'Me first!' Vodafone tells Three
19-12-2006
by Ciara O'Brien

Mobile broadband is causing a bit of a spat lately, with both Vodafone and Three Ireland claiming to be the first to launch a high-speed mobile broadband network.

Three Ireland made a big announcement earlier this week about the launch of its new HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) network, which will be available nationwide by January 2007. It said the 3.6MB mobile broadband product was the first high-speed mobile broadband product to be introduced to the Irish market.

Not so, according to rival Vodafone. The mobile operator claims its 3G HSDPA network was in fact launched first -- in November.

Vodafone duly issued a terse statement: "[Three] has incorrectly claimed to be the first mobile operator in Ireland to launch a high-speed mobile broadband network.

"Vodafone Ireland went live with a 3G broadband network on 14 November and currently has in excess of 5,000 devices operating on this 3G broadband network."

Vodafone had quietly announced the launch of its mobile broadband service when it released its financial key performance indicators in November, claiming it was available to 59 percent of the population.

However, the same release also indicates that the network's top speed reaches only 1.4MB per second, while Three Ireland claims its new product will reach speeds of up to 3.6MB per second. So while Three Ireland may not be the first with mobile broadband, its claim of having the fastest service could still hold true.

Look out for network reviews on ENN in the New Year.

Meanwhile, Vodafone's 3G HSDPA coverage is scheduled to be extended to all of the operator's 3G areas, which cover 70 percent of the population, by the first quarter of next year.