Category: News

3 Mobile Bring Back Samsung R530 Free Laptop Offer

Samsung R530 Laptop Mobile BroadbandDue to popular demand, 3 have re-added the Samsung R530 laptop to their growing range of free laptop deals.

Available free as part of a pay monthly mobile broadband contract, the Samsung R530 features a 2.2GHz Pentium Dual Core T4400 processor, 4GB RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and a 15.6-inch high definition display.

The Samsung laptop also arrives with the latest Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system pre-installed.

According to 3, the R530 has been one of their top-selling laptops with consumers who sign up to their dongle mobile broadband service.

The Samsung R530 laptop is available free along with a ZTE MF112 Black USB Modem and a 15GB monthly download allowance priced from just £35 per month.

[via threestore.three.co.uk/laptops]

3 Mi-Fi Router Upgraded To Huawei E585

3 Mobile Huawei E585 RouterUK mobile broadband provider 3 have upgraded their popular Mi-Fi router to the new Huawei E585.

The new Mi-Fi router enables to customers to create a local area Wi-Fi hotspot which offers users the flexibility of accessing the internet via multiple mobile devices including laptops, smartphones, iPads and more.

The upgraded Huawei E585 router also includes an improved OLED display, and sees the removal of flashing LEDs which were previously used to indicate performance.

The router upgrades apply to all 3 Mi-Fi bundles, with the only exception being 3′s in-car Mi-Fi pay as you go package.

Motorists who use the 3 mobile broadband in-car services will be offered the Huawei E5830.

The new Mi-Fi device is available at an initial retail price of £49.99 for customers opting for the pay as you go service option.

[via threestore.three.co.uk]

Compaq CQ62 Laptop Now Available Free With 3 Mobile Broadband

Compaq CQ62 Free LaptopPopular mobile ISP, 3, have added the new Compaq CQ62 laptop to their free laptop bundles, replacing the previous CQ61 model.

The Compaq CQ62 includes a powerful 2.2 GHz AMD Sempron Processor, a 15.6-inch High Definition display, and is powered by a six-cell Lithium-ion battery. The laptop also features 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive.

The new Compaq laptop is available from £30 per month as part of a mobile broadband contract, along with Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed and a free 15GB dongle.

Customers who sign up to a 24 month contract with 3 will get a free ZTE MF112 Black USB Modem.

[via threestore.three.co.uk]

Google: Mobile Broadband To See Boost From Smartphones

Mobile BroadbandSearch engine giant Google have predicted that mobile broadband access in the UK is set to continue its rapid growth despite the saturation among existing fixed line service providers.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Google’s UK chief executive Matt Brittin mentioned that the next “big shift” will be with mobile broadband access on new Smartphone devices.

“As growth in broadband starts to flatten off, we’re seeing the next wave. The big shift is to mobile internet. Between 25-30% of consumers use their mobiles to access the internet. But in three years’ time analysts believe more people will be accessing it from their mobiles than from a desktop. That’s a massive change.”

[via Telegraph.co.uk]

Broadband Users In The UK Hit 38.8 Million

silver surfersNew statistics published today by the UK Online Measurement company (UKOM), have revealed that there are now 38.8 million internet users in the country.

The number is up from 36.9 million from 12 months ago, with the over 50s (silver surfers) making up the bulk of the increase accounting for 31% of the UK online audience.

Internet users aged between 35-49 count for 27% of the UK’s net audience, with 21-34 year olds at 24% and surfers aged 12-20 representing 11%.

Another recent study published by UKOM revealed that broadband users in Britain spent on average 22 hours and 15 minutes a month surfing the internet, which equates to a 65% increase when compared to three years ago.

UK Ranks 14th In World Broadband Quality

World Broadband RankingsA new report published by the European Intelligence Unit places the United Kingdom in 14th position in the world in terms of internet coverage and the quality of the infrastructure.

Topping the world broadband charts is Sweden, with the likes of Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand all placed within the top 10.

Top 10 Countries – 2010 Digital Economy Rankings

  1. Sweden
  2. Denmark
  3. United States
  4. Finland
  5. Netherlands
  6. Norway
  7. Hong Kong
  8. Singapore
  9. Australia
  10. New Zealand

The release of the study follows the confirmation from the UK government that they plan to hold a broadband event in which their plans for the UK’s broadband future will be discussed with industry experts.

Scheduled to take place on July 15th, the event will allow broadband providers and other companies to air their views on the future of broadband services in the United Kingdom.

EU Mobile Broadband Data Roaming Rules To Change From July 1st

Europe data roaming chargesNew improvements to the European Union’s 2009 Roaming Regulation (due to take effect from July 1st) will help prevent UK mobile broadband users from being hit with massive data roaming charges when abroad.

The new amendment will put a cap on how much broadband consumers can be charged, and will put more responsibility on the network operators to keep their customers informed on pricing when travelling.

From 1st July 2010, if customers have not chosen a different cut-off level, operators will have to impose a monthly default cut-off for data roaming of €50 excluding VAT. For non-eurozone countries, the amount will be calculated based on the exchange rate published in the EU’s Official Journal as of 1 June 2010.

Under the Regulation, operators must send their customers a message informing them about the data roaming tariffs every time they enter another EU country. Operators must also send customers a warning alert once they have reached 80% of their specified limit. Messages can be sent by text message, e-mail or with a pop-up window on computer screens, whichever way the operator chooses and according to the device being used.

In addition, the maximum wholesale prices for data roaming allowed under the Roaming Regulation are cut as of 1st July from 1 euro to 80 cents per MegaByte (MB) of information uploaded or downloaded. Next year, the price will fall further to 50 cents per MB.
-EU Statement on Data Roaming Rules

These new mobile broadband roaming rules will take effect from July 1st 2010 and will apply until atleast the end of June 2010. The European Commission are scheduled to present an interim report on the impact of Roaming Regulation by the end of the month, and will provide a full review of its workings by June 30th 2011.

New Gadget To Boost Rural Mobile Broadband Speeds

UK company Deltenna have a developed a device aimed at speeding up mobile broadband access in rural parts of the country.

The Wireless Broadband Enabler (or WiBE as it’s currently known), is a small 18x13cm device that combines both a SIM-based 3G modem and a boosting phase array antenna.

WiBE Mobile Broadband Device

The antenna tracks down the best available signal and provides users with an average mobile broadband speed of around 2Mb. Which although not the fastest available, will no doubt be welcomed by residents in “notspot” areas of the UK.

The WiBE device also includes a WiFi router which allows compatibility with other Wi-Fi enabled devices around the home. The WiBE can handle a max throughput of 7.2Mb, and in areas with a weak signal can deliver a data throughput 30x greater than that of a 3G USB modem dongle.

CEO of Deltenna, Andrew Fox commented:

“[It] uses the 3G mobile network to create a 2Mb web hotspot, even when a 3G mobile phone wouldn’t register a signal,” claimed the company.

The device has a connection range five times stronger than a standard mobile broadband dongle, allowing it to deliver a signal even in some “notspots”.

“There are still millions of people throughout Europe and the US for whom fast broadband is a myth.”

Deltenna have yet to release any details on the pricing of the product, but if proved successful, the WiBE could become a part of the government’s plans to deliver broadband speeds of at least 2Mb to all of the UK by 2012.

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