Click image to view full size image
After the years of controversy, nay saying and all round pessimism that have dogged the development of 3G mobile phone services, it still seems a little surprising that the technology ever made it into actual, real live products. Nevertheless, the third generation mobile networks are finally up and running, albeit with limited coverage, and early adopters all over the UK are learning that the novelty of live video chat wears off a lot quicker than you'd think. Mobile phone behemoth Vodafone has launched its first 3G product into the IT market. Rather than offering a 3G mobile handset the company has released a datacard that allows laptop users to access the Internet via the new high-speed network. The premise is simple: plug this PCMCIA card into your laptop and you'll get broadband Internet access whenever you're in range of Vodafone's 3G network. Before we get into the details, let's answer the most important question: yes, it works, and it works pretty damned well.
Vodafone
