Ericsson And AT&T Team Up On Two New Embedded Mobile Broadband Modules
Embedded 3G clearly has a future, and embedded 4G beyond that. We really
saw a major explosion in embedded 3G when U.S. carriers began to sell
netbooks on contract last year, and while we haven't really noticed that
trend continuing, it's obvious that people want access to a mobile data
network in their handheld electronics. From Sony's NGP to the Kindle to
a number of new cameras and camcorders, having an embedded 3G just
makes a device much more attractive, flexible and multifaceted.
Ericsson is teaming up with AT&T in order to launch two new embedded mobile broadband modules for a variety of consumer electronics. One of them is engineered for small consumer electronics like cameras, e-readers, gaming devices and MP3 players, and the other for tablets and mobile computers. They are 40% smaller, take up less battery power and are faster (download 21Mbps, upload 5.76Mbps) on either HSPA+ (4G) or older networks. The modules make it easy for any electronics designer to incorporate broadband connectivity.
These will be available on the market later this year, and it's hard to say if any of these mysterious products will launch first (or exclusively) on AT&T. It makes sense to think that AT&T would want to embed their network onto a lot of devices, even if they aren't sold in stores necessarily. But then again, AT&T is having trouble just managing their current load. There's a chance that T-Mobile's network will help 'em out, but considering that their 3G networks run on different airwaves right now, it's unlikely...at least initially. Either way, the idea of having more and more gadgets with embedded 3G is very appealing, and we're certainly excited to see where this leads. A 3G-enabled Razer Switchblade? Yes!
Ericsson is teaming up with AT&T in order to launch two new embedded mobile broadband modules for a variety of consumer electronics. One of them is engineered for small consumer electronics like cameras, e-readers, gaming devices and MP3 players, and the other for tablets and mobile computers. They are 40% smaller, take up less battery power and are faster (download 21Mbps, upload 5.76Mbps) on either HSPA+ (4G) or older networks. The modules make it easy for any electronics designer to incorporate broadband connectivity.
These will be available on the market later this year, and it's hard to say if any of these mysterious products will launch first (or exclusively) on AT&T. It makes sense to think that AT&T would want to embed their network onto a lot of devices, even if they aren't sold in stores necessarily. But then again, AT&T is having trouble just managing their current load. There's a chance that T-Mobile's network will help 'em out, but considering that their 3G networks run on different airwaves right now, it's unlikely...at least initially. Either way, the idea of having more and more gadgets with embedded 3G is very appealing, and we're certainly excited to see where this leads. A 3G-enabled Razer Switchblade? Yes!
