Introduction
Third-generation mobile technology has great potential to speed up mobile connectivity for consumers and businesses. That's just as well -- having doled out some £22.5bn in licence costs in the UK alone the service providers need to see some money back, and soon.
Out of the five 3G operators, only Hutchison-owned 3 initially targeted consumers -- the company offers videophones and a selection of other services, but no data access.
The other operators have taken a different path. In the past six months, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and O2 have all launched 3G/GPRS data cards for the mobile businessperson -- the semi-mythical road warrior. The data cards and their associated services aim to provide a broadband wireless link to company network or Internet services: in other words, make your mobile laptop a near-equivalent to one back at base.
The four operators make some pretty bold claims for their technology. "With our wireless data cards, you can do all your usual PC things on the road as fast and as easily as you do in the office," says Vodafone. "O2 Connection Manager… will give business customers the most cost-effective, high-speed mobile data access where and when they want it," says O2.
Over the past few months we've had the chance to test and review all four offerings. We've been generally impressed, but there have been enough problems with all of them to make us wonder if 3G is really ready for commercial deployment.
So in the world's first group 3G road test a team from ZDNet UK set out to discover which card coped best out in the real-world of hills, valleys and high-rise urban landscapes.
Methodology:
We recreated many of the scenarios a typical 3G user on the road will encounter by driving from London to Reading by car, then returning by train.
Beginning at ZDNet HQ next to London's Tower Bridge, we drove north and west out of the City, joining the M4 at its start in Chiswick. We then headed along the motorway to the first services outside the city at Heston, onward to Reading -- the throbbing centre of the UK's high-tech corridor -- taking the opportunity to check the connectivity around Microsoft's UK HQ campus.
Reading was also a good spot to check how the cards coped with Wi-Fi. Each of the networks have access arrangements with thousands of Wi-Fi hot spots.






Talkback
Over the last two months Vodafone's 3G coverage has crept from being only available at Watford Junction station along to (six weeks ago) my local bacon and egg Cafe half a mile away to (last month) my home kitchen a mile away. I have since put on a stone since I never leave either the cafe or the kitchen - such convivial places to do non-stop 3G eBusiness!
Great test but... no mention of upload speeds!
The 3G operators don't mention it either. If you are working away from your office upload speed may be as important as download.
The company I work for have three Vodafone Mobile 3G/GPRS cards. We decided in early February to purchase another two. We have been waiting 6 weeks for delivery and still have no idea when this will be. Anyone wanting a Vodafone card must have a great deal of patience!
I tried to purchase an O2 3G/GPRS card on 24 March. 12 telephone calls later and the run around from all of customer services, 'it's been processed' 'it's on my spreadsheet' - whatever that means - 'it will arrive on Friday', instructions have gone to the courier' etc. ect. etc. Nothing has arrived and I was told a couple of days ago that no order has ever been processed. Useless,; so I have told them to keep it. I'll see if someone else would like my money!
Do you have 3G 775 data card