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T-Mobile USB 3G modem ready next month?

updated 12:30 pm EST, Mon February 23, 2009

T-Mo USB Modem in March

T-Mobile USA's long in development USB modem and a matching plan could be ready within one month, according to a leaked view of the company's internal network. A source for Engadget points to a Huawei USB adapter, rebranded as the webConnect USB Laptop Stick, shipping on March 25th. The device would support the carrier's 1,700MHz HSPA network along with EDGE and GPRS and would also bundle free access to T-Mobile's HotSpot Wi-Fi service. A microSD slot would give it up to 8GB of storage.

However, the leak also suggests that at least the initial launch of the webConnect plan will carry extra limitations beyond typical data plans of other carriers; the leaked service would require both a core $60 plan that provides 5GB of data per month as well as a separate phone line, preventing users from other phone networks from using just the data service.

T-Mobile will be the last major carrier in the US to get a data-only plan and has largely been hurt by the slower development of its 3G network, which only launched last year and isn't directly compatible with those of AT&T or most of those for T-Mobile in Europe.

 
Previous Comments

Data

02/23, 01:07pm reply

When are the wireless companies going to learn that data is the future?

dagamer34

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2007

-1

1700 Mhz?

02/23, 01:12pm reply

Hmm. so some confusion here... our wireless networks run on 1800MHz, 1900Mhz, 850MHz and new stuff coming in on 700MHz.
If this was representing the data rate of the HSPA network, 1700 MHz is a bit out of reality. Haven't seen any wireless network support over a gigabit per second transport.. :-)

marcelr

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2000

-1

1700MHz

02/23, 07:07pm reply

1700MHz is the frequency used by T-Mobile 3g. During the Spectrum auction a while back they bought a bunch of spectrum in this range just for 3G service.

gjas18

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2004

0

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