M.2 WWAN Card Introduction

The M.2 WWAN module requires to be integrated with a host system in order to be functional and provisioned with connectivity via a service provider (MNO or MVNO) SIM card.

The ingredients in the host device include M.2 WWAN module Hardware, Antenna, Firmware, Host OS Driver & Application/Service.

In order to get a proper overview, these are the key areas:

(1) The host interface (hardware/firmware/OS software) that exposes to the end user & integrator.
(2) Services: Cellular connectivity, Telephony services, SIM, Positioning technologies.
(3) Internals of the Hardware, Firmware, Host OS Driver Structures.

WWAN Introduction [2]: Radio Frequency #ABuyingGuide

The mobile network utilizes a licensed radio frequency to provision the service, unlike WiFi which runs on 2.4GHz and 5GHz unlicensed bands, WWAN needs to support a wide range of frequencies to meet the mobile network operators requirement, network operators across the globe deploy the radio network on the frequency regulated by the authorities i.e. country, region, etc. Because of such politics, the WWAN card you purchase on ebay from the US may not work in Asia or Europe or vice versa, even they may claim the card supports LTE radio. What makes this complexity worse is the different radio technologies (4G, 3G, 2G) each has their own set of frequencies, selecting the right card to work on the mobile network in your country can be a daunting job.

Here is an illustration of the Radio Frequency vs Radio Technology:

The WWAN industry uses "band" to refer to the radio frequency, it goes like Band1, Band2, Band3, …, to represent each of the particular frequencies. Thanks to Wikipedia, there is a Wiki page that summarizes the frequency bands in a table for quick lookup:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-UTRA#Frequency_bands_and_channel_bandwidths

and a list of the 4G LTE networks:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks

3G networks:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UMTS_networks

With the Wiki lookup tables above, you could easily select what radio frequency you need to have on your WWAN card to support the mobile operator in your country!

Here are the questions to ask when you approach a seller:

- What 4G LTE band do you support?

- What 3G band do you support?

- What 2G* band do you support?

* This is probably not needed, 2G is way too slow for a good Mobile Broadband experience.

WWAN Introduction [1]: Speed is Everything! #ABuyingGuide

Mobile Broadband service has become increasingly available to the laptop and tablet devices, when shopping for such device there is often an option to add a WWAN card. As an end user sometimes there could be many choices, buying a right card can be a challenge without a little bit of the insight on the WWAN technology. We will look at the key parameters of the WWAN card when buying it for personal use, make the most out of the card.

Speed is the key deciding factor, HSPA radio network is the minimum requirement to enjoy a seamless multimedia experience such as watching a HD quality video on YouTube; however, LTE radio is idea! This means the WWAN card will need to support the essential radio technology in order to take advantage of the mobile network. Let's look at the typical speed of the WWAN card in relation with the radio technologies:

Layman's Term	Radio*	Typical Download Speed	Typical Upload Speed
4G	LTE	300, 150, or 100Mbps	50Mbps
3.75G	HSPA+	42, or 21Mbps	5.7Mbps
3.5G	HSPA	7.2Mbps	2Mbps
3G	WCDMA	384Kbps	384Kbps
2.75G	EDGE	236.8Kbps	236.8Kbps
2.5G	GPRS	80Kbps	59.2Kbps

* CDMA2000, EV-DO radio are not included.

Always go for LTE card when the option is available! Make your gear ready for the mobile network operator to have no excuse not to support your multimedia needs.