New Ericsson modules give wireless broadband to Intel-powered tablets, top-speed HSPA+ to notebooks

At the Intel Developer Forum Tuesday, Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson unveiled its two newest mobile broadband modules: one is the first embedded 21Mbps HSPA+ module, and the other is the first module optimized for use in tablets running on Intel's upcoming "Oak Trail" processors.

Intel's Oak Trail mobile processor platform will be the cornerstone of the forthcoming crop of Windows tablets, with products from Dell, Asus, MSI, Sony, Fujitsu, and Toshiba all expected in early 2011. The platform is ideal for tablets and netbooks, Intel claims, because it runs on 50% less power than its other Atom-based platforms.

Because tablets need to have a longer battery life, Ericsson has also reduced power consumption of its 7.2Mbps HSPA wireless module by 50%.

"We've worked very closely with Intel," Mats Norin, Ericsson's vice president of mobile broadband modules told Betanews. "That means we're combining the strengths of two industries; a giant of telecom and a giant of processing, and combining these efforts means we've done a lot of work. We've optimized this module for the Oak Trail platform, with reduced power consumption, and tightly integrated sleep/resume functionality. Manufacturers building Oak Trail tablets therefore have a shorter time to market, and their customers get a hassle-free experience from day one."

A big part of this hassle-free experience will come from Ericsson's new "Quick Connect" feature that puts the wireless connection to sleep when the device is idle, and resumes the connection as soon as the screen comes back on. This helps conserve battery life, and gives devices the feel of being permanently connected. It only takes a matter of seconds for connections that have been severed to be re-acquired. The module, known as F3307, features download speeds up to 7.2 Mbps and upload speeds of 5.76Mbps and is compatible with HSPA networks.

The second module is Ericsson's fastest mobile broadband module yet, and the first one supporting HSPA+ designed specifically for use inside notebook computers.

Americans equate HSPA+ with T-Mobile, the only network utilizing the protocol in the United States at present. But this technology is growing like a weed.

"Last year, there was not a single 21Mbps HSPA+ network out there; now there are 63 of them in 35 countries," Norin said. "We have infrastructure commitments to more than 160 networks in 54 more countries. Very soon, there will be close to 90 countries with HSPA+ networks, and this has all taken place in the span of 18 months...impressive stuff."

So Ericsson today announced the 21Mbps HSPA+ F5521gw module. With it, notebook computers will have the 21Mbps connection, GPS with support for location-based services, hardware tracking and Geo-fencing, Wake-on-Wireless, Intel anti-theft security features, and the aforementioned Quick Connect feature. It's the telecommunications company's top of the line feature set.

"This module delivers speeds better than most fixed line connections today," Norin continued. "I use this in my office in Sweden now. I've cut the cord, it's cool. Of course, now there's no excuse for being unproductive outside of the office, so I guess it's actually kind of bad news."

Ericsson's Oak Trail-optimized tablet module (F3307) is shipping to manufacturers now, and the HSPA+ module (F5521gw) will ship to manufacturers in October.