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.