Netbooks to get new Ericsson mobile broadband module
Correction: this article was updated at 1:30 p.m. PDT on June 4 with the correction about the upload and download speeds of the module.
Netbooks, such as those AT&T is bundling with its data plans, are about to get a new module that helps connect to the Internet via cellular networks.
The Ericsson F3307 module installed in a Netbook.
(Credit: Ericsson)Ericsson is expected to launch on Thursday its latest mobile broadband module, called Ericsson F3307, specifically designed for mini laptops. The module is pre-certified with major cellular networks in 75 countries.
This means Netbook manufacturers can quickly equip their Netbooks with this new integrated wireless connectivity.
The Ericsson F3307 enables users to directly access the Internet through the HSPA standard, similar to that used by AT&T's 3G network. The HSPA standard is the most popular mobile broadband technology in the world with more than a billion subscribers in more than 100 countries.
Optimized for Netbooks, the new module combines performance and low power consumption. It offers download speeds up to 7.2Mbps and upload up to 2Mbps. It's about the same size as a Wi-Fi module currently used in many laptops.
In addition to the existing Netbook platforms, Ericsson is working closely with Intel to validate the F3307 module with Intel's next-generation netbook platform, the Pine Trail-M.
Ericsson estimates that more than 300 million Netbooks will be sold between 2009 and 2014, with a majority having mobile broadband capabilities.
Dong Ngo is a CNET editor who covers networking and network storage, and writes about anything else he finds interesting. You can also listen to his podcast at insidecnetlabs.cnet.com. E-mail Dong. 
