Vodafone is to start customer trials of its HSDPA (High
Speed Downlink Packet Access) wireless network next month, as it
introduces faster services than 3G.
From April, Vodafone says 100 business users will test
HSDPA-enabled Mobile Connect laptop data cards across central and
greater London. This trial follows limited Vodafone HSDPA tests in
the area around its Newbury, Berkshire headquarters.
Tim Miles, Vodafone UK chief executive officer, said, “We have
seen high demand for 3G since its launch two years ago and our
customers are hungry for the improvements that HSDPA will
deliver.”
Vodafone plans to commercially launch HSDPA to customers from
mid-2006, mainly to users in the south east. The mobile operator
promises that most users in the UK’s major towns and cities will
have HSDPA at their disposal by the end of the year.
HSDPA is roughly four times faster than current 384kbps 3G
speeds, and the technology allows a greater number of users in each
area to get maximum speeds without impacting on each other’s data
access performance.
HSDPA also offers lower latency, meaning fewer delays to users
when downloading attachments, and accessing demanding business
applications like enterprise resource planning and customer
relationship management information silos.