One Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G/GPRS data card
Vodafone's Mobile Connect 3G/GPRS data card was the first to be commercially available in the UK. The Qualcomm card used by Vodafone is uniquely equipped with a detachable aerial that can be sited separately from the card if needed to give improved reception.
One Orange 3G Mobile Office Card
Orange was second out of the gates with its 3G data card -- the Novatel Merlin U530, which is the same hardware used by O2 and T-Mobile. Orange estimates that around 62 percent of small businesses and 72 percent of medium-to-large business are covered by its network, and the company’s target for 2005 is to raise its 3G coverage to around 90 percent of businesses.
One T-Mobile 3G Communication Centre data card
T-Mobile was the third UK network operator to release a 3G data card, and the first to offer a flat-rate tariff and bundled connectivity to its network of Wi-Fi hot spots.
One O2 Data Card 3G/GPRS.
O2's cautious 3G rollout has kicked off with coverage earmarked for just '20 major cities and towns' this year, although the company is 'working hard' to provide coverage to 80 percent of the UK population by the end of 2007.
Four Toshiba Portege A100 laptop computers.
Toshiba's distinctly iBook-like Portégé A100 are light sub-notebooks based on Intel's Centrino chipset. They are relatively lightweight, offer decent battery life and have 802.11 Wi-Fi networking built in.
One Renault Megane Scenic, and four ZDNet UK editors...
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