Cingular launches their 3G BroadbandConnect network

It's been a looong time in coming — and a lot of people didn't think they could make their Q4 2005 deadline — but Cingular went to press with the official announcement for their HSDPA 3G network. That's right, ladies and gents, 16 — not 18 — US markets (Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, SLC, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tacoma, and DC) will get BroadbandConnect service with speeds between 400-700Kbps. Yeah, we know it's a little weak for HSDPA, which has a top capacity of up to 10Mbps, but they probably don't want to go too crazy on their brand new network right off the bat. No word on phone devices or data plans for them, but as usual the laptop users get first dibs on service: $59.99 for unlimited data (with a two year contract, of course).

[Thanks, Eric]

[iomatic @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

So like. Is there a PDA that works on this network (Palm, please; WinCE==ick)? With DUN? Thinking: skype, or VoIP flavor? Imagine:

"I'd like 3G please, hold the phone."

Hrm...

[Albert Wu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Sorry to burst your bubble, Cingular, but SF and SJ don't count as seperate markets. And hey, when you coming to Denver?

[geo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

What about Pittsburgh?

[geo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

What about Pittsburgh?

[Timmay @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

I was just thinking about this... Cable internet is ~$50 a month. For the extra $9 I could have wireless highspeed internet in my appartment.

hmmm... very interesting...

[Stiev @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

#1- if you lived in the area, you'd know they are seperate markets. Just because they are close geographically doensn't mean they are the same.

[Tom Rollison @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

But will it stream media? Give me a good audio stream and then we'll talk.

[Daydalaus @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

HSDPA has two versions, the firt one have a peak of 1,4 Mbps for a user, the second improves the speed (up to peaks of 3,4 mbps). The famous 10 Mbps or 14 Mbps it's a theoric speed and is achived using all the codes abailables in CDMA including the ones used for voice and se?zation.

the 1,4 and 3,4 Mbps are expected user peack rates, and it's an honest estimate... Cingular claim to have 400 to 700 bps because it is a shared speed.

[Tank @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

I kept reading the list of available markets over and over again, and I still have yet to see LOS ANGELES. Come on Cingular! LA has to be one of your largest markets and you didn�t think it should be on your primary rollout?

[Alcaron @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Timmay: Yeah uh I will stick with my 6Mbps cable internet at home in lieu of 700Kbps wireless "broadband".

Daydalaus: You spell your name as well as your post.... ;p

In all honestly though, ADD St. Louis TO THE LIST CINGULAR!!!!

I have a laptop at work BEGGING for some unlimited data lovin'.

Also, please make it $49 not $59 :(

[whizack @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Cingular will be offering the Sierra Wireless U860 for their HSDPA network.

The network is slow, you'd be lucky to get 400kbps on a good day.

[sldfjk @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Do you think maybe this is why they're holding back on releasing the 8100/8125? So that they can make it work with HSDPA?

[Rugby God @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

#9: I have been using Cingular HSDPA network for about two weeks and I've been getting consistantly about 1MB/s download speed (I am in Boston) as long as I have good signal (-70db range). If I have a bad signal (-100db), my download speed is about 300-400 kb/s. It is pretty good around Boston. However, uploading is another story. I only get about 50kb/s.

[Frank @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

does this mean we dont need wireless routers?
i have 2 laptops so if i get this anywhere i go ill have wireless internet?
for example if i go to starbucks or any hot spot? i can just log in to the 3g cingular network?
and use this at home as well without setting up a router?

[Denis @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Jeez! No NYC? Vegas and Phoenix instead?

[Andy Hilton @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

It's good to know that 99% of the east coast was left out. What the hell is up with that!

[Robert @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

The Nokia 6680 will be brought back according to a friend who works at cingular. They are converting it to a 3G phone.

[Robert @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

I'm sorry I ment the 6682

[ryan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

lol. wow. no NYC. i guess they really want me to sign up with verizon..

[Vic @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

"4. Posted Dec 6, 2005, 12:35 PM ET by Timmay

I was just thinking about this... Cable internet is ~$50 a month. For the extra $9 I could have wireless highspeed internet in my appartment.

hmmm... very interesting..."

