Bell today launched its HSPA+ network and its first devices, including the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G. The network supports up to 21Mbps downstream on the Novatel Wireless U998 ($75) and future modems that support HSPA+ and should also supply as much as 7.2Mbps for the iPhone 3GS and other current smartphones.
Bell today confirmed that its promised HSPA+ 3G network will become available on November 4th. Supporting recent leaks, the 21Mbps network will launch just a day ahead of its Telus equivalent and should come with multiple phones and modems ready on the same day. Roaming deals will also be in effect immediately and should let Bell users roam on AT&T in the US as well as in most other countries.
Bell on Tuesday announced it will offer the U998 HSPA+ Turbo Stick and the MiFi 2372 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot from Novatel Wireless November 5th, to coincide with the launch of its HSPA network in November. Either of the two new products will allow notebook users to connect to the 21Mbps network from virtually anywhere a signal is present. The HSPA+ Turbo Stick will be exclusive to Bell in Canada and plugs into a USB port of notebook or netbook PCs, with a microSDHC card slot for as much as 32GB of storage.
Novatel's MiFi 2200 has recently benefitted from a firmware update that has upgraded much of its functions. The device connects to either Sprint's or Verizon's EVDO Revision A Internet connection and shares with up to five compatible devices across an 802.11g Wi-Fi network. Most notably, the new software allows the modem to never enter hibernation mode when it is plugged into a wall outlet instead of running off its built-in battery, and is now compatible with the Nintendo DS and BlackBerry Curve.
Novatel chose CTIA to launch its fastest Ovation USB modem so far. The MC998D (not yet shown) supports the current HSPA+ spec for 3G and will connect at up to 21Mbps downstream (5.76Mbps upstream) on supporting networks. It's also explicitly designed for North America's 850MHz and 1,900MHz HSPA frequiencies and will support the HSPA+ networks of Bell, Rogers and Telus in Canada as well as 7.2Mbps HSPA on AT&T in the US. The 2,100MHz band also gives it some support in Europe.
Novatel is set to upgrade its MiFi pocket router with expanded support for a variety of apps. The new features, such as Eye-Fi and VPN utilities, utilize an applications processor found in the European MiFi 2352 and the MiFi 2372 distributed through AT&T and Rogers in North America.
Novatel today catered to subscribers on AT&T and Rogers with a new version of its MiFi pocket router for HSPA-based 3G. The MiFi 2372 HSPA gives subscribers on these networks up to 7.2Mbps HSDPA to share with as many as five devices by creating its own Wi-Fi hotspot. It also adds full HSUPA for up to 5.76Mbps upstream should either carrier adopt the standard in the future.
Novatel has opened the MiFi web server's Common Gateway Interface to developers, according to an announcement. Third-party companies should as a result be able to access the onboard processors of MiFi hotspots, enabling broader software support and as well as MiFi uses beyond a straightforward Internet connection. A programming guide has been published on Novatel's developer site; the API should support both current and future MiFi hardware.
Verizon this afternoon added a rare two-in-one modem to its 3G adapters. Novatel's PC770 has a nested design that can either work as an ExpressCard/34 adapter for some modern notebooks or, with an adapter, fits into older systems with PC Card slots. It supports up to EVDO Revision A speeds and uses technology from Novatel that reportedly helps maintain speed during simultaneous two-way traffic.
Bell Mobility on Monday announced it is now offering the Ovation U760 Micro Modem from Novatel Wireless, giving users access to the largest 3G data network in Canada. At just over two inches long, the U760 is the smallest EVDO USB modem and features a microSD memory card slot to hold up to 8GB of data and double as a USB flash drive.
Verizon this morning added a new 3G adapter intended just for international travelers in the Novatel USB1000 Global Modem. The provider's first USB stick of the sort should provide 3G both inside and outside of the US without locking them into notebooks with ExpressCard slots. Neither Novatel nor Verizon are specific about feature support, though it's implied the device may support EVDO on Verizon's network and HSPA in Europe and elsewhere.
Virgin Mobile USA on Wednesday announced it will soon offer a pre-paid 3G Internet access service called Broadband2Go. Users will need to buy a Novatel MC760 USB modem, which will access the web via Sprint's EV-DO Revisoin A network. The modem plugs into the USB ports on Mac, Windows, or Linux computers and has an internal dual-band diversity antenna with an option for an external antenna for better performance in remote areas. There is also a microSDHC slot in the modem that allows users to add as much as 16GB of storage.
Sprint today signed itself up as the second US carrier to offer the Novatel MiFi 2200. Much like the Verizon edition, Sprint's device catches an EVDO Revision A Internet connection and shares it across an 802.11g Wi-Fi network, letting as many as five devices share the 3G link, including completely wirelessly when using the 4-hour battery. The new version primarily differs through its brushed-metal look compared to Verizon's all-black.
