Samsung delivers Telia’s dual-mode LTE/3G modem

TeliaSonera Sweden (Telia) is scheduled to put dual-mode 3G/4G HSPA/Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless USB modems on sale today, another world premier for the company that launched the first commercial LTE mobile broadband network last December. Up until now, laptop users in Stockholm have had to swap from LTE modem to a W-CDMA/HSPA device when they leave Telia’s 4G coverage zone. According to a report from PCWorld, the Samsung GT-B3730 USB modem allows access to the internet over LTE or HSPA+ at actual download speeds of up to 80Mbps and 16Mbps respectively, and works with Windows XP, Vista and 7, and Mac OS 10.5 or 10.6. The ne dual-mode service will not feature seamless 3G/4G handover initially, instead the user must reset their internet interconnection when moving between the two networks, until upgrades to network software and modems are implemented by early next year, according to Telia’s schedule. Telia has not revealed the quantity of modems it has available at launch, a spokesperson saying only that there are currently ‘thousands of subscribers’ on its Swedish LTE network, compared to the company’s total Swedish mobile broadband (HSPA) internet subscriber base which is currently approaching half a million. Until the end of this year, a Telia LTE subscription costs SEK359 (USD51) per month for 30GB of inclusive data; next year the price will rise to SEK599. A HSPA mobile broadband subscription with a 20GB data cap costs SEK99 a month under a current promotion; standard price is SEK319. The TeliaSonera group also operates LTE in Oslo, Norway, via its NetCom unit.