MWC: Ericsson And Netgear To Showcase 3G Mobile Broadband Router

Ericsson and Netgear have worked together on the Netgear 3G mobile broadband router for locations that don’t have access to the Internet from a fixed-line network.

The Netgear MBRN3300E router features a 3G WAN with 802.11n wireless and Ethernet LAN.

Sure to please mobile operators, it offers customers Internet access in locations that lack a wired infrastructure – including homes and business, and on the go in cars, buses and trains.

“We are thrilled to cooperate with Ericsson, the global leader in 3G mobile broadband network technology,” Michael Clegg, Netgear vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “This collaboration furthers out position with mobile operators, and the resulting mobile platform can be migrated to higher speeds and enabled with added features going forward.”

The Netgear router offers parental controls and content filtering, SPI (stateful packet inspection), VPN pass-through and denial-of-service protection. Users can assign guest networks and, to avoid fees, a broadband usage meter can be customised to alert users when they near their monthly bandwidth allowance.

Additional features include an optional car power charger, a Push ‘n’ Connect feature, for connecting devices with a button push, and on/off switches for power and 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The router offers 270Mbps on the wireless LAN side, and can reportedly handle large file downloads and real-time playback of high-quality digital movies.

“Mobile broadband connectivity over HSPA in routers opens up new opportunities in yet-untapped home, [small-office and home-office environments] and semi-nomadic user scenarios,” Mats Norin, Ericsson vice president of Mobile Broadband Modules, said in a statement.

While neither manufacturer offered a release date, the pair will be showcasing the router at the GSMA Mobile World Congress show 15 to 18 February in Barcelona.