Verizon today officially became the first US carrier to offer a version of Novatel's MiFi hotspot. The 2200 model offered takes up to an EVDO Revision A 3G connection and shares it across its own 802.11g Wi-Fi network, turning it into an impromptu Internet access point for more than one device. It can run on an internal battery for up to four hours before being plugged in.
Novatel Wireless on Tuesday announced it will soon release the Ovation MC935D USB modem that uses HSPA mobile broadband networks for Internet and data access. The MC935D is designed for European networks with its single-band 2,100MHz support, allowing for peak download speeds of 7.2Mbps and upload speeds of 5.76Mbps. EDGE/GPRS networks are also supported for global data access.
At Mobile World Congress on Tuesday, Novatel Wireless announced it will soon release the Ovation MC996D USB modem. The adapter is Novatel's first capable of accessing HSPA+ data networks and reaches download speeds of up to 21.6Mbps and 5.76Mbps in uploads, or about three times faster than current 3G networks. The modem operates on the 900MHz and 2,100MHz frequencies, allowing users to access the Internet from most places around the world outside of North America. The device doubles as a data storage device, supporting microSDHC memory cards up to 32GB in size.
Novatel Wireless on Wednesday introduced three new products, including the Ovation MC995D USB modem as well as the Expedite E970D and E960D embedded mini card modules meant for OEM devices such as notebooks. All three devices have integrated GPS capabilities and access to high-speed HSPA networks, allowing them to reach 7.2Mbps download rates and up to 5.7Mbps upload speeds, with the MC995D and E970D made to work with Europe's, the Middle East's and Asia's 900MHz, 1,900MHz and 2,100MHz bands.
Rogers today claimed the distinction of being the first North American carrier to have a completed 7.2Mbps HSPA network. The speed allows anyone in Rogers' 3G areas to theoretically download twice as quickly as both the Canadian provider's earlier 3G network and for most of AT&T, either of which has topped out at 3.6Mbps. The company also plans to expand the total 3G area to cover about 75 percent of Canada's total population by the end of this month.
Novatel Wireless on Tuesday announced it will soon release the MiFi range of portable wireless routers, or what it also calls Intelligent Mobile Hotspots, which promise to deliver wireless 3G data network access to multiple users within a small area. The MiFi, which is about the size of a credit card, allows users to pick from access to EVDO Rev. A or HSPA high-speed data networks. The MiFi products are also open platform, and therefore capable of running flexible applications depending on particular needs.
Verizon has announced the availability of the Novatel-made USB760 Micro Modem for its wireless broadband network. The device is relatively small, measuring 2.24 inches by one inch, and weighs less than an ounce. The carrier claims real-world download speeds of 600Kbps to 1400Kbps and upload performance of 500Kbps to 800Kbps. The integrated dual-band antenna is internal, although a connector is provided to attach an optional external antenna. A microSD slot allows the modem to be used as impromptu storage.
Novatel Wireless over the weekend announced the upcoming release of a new USB modem, the Ovation MC760 Micro Modem. Calling it the world's smallest EVDO Rev. A USB modem, Novatel goes on to reveal the MC760 provides both its wide-area Internet access as well as the added benefits of an on-board GPS receiver and a built-in microSD memory card slot. The MC760 weighs less than one ounce and is just slightly longer than two inches.
Normally only known for its cellphone service, Fido today expanded its options to include the Novatel Ovation MC950D. The USB adapter gives the Canadian provider's notebook- and UMPC-borne subscribers full 3G Internet access over HSPA without needing a PC Card slot. On Fido's network, the device can download as quickly as 7.2Mbps in peak conditions; roaming with certain carriers in Europe and eventually in Canada can upload as quickly as 2.1Mbps.
A set of slides leaked today via Engadget Mobile has detailed many of Verizon's phone plans for the next few months, including new smartphones. One image confirms that the US carrier will pick up the Palm Treo 800w and verifies virtually every detail of the device, including its being Palm's first phone with EVDO Revision A for faster 3G access as well as Wi-Fi, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and 256MB of permanent storage in addition to a microSD slot. The new Treo is due in the summer and may launch near the Sprint version.
Sprint will soon sell a Novatel 3G modem that properly supports the MacBook Air's USB opening, if a spec sheet for the device obtained by Phone Arena proves accurate. The US carrier is reportedly set to launch the as-yet unannounced Novatel U680, an extra-thin USB modem which is explicitly compatible with the Air's slot. Novatel's device would support Sprint's faster EVDO Revision A network and is labeled in the leak as a "zero install" adapter that automatically loads drivers for most operating systems. Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows would all be served by the device.
Novatel used the occasion of the CTIA show to upgrade its Ovation line with a pair of USB modems capable of 3G-grade Internet access in most parts of the world and on nearly any computer, including the MacBook Air. Both the MC990D and the North America-minded MC992D connect to the fastest HSPA networks in the world and download at up to 7.2Mbps while uploading at up to 5.76Mbps in peak conditions. The MC990D is tuned primarily for the 900MHz and 2100MHz bands used by Europe and most parts of the world, while the MC992D is more receptive for AT&T, Fido, and Rogers in North America.
