[3GScottishUser]

Vodafone, Linksys and Cisco Systems today announced the launch of a new product that provides high speed mobile data connectivity.

The 3G / UMTS Router is being launched in Spain today and will be introduced in Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden and the UK over the coming weeks. Launches in other countries will follow "in due course".

The router combines a Linksys WRT54G3G Wireless-G Router with and Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G/GPRS data card and enables up to five people to share high speed mobile data services provided by the Vodafone 3G network. The Linksys router supports both 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g wireless LAN connection and features an SPI-based firewall and WPA wireless security.

http://www.tomsnetworking.com/News_story_1213.php

[Hands0n]

Could this be a forward sign that the currently high charges for 3G/GPRS may fall dramatically? They'd have to to make this product have much sense in being producted in the first place. At least for the UK market where much cheaper access alternatives exist, and are near ubiquitously available.

Otherwise I cannot for the life me imagine why anyone would want to have an office of staff accessing the Internet and beyond via 3G for squillions of £'s a month in data usage charges when [yet] another Linksys/Cisco product will let them do the same across ADSL or Cable for a fraction of the probable cost.

Very curious indeed. What an interesting find.

Edit: and here is a link with a piccy of the beastie http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=5182

Edit 2:
"Vodafone says this portable product is ideal for businesses in sectors such as accountancy, construction or media who regularly have teams working together away from their main office and who need easy access through their laptop to high speed internet services or corporate applications. "

I guess that answers my original question above :)

[3GScottishUser]

Good point and as ever the hardware has to exist to facilitate changes in usage patterns. Price is important and I suspect Vodafone are one of the first to recognise that all that extra bandwidth that 3G provides will need more of a use than for voice to make any sense.

A good point HandsOn, perhaps a revolution is about to happen with data pricing.

That would be nice!!