By year's end, U.S. consumers will be able to purchase a keychain-sized USB device that delivers broadband access and Wi-Fi networking.
Novatel Wireless Acting CEO Brad Weinert told DailyTech that the company is designing a follow-on to its existing Ovation external MCD3000 EV-DO modem that will not only allow mobile Internet access at uplink speeds as high as 800Kbps, but the tiny USB devices will also act as a broadband router, permitting easy wireless LAN connections for home and small business networks.
While the EVDO Rev. A-based Ovation devices have enjoyed brisk sales in the United States so far this year, owing primarily to their handy and ubiquitous USB connection, Weinert says that adding router functionality will make them a more feasible alternative to existing wired broadband connections for the home.
"Right now, you need to plug [the Ovation USB device] into a router and try to configure it, and it’s not very straightforward," Weinert said. "But if you add Wi-Fi to that device, then suddenly it’s very easy to do that."
The other major enhancement Novatel is planning relates to the size of the device, which is currently larger than even the bulkiest USB drive products on the market. "It will be a very small, keychain-type device," Weinert said.
The biggest hurdle to aggressive miniaturization of the device is the antenna, the executive said, but Novatel designers and component suppliers expect to tackle the problem in time for a Q4 launch of the new EV-DO modem. "In terms of form factor, it really can be anything you want it to be at this point, because the actual technology inside it is about the size of a postage stamp.
"The only challenge that you have is making sure you continue to have good antenna performance, because as you miniaturize, you have less space to play with, and to a certain degree, antennas are a function of how much space you give them to perform well."
Weinert said he expects the new modems to be sold primarily by U.S. carriers such as Sprint, Verizon and Cingular. He did not divulge estimated street prices for the products, but he said that the carriers are likely to introduce new rate plans for the data devices to make them more attractive for use as a home broadband hub.
To date, U.S. carriers have indirectly discouraged subscribers from using their USB or PC Card data modems as a broadband hub, according to Weinert. For example, Verizon recently admitted that it has capped its “unlimited” usage plan at 5GB per month. "That’s still a lot of data, but if you’re into gaming, or have kids that are, and you do a lot of uploading and downloading, you can exceed that fairly easily in a 30-day period," Weinert said. "As these devices add more utility, they will be coupled with different rate plans (such as) a true `unlimited’ rate plan, but there will also be cheaper rate plans which limit you to the mobile environment versus the fixed environment."
