This morning London time, 16 members of the GSMA Association, including Microsoft, jointly announced the formation of a Mobile Broadband initiative, whose goal will be to endow notebook PCs in 91 countries with 2G and 3G.

The new marketing push appears to be an attempt to sheath a set of abbreviations that has yet to become part of the common vernacular -- namely, HSPA (formerly HSDPA and HSUPA), the software-upgraded "HSPA Evolved," and the GSMA group's hand-picked 3G successor, LTE -- into a more palatable brand name "Mobile Broadband" that consumers can accept. What it may also be is an effort to subtly distinguish HSPA from WiMAX -- a goal which would certainly please Qualcomm, a leading member of the new initiative, with a long record of opposing WiMAX.

"The Mobile Broadband badge will assure consumers that the devices they buy will always connect - wherever Mobile Broadband is available - and that they can expect a high standard of simplicity and mobility," reads a statement this morning from GSMA's chief marketing officer, Michael O'Hara. That's an indicator that the "Mobile Broadband" service mark will be a competitor to Intel's Centrino, insofar as connectivity and platforms are concerned.

The four computer manufacturers chartering the new initiative are Asus (also a motherboard manufacturer), Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba. These would presumably be the first manufacturers to use this service mark on their laptops.

Among the first carriers to support the marketing push will be Orange, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia, and Vodafone -- not surprising at all considering the buildouts of their networks worldwide. Ericsson, however, appears to be the only phone manufacturer currently in the charter group.