What is 3G Broadband, USB Modem & 3G Express Data Card

What is 3G?

3G refers to third generation mobile communication standard used by the telecom operators. The first generation was the Analog communication mostly used for voice with large brick size mobile phone. In the second generation standards the voice was transmitted in digital format, improving the quality by many folds. However, the second generation networks didn’t have had much room for Internet data transfer. The third generation improved the data speed and covered much more area. Some other terms are also used while describing 3G broadband communications. These terms namely HSDPA (High Speed downlink Packet Access) or HSUPA (high Speed Uplink Packet Access), just indicate that high speeds (up to 14Mbps in DL and 5.7 Mbps in UL) are available with the 3G communication standard.

Why do you need the 3G broadband?

If you are always working on the move with mobile internet devices like mini laptop, Smartphones, handheld PDAs etc, you can avoid looking for Internet cafe and can always be connected to the Internet by subscribing with a mobile broadband company. The connection to the Internet is provided over the mobile telecom connections so that you can be connected to the Internet as long as the wireless signal exists. Like the normal mobile phone connections, the connection to the mobile broadband can also be sporadic, but the service is continuously getting better. And in most of the big cities in the world, the mobile broadband connection works reliably.

There are different types of modems available in the market or supplied by the mobile broadband company like AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile etc. Mostly people use mini laptop computers or Smartphones to connect to emails and to do other office work. The following section would help you to choose a modem that suits your needs and is aligned to the technical requirements of the device that you would use to connect to the broadband Internet.

3G USB Modem or USB dongles

This is the most commonly used 3G broadband modem. The 3G modem built in form of USB stick or USB dongle is attached to one of the available ports of the laptop. The installation is very easy and you are ready to surf the web within minutes.

3G Express Data Card

These 3G modems come in the form of cards and mostly used in laptops, where they can be connected though a slot. The functionality of these modems is exactly same to the 3G modems available in form of USB sticks. These cards are also known as 3G data cards or express data card. Moreover, the data cards can also be connected to the 3G routers, which are used to provide broadband connection to two or more laptops within the same connection.

A SIM card is required for any kind of 3G modem to work. This SIM card is normally provided by the company providing the broadband connection. The SIM card is inserted in the USB dongle or in the express card and required to establish connection with the network, just like in a traditional mobile phone.

Guest Writer : Guest Post by Manas Pandey, who writes technical articles about Mini Laptop Computer, Tablet PC and Touch Screen Phones at minilaptoponline.com.