Option sets HSDPA speed record of 3.6mbps

We're all very well aware of the quite common disparity between specced and "real world" speeds, especially when it comes to wireless technologies. And while visions of straight up 10Mbps HSDPA dance in our head, it would appear that Cingular's initial rollout their HSDPA service (BroadbandConnect) doles out much smaller chunks of bandwidth to its customers. But apparently that might only be because devices capable of reaching 3.6Mbps "category 6" HSDPA haven't yet been whipped up -- until now. Apparently Option successfully tested an HSDPA card based on a QUALCOMM MSM 6280 chipset to running at the category 6 speed limit of 3.6mbps on Nortel base stations in France. That's all well and good, but now let's bring this all home: Cingular's HSDPA towers apparently support category 6 speeds too, so even though you shouldn't expect to get more than the 400-700Kbps of capacity they've promised at the outset, there certainly exists the possibility for some significant speed increases in the future.

[Via PhoneScoop]

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[Simon @ Dec 23rd 2005 10:32AM]

looks identical to a vodafone mobile data connect card. only blue.

[Ryan Block @ Dec 23rd 2005 10:48AM]

I just grabbed an image of the Globetrotter for a visual cue, I'm not sure if anyone knows what the retail version of their device will actually look like.



Best, Ryan

[whizack @ Dec 23rd 2005 11:28AM]

cingular's HSDPA network is nothing like france's. all it happens to be is a hodgepodge combination of AT&T's failure at building a true UMTS implementation prior to the buyout, and some minor collaboration with novatel and sierra wireless to make the cards run on the spectrum band cingular owns.



while Cingular's network may be capable of cat 6 speeds, you will be lucky if 2 years from now you're getting 350kbps consistently.



I'm waiting for t-mobile, they've never let me down before.

[Richard @ Dec 23rd 2005 12:17PM]

UMTS on T-Mobile in the US is indeed in the works with an estimated ready date of 2006-end/2007.



I just bought a Sonyericsson K600i. Perhaps I'll get to use it for video conferencing calls.

[url=http://www.engadget.com/2005/03/01/the-sony-ericsson-k600i/]See it here[/url]



Unrelated: how come no major has come out with a cellphone which supports the simultaneous use of two SIM cards???

I see people with two cellphones (1 for work and the second one is private?) all over these days.

[pf @ Dec 23rd 2005 2:44PM]

Has anyone really used one of these things? What is the latency like? My EDGE latency kind of sucks.

[Anawrahta @ Dec 23rd 2005 6:58PM]

What are the data rates like in the US? I finally got my BT edge phone syncing to my laptop only to realize I'll be paying a painful $.05 a KB.

[Sungam @ Dec 23rd 2005 7:31PM]

whizack, you have no idea what your are talking about.



The network Cingular uses is true UMTS already today.



Two years from now the cards or phones used will support even higher speeds.

[Jeremy Johnstone @ Dec 25th 2005 11:31PM]

I recently signed up for Cingular's UMTS service in Sunnyvale, CA (San Jose market). I get good reception in the majority of Silicon Valley averaging around -75db. My DL rates are consistently above 650kb and average around 925kb/sec (my highest speedtest yet is 1124kb/sec). My ping times are usually around 150ms which is significantly better than what I get on EDGE.



I love everything about the service except the following:



1.) None of the cards support OS X.

2.) Uploads aren't too impressive (50kb/sec average)

3.) It was (is?) a PITA to order it. Premier web/tele sales people are clueless as hell. Thankfully my company's direct sales rep was very helpful.