Ericsson’s latest broadband module might not make it into a toothbrush, nor was that the intention. But it’s getting closer.
Ericsson today unveiled its new mobile broadband module designed to bring high-speed wireless to devices like e-book readers, GPS navigators, picture frames, gaming consoles and other portable consumer electronics. The module, named C3607w, was unveiled at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.
It’s all part of Ericsson’s vision for an all-connected world. “We believe all devices that can have an Internet connection will have one,” says Jan Backman, director of marketing at Ericsson Mobile Broadband Modules. “Everything will be connected.”
The module is one-third the size of previous Ericsson modules and will be commercially available in the first quarter of 2010.
In releasing the module, Ericsson hopes to tackle some of the barriers that have arisen when trying to get such integrated solutions into consumer electronics. For example, the company hopes to speed the time to market for device makers by offering pre-certification programs that should make the operator approval process move faster. It is also packaging the module with IPR protection.
Ericsson says the release highlights progress in its collaboration with Intel to bring HSPA mobile data solutions to Intel’s Morristown platform-based MIDs.
The module is based on ST Ericsson chipset technology, with additional components added by Ericsson. It also comes with a wake-on wireless feature, so, for example, a user could set his or her e-reader to wake up when a news alert comes in.
As for that toothbrush? That example came up during a presentation by Håkan Djuphammar, vice president of systems architecture, at Ericsson’s Business Innovation Forum in Stockholm in June when describing the types of devices that might one day include broadband.
“We’re not there yet,” Backman says, noting that part of the issue is getting the costs down low enough for that to be a viable option.
