HP, Vodafone seal 3G pact - Reviews - Hardware - Laptops

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This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
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HP, Vodafone seal 3G pact

By Luke Anderson, ZDNet Australia
October 18, 2006
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/hardware/laptops/soa/HP-Vodafone-seal-3G-pact/0,2000065761,339271714,00.htm

in brief Hewlett-Packard yesterday announced a partnership with Vodafone to embed HSDPA-compatible wireless broadband connectivity into its HP Compaq nc6400 notebooks.

nc6400 Similar to a previous joint-venture between Lenovo and Vodafone, the notebook is designed to only run on the carrier's HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) network, launching on Friday.

The wireless solution, available as an optional item, includes a SIM card connected directly to the motherboard, with an antenna built into the screen -- removing the need for any external transmitter.

While Vodafone's HSDPA coverage will only be available in Sydney and Melbourne, the notebook can also fall-back to Vodafone's 3G and GPRS networks when there is no HSDPA coverage.

Telstra claims its Next G HSDPA network covers 98 percent of the population. According to a HP spokesperson, the wireless-enabled notebook is "not compatible with the Telstra network".

The nc6400 is available in Australia now, and has a starting price of AU$2,499.