Mobile broadband in Windows 8 simplified by Ericsson

A protocol proposed by Ericsson makes it easier for manufacturers to bring mobile broadband to people buying notebooks and tablets in Egypt and around the world. The collaborative development of the protocol is an industry effort within USB Implementers Forum.

Device manufacturers who implement the protocol will no longer need to install drivers for embedded mobile broadband connectivity or a connection manager – support for the protocol will be included in Windows 8. The new generation of mobile broadband modules from Ericsson supports this protocol, which is being demonstrated this week at the Microsoft BUILD conference in the United States.

With the volume of data carried by Egypt’s telecommunications providers set to rise exponentially by 2015, the protocol is certain to have an impact on the ability of users to easily access online content on-the-go. According to global market intelligence firm IDC, Egyptian operators carried 8,737.34 Terabytes (TB) of data for mobile devices in