Ericcson has launched a mobile broadband module specifically designed for embedding wireless broadband connectivity in netbooks.
Ericsson says the F3307 is built on the same technology as its more advanced F3607g, but was streamlined to suit the particular needs of netbooks and other entry-level devices. Power consumption, for example, is 20-50 percent lower than in previous generations of the technology.
The F3307 module is compatible with HSPA technology and will reportedly offer downlink speeds of 7.2 Mbps and uplink speeds of 2 Mbps.
Netbooks include Wi-Fi access and are primarily intended for Internet browsing, multimedia entertainment and communication. Manufacturers are moving to provide integrated broadband connectivity within their netbooks; to date, it has primarily been available to consumers through add-in cards sold by wireless carriers.
AT&T, for example, offers a selection of netbooks bundled with its Internet at Home and On the Go broadband service, with netbook pricing starting as low as $49.99.
And Verizon announced it will also offer a bundled package that includes an HP Mini 1151NR netbook with integrated broadband.
Ericsson says it has pre-approved its modules with mobile operators in more than 75 countries, which will enable netbook manufacturers to cut product launch time and speed time to market.
Ericsson estimates that more than 300 million netbooks will be sold between 2009 and 2014, the majority with mobile broadband capabilities. It also expects that by 2011 more than 30 percent of netbooks will be sold through operator channels.
Ericsson says it is also working with Intel to validate the F3307 module for use with Intel’s Pine Trail-M, the next-generation of the Atom platform. (Pine Trail’s CPU is called Pineview.)
“Built-in mobile broadband helps provide the anytime, anywhere connectivity that consumers desire,” said Erik Reid, director of marketing with the Intel Mobile Platform Group, in a statement from Ericsson.
“By working closely with Ericsson, we are enabling manufacturers to address broader market needs at a faster time to market through new channels, such as mobile operators, with our next-generation netbook platform, Pine Trail-M.”
At the Computex 2009 show in Taiwan, rival Motorola similarly announced a new initiative to offer manufacturers wireless communications solutions for embedding WiMAX, HSPA and LTE mobile broadband technologies inside their notebooks, netbooks and portable gaming devices.