is an extension of this. Most 3G phones only do UMTS - like yours.

Are you sure you can get 3G coverage where you are? Might explain the problem you were having with your phone. Or maybe the browser was just not configured properly (couldn't even get GPRS to work on my W300i...).