Frikkenator
Expert Member
Anyone know where I can pick up a reasonably priced HSDPA USB modem?
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HSDPA Modem prices
- Thread starter Frikkenator
- Start date
Csnoopy
Expert Member
Me too.
Try Huawei directly 
Maybe you can also find out how much they sell them to Vodacom/MTN for! This study would seem to suggest that the E620 only costs around $80 to manufacture in bulk. Don't know why they cost so much from the cell networks then.
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/20282.php
Maybe you can also find out how much they sell them to Vodacom/MTN for! This study would seem to suggest that the E620 only costs around $80 to manufacture in bulk. Don't know why they cost so much from the cell networks then.http://www.cellular-news.com/story/20282.php
Frikkenator
Expert Member
Thanks. I can get the Huawei HSDPA modem for R2000 from Nashua mobile, but it just seems like a rediculous ammount of money for a rather trivial piece of electronics.
Thanks anyway though
The myadsl classifieds often have people selling 2nd hand ones. I've also seen some good deals on www.bidorbuy.co.za ranging R1100 - R1600. But yes it does seem like a lot of money for a seemingly simple piece of electronics
If HSDPA modems are such simply pieces of electronics, then presumably you should be able to create your own HSDPA modem in your garage using inexpensive parts available at any electronics shop 
, just make sure your HSDPA modem can do GPRS and EDGE and vanilla-3G and HSDPA just like the real thing does...
, just make sure your HSDPA modem can do GPRS and EDGE and vanilla-3G and HSDPA just like the real thing does...Frikkenator
Expert Member
If HSDPA modems are such simply pieces of electronics, then presumably you should be able to create your own HSDPA modem in your garage using inexpensive parts available at any electronics shop
I call it simple because for R500 more i can buy a HSDPA cellphone, which does all of the above and A LOT more, in a smaller package. There are no expensive parts in products like these. All of the R&D was done by cellphone manufacturers, these people just modify it a bit.
PsychoR8der
Active Member
The main reason i payed to upgrade to the samsung i600 is because of the fact it has hsdpa, and windows mobile etc, so I can't understand why the plain modem is so expensive.
Frikkenator
Expert Member
Not knowing to much about about the actual electronic parts and standards aside. How much difference is there between a wireless network card and a 3G modem in principle? I'd be very happy to pay the same price for a 3G modem as a wireless NIC.
PsychoR8der
Active Member
The difference comes at the different way they handle frequencies, the hsdpa modems run around 2000MHz or something and the wireless (WiFi NIC) at a higher frequency around 2.4Ghz, and because of the way that hsdpa boosts downlink transfer rates, the way the packets are compressed etc is much more complex than plain old wireless networking. So i guess you'll never find a modem THAT cheap
Oh and the other thing is that wireless NIC has a default range of about 30 - 40m standard (cheap models). 3G base stations have A LOT more range. Its something to do with frequencies i would guess.
Oh and the other thing is that wireless NIC has a default range of about 30 - 40m standard (cheap models). 3G base stations have A LOT more range. Its something to do with frequencies i would guess.
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Does "the wireless at a much lower frequency" refer to what is commonly known as wifi?The difference comes at the different way they handle frequencies, the hsdpa modems run around 2000MHz or something and the wireless at a much lower frequency, and because of the way that hsdpa boosts downlink transfer rates, the way the packets are compressed etc is much more complex than plain old wireless networking. So i guess you'll never find a modem THAT cheap
PsychoR8der
Active Member
My earlier statement was a bit off, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, i corrected the post
vodacom3g
Vodacom Representative
With wireless, do you mean WiFi? 802.11 cards normally has 1 radio, while the new breed of HSDPA cards typically have 4 radios in them. Think of them as 4 wireless cards in one.
Remember economies of scale. When the first WiFi PCMCIA cards came out, they cost a few thousand a piece. Now the technology is stable and can be found in all devices. This obviously drives the cost to manufacture down.
These cards typically have to pack nearly the same amount of electronics in a much smaller package. Compare your mobile handset to an Expresscard like the UX870. Even if you remove the battery from the handset, there still is much less real estate available in the card form factors. And the UX870 is 7.2MB/s. Shown me a handset that can do this.
Cards do not use trickle-down handset technology, rather the other way around. The cards come out long before the handsets does and thus carry the R&D.
I like ic's idea; if these are simple devices just build your own
Well if you put it that way, the price seems somewhat more justified.
Show me the network in SA that can do this
My soldering sucks, so i'll just fork out the cashI like ic's idea; if these are simple devices just build your own
Frikkenator
Expert Member
With wireless, do you mean WiFi? 802.11 cards normally has 1 radio, while the new breed of HSDPA cards typically have 4 radios in them. Think of them as 4 wireless cards in one.
Remember economies of scale. When the first WiFi PCMCIA cards came out, they cost a few thousand a piece. Now the technology is stable and can be found in all devices. This obviously drives the cost to manufacture down.
These cards typically have to pack nearly the same amount of electronics in a much smaller package. Compare your mobile handset to an Expresscard like the UX870. Even if you remove the battery from the handset, there still is much less real estate available in the card form factors. And the UX870 is 7.2MB/s. Shown me a handset that can do this.
Cards do not use trickle-down handset technology, rather the other way around. The cards come out long before the handsets does and thus carry the R&D.
I like ic's idea; if these are simple devices just build your own
It is still not worth R2k considering that it has been out for quite a while though.
As always, they are available for far less than what Vodafone charge abroad:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/24/t-mobile-rivals-vodafone-offers-up-portable-usb-hsdpa-modem/
Frikkenator
Expert Member
It's not really this modem I'm pissed off at though. It's just wrong how expensive it is to get a proper internet connection in this country. If it's not the usage cost it's the hardware... Or most of the time both 
PsychoR8der
Active Member
It's not really this modem I'm pissed off at though. It's just wrong how expensive it is to get a proper internet connection in this country. If it's not the usage cost it's the hardware... Or most of the time both
And THATS the saddest truth I've heard in a long time, I talked to a guy that lives in Sweden, he has a 24Mbps (yes Mbps) connection that, when converted to Rand currency, comes down to about R470 per month, be it uncapped or not, I can't recall.
We are so behind in this type of technology and infrastructure it's quite funny sometimes
Frikkenator
Expert Member
And THATS the saddest truth I've heard in a long time, I talked to a guy that lives in Sweden, he has a 24Mbps (yes Mbps) connection that, when converted to Rand currency, comes down to about R470 per month, be it uncapped or not, I can't recall.
We are so behind in this type of technology and infrastructure it's quite funny sometimes
Yep... sad but true.
What pisses me off the most about this HSDPA thing, is that my cellphone bill is between R1200-R1600 per month already. And I already have a one gig data bundle on there. So why now, do I need to sign up for NEW 500MB contract to get the modem "free"?
I already pay vodacom such an exhorbirant amount of money each month and then they still want to charge me R2k for freakin modem. Pathetic.
I had a problem with Nashua Mobile over the weekend with getting a data sim. After complaining about it they delivered the R9.00 SIM the next day to my office at their cost. I have yet to see Vodacom do anything for their loyal customers. All they give you is a ****ty call centre and half-baked support. (I have been witness to this more than I would like to admit). I don't want the modem for free, but for crying out loud let me pay the extra R70 a month (on top of my current data bundle) for the modem. But then again, what are the chances of them actually being pro-active in solving their customers' needs...