Broadband News

Gadget to boost rural mobile broadband

Friday, 25 June 2010

By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk

A device that claims to speed up your mobile broadband - even a "notspot" - has been launched in the UK.

The self-install Wireless Broadband Enabler, or WiBE as it's also known, is being targeted at rural broadband users suffering from poor connections and slow speeds.

"Extensive rural usage tests in the UK demonstrated an average download speed of 2.8Mb," said Deltenna, the company behind the new gadget.

"[It] uses the 3G mobile network to create a 2Mb web hotspot, even when a 3G mobile phone wouldn't register a signal," claimed the company.

The device has a connection range five times stronger than a standard mobile broadband dongle, allowing it to deliver a signal even in some 'notspots'.

Andrew Fox, CEO of Deltenna said: "There are still millions of people throughout Europe and the US for whom fast broadband is a myth."

Because it uses the mobile phone network, mobile broadband coverage can be patchy or nonexistent in rural areas.

Research by broadband testing firm Epitiro has revealed that despite top advertised speeds of up to 3.6Mb and 7.2Mb, average mobile broadband speeds barely top 1Mb.

Iain Wood, of Epitiro, said: "Rural broadband consumers suffer low speeds over copper wiring as a result of being a long distance from the exchange. This challenge of achieving higher speeds lies with the implementation of new technologies to 'the last mile', be they wired or wireless."

If the WiBE proves successful, it could become part of the government’s plan to deliver speeds of at least 2Mb to all of the UK by 2012.

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