Not so fast read the contract before you sign! Unlimited may not be unlimited as you may be thinking.

[Tonicboy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

#14 Frank -

If it works similarly to EV-DO, then you would need one account for each laptop. And you no longer need to be at a hotspot - the whole idea is that the entire city becomes one giant hotspot (and they are launching with 14 "hotspots"). And a wireless router would still be very useful, specifically if it accepts an HSDPA card as the WLAN source, such as the StompBox EV-DO router http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/854/stompbox_evdo_wireless.

Why? Imagine this scenario: You have two laptops but only one HSDPA account. You travel to a hotel and set up your router. Now, BOTH laptops have access via the router. Even your co-workers could come over to your room and share your internet.

Or, my favorite dream scenario: One day we will hve wireless broadband as pervasive as the cellular network. Set up a router in your car and you and your passengers will always have net access wherever you go. I'm sure this will happen in our lifetime, but I'm just hoping it's before I get too old!

[Tony C @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Alcaron: I would expect that by Daydalus' writing style (grammar, use of commas instead of periods, etc), that English is not his native written language. This was confirmed when I followed the link to his Spanish language blog that says he's from Santiago, Chile.

Andy Hilton: Does that mean that the combination of Baltimore, Boston and Washington DC is 1% of the east coast?

I would have to surmise that with an initial rollout, Cingular would not want to have the absolute highest concentration of active users on the network at a time, hence the lack of love for NYC and Los Angeles. Verizon did the same and actually, their first rollout of EVDO was much smaller, lighting up only San Diego and Washington DC.

[Jonathan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

#17/#18

It's funny you mention the 6680 since it already is a 3G phone (as is the 6681) - just not compatible with 1900MHz UMTS or HSPDA.

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

New York... Philadelphia? Pft.

[Nick @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Yeah for the DC Metro area, but I won't be switching from EDGE anytime soon. Right now, my EDGE coverage is better than I could ever hope for, and as far as I know there aren't any HSDPA capable smartphones or pocket pc phones, so what's the point of the faster access (unless I want to go back to lugging my laptop around with me).

I'm sure some people will appreciate the faster access, but for the most part it seems like that kind of speed in my phone is a little excessive.

[Meta @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

This may be why Cingular hasn't released the 8125 (HTC Wizard) yet. I think Cingular is to get the HTC Tornado as well. Can anyone confirm that? Which ever HTC phone Cingular offers, I want it!

[Meta @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

This may be why Cingular hasn't released the 8125 (HTC Wizard) yet. I think Cingular is to get the HTC Tornado as well. Can anyone confirm that? Which ever HTC phone Cingular offers, I want it!

[Donald @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Sorry gents, but the first phones for HSPDA won't hit market until 2006 - and the 8125 isn't one of them.

The 6282 seems like a likely candidate to be an early addition, and Samsung/LG have phones in the pipeline (yay for Samsung, boo for LG). There's also the continuous rumors about a Cingular N80 (though no HSPDA makes that quite UNlikely), and Moto will probably bring a version of the v3x or whatever it's called this week.

Add in the inevitable 700w for Cingular which I would assume would be souped up for HSPDA, and you've got a decent lineup for next year.

[dav @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Does this mean video calls?

Sorry, that is what I think of when I think of 3g

[Josh Glaser @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

No Minneapolis/St. Paul?

Come on...just 'cause we're "flyover land" doesn't mean we don't appreciate fast wireless internet? And it's not like the Twin Cities are that small, either...

But hey, they left off NYC. Whaddaya expect.

[Jimmy C @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Alas, no Denver... Why do you torture me so, Cingular? Why!?

[Meta @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Does anyone have any idea when we'll see the 8125? March? June?

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:56AM]

Interesting...anyone notice that the chips that ended up making HSDPA a reality are Qualcomm's? I would have thought it would have been one of the other standard GSM/EDGE guys... but it doesn't look like they have it working yet...