Posted: 21st Oct, 2005 By: MarkJ
UK mobile phone operator O2 has begun trials of its new Super-3G (HSDPA) 14.4Mbps service on the Isle of Man, with wider UK trials expected next year:
The technology will be launched in conjunction with O2's local subsidiary, mobile operator Manx Telecom, and Lucent, on 1 November. O2 is promising its Manx customers mobile connectivity of up to 1.3Mbps, with a theoretical maximum of up to 14.4Mbps, dependent on the technical limitations of the devices involved.
Much like 3G's initial appearance, the debut of HSDPA in the UK will be aimed at business customers and be initially used for laptop data card connectivity.
O2 is planning a more extensive trial of HSDPA at the start of 2006 in both the UK and Germany, with a full launch pencilled in for the second half of the year, an O2 spokesman said.HSDPA is promoted as being more cost effective, although somehow we doubt this will mean a dramatically cheaper data services. More @
ZDNet.