GSMA and Intel drive 3G connectivity in laptops
The GSM Association (GSMA) and Intel Corporation today announced an initiative to facilitate and drive the adoption of the GSM family of technologies in laptop computers, to enable users to connect and seamlessly roam across global mobile networks.
The GSMA and Intel will collaborate to develop guidelines for integrating 3G modems and SIM cards into laptop computers, enabling automatic connection to both 3GSM networks and Wi-Fi networks around the world - using the same SIM card technology used by mobile phones today. Some laptop makers have already announced their intentions to offer GSM capabilities, and these guidelines are key to ensure that they can quickly and easily provide these capabilities to laptop owners around the world. The GSMA and Intel will seek to engage organizations critical to market implementation, including mobile operators, PC manufacturers and network infrastructure providers.
“Our goal is to ensure that in future, every notebook will be SIM ready,” said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association. “This development brings the advantages and pervasiveness of the GSM platform to the notebook market, where this year sales of more than 60 million laptops are forecast worldwide. As 3G network roll-outs accelerate across the world, with additional media rich capabilities added through HSDPA upgrades, laptops with in-built connectivity to the 3GSM world will enable PC users to enjoy the full benefits of seamless access to mobile broadband wireless services with secure authentication. The mobile operator community will benefit from significant market and revenue growth opportunities.”
Sean Maloney, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Mobility Group, added: “During 2006, many of our customers will offer Intel Centrino Mobile Technology laptops that not only feature built in Wi-Fi technology, but also an internal 3GSM data card and an integrated SIM reader. This will turn the notebook into a real multi-communications terminal, and the SIM into a real authentication vehicle for GSM, GPRS, EDGE, 3GSM, HSDPA and Wi-Fi networks.”
This initiative builds on the work completed within the GSMA, which has laid the groundwork for seamless roaming scenarios between networks of mixed technology infrastructure and the usage of the SIM card to provide Wi-Fi access control and billing. This initiative will focus on developing guidelines to include the GSM family of technologies including the new high speed 3G wireless broadband technology, HSDPA, in laptop computers.
Option, the wireless technology company, and Nortel have completed the industry’s first successful demonstration of live HSDPA data card calls reaching a wireless transmission rate of 3.6Mbps – faster than the majority of current broadband connections. The test calls were carried out on commercial HSDPA network equipment at Nortel’s research campus in Châteaufort, France. 
