Acer has gifted all its new TravelMate and Aspire notebooks with integrated 3G wireless wide area network capability. Among the first notebooks to feature embedded 3G technology, the new TravelMate 4260 and Aspire 5650 series will offer full WWAN connectivity through three-band GPRS/EDGE capability at 900/1800/1900 MHz and at 2100 MHz through integrated 3G Wideband CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access). Integrated 3G capabilities in these notebooks is also upgradeable to the next-generation HSDPA standard, which boosts network capacity to carry up to five times as much data traffic and up to twice as many wireless users per cell.
Dell has followed suit and has announced plans to incorporate Sim card slots into future laptop models to allow users to connect to the internet via 3G links as well as Wi-Fi. Like Acer's new offerings, support for HSDPA is there, and in the case of Dell, an HSDPA aerial will be built into the laptops, which is interoperable with current 3G services offered by Vodafone.
"This is another important step in providing world-class mobile broadband technology to Dell customers," said Jeff Kimbell, director of business marketing for Dell EMEA.
"With Dell and Vodafone working together, customers can benefit from built-in, easy-to-use technology which provides access to the 3G wireless network deployed broadly worldwide."