HP, Vodafone seal 3G pact

in brief Hewlett-Packard yesterday announced a partnership with Vodafone to embed HSDPA-compatible wireless broadband connectivity into its HP Compaq nc6400 notebooks.

Similar to a previous joint-venture between Lenovo and Vodafone, the notebook is designed to only run on the carrier's HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) network, launching on Friday.

The wireless solution, available as an optional item, includes a SIM card connected directly to the motherboard, with an antenna built into the screen -- removing the need for any external transmitter.

While Vodafone's HSDPA coverage will only be available in Sydney and Melbourne, the notebook can also fall-back to Vodafone's 3G and GPRS networks when there is no HSDPA coverage.

Telstra claims its Next G HSDPA network covers 98 percent of the population. According to a HP spokesperson, the wireless-enabled notebook is "not compatible with the Telstra network".

The nc6400 is available in Australia now, and has a starting price of AU$2,499.