Mobile operator Three (3) UK has announced its intention to launch the Huawei E586 MiFi, which is essentially a battery powered wireless router that has been designed to distribute the operators Mobile Broadband ( 3G ) service over a Wi-Fi link. It also includes a micro SD card slot and has approximately 4.5 hours of battery life.

Three (3) claims that the E586 will be the first mobile Wi-Fi device in the UK to feature next generation HSPA+ technology and will deliver speeds of up to 21.2Mbps (5.76Mbps uploads). Customers are being told to expect "significant speed gains" of "initially around 40% faster", which is best taken with a VERY BIG pinch of salt.


The E586 includes an OLED screen for displaying key information like the amount of data used, speed and length of browsing time. In addition a new feature allows users to see their Wi-Fi user name and password on screen at the touch of a button for fast pairing with new gadgets, which doesn't sound like a very security conscious idea.

At present Three (3) is aiming to have 80% of its UK network upgraded to support HSPA+ by the end of 2011, with the rest following soon afterwards. However the operator would do well not to promote a technology speed as its real-world performance capability, which could be very misleading.

Ofcom's May 2011 report found that the average Mobile Broadband download speed in the UK was just 1.5Mbps (Megabits per second) - rising to 2.1Mbps in areas of "good 3G coverage". That's despite the fact that existing HSPA tech can reach 14.4Mbps. HSPA+ support alone will not fix any pre-existing capacity and coverage related performance issues.

The new MiFi, built by Huawei, will be available in store and online from September. Final prices TBA.