EU carriers seek to connect 50m laptops to 3G

European carriers will be targeting to connect about 50 million portable computers to 3G in 2006, according to a study from telecom analyst firm Berg Insight.

 

The study said 3G networks upgraded with HSDPA technology are going to enable peak data speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps at the end of the year for the same price as a DSL service with comparable performance.

 

Soaring notebook PC shipments meanwhile reflect strong demand for mobility on the computer market and generate rapid growth in the device population, the study said.

 

The study further said HSDPA is the best suited wireless broadband technology for most regular users. 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone among others are expected to launch HSDPA on several European markets starting from Q1-2006. T-Mobile began shipping HSDPA ready PC data cards already in late 2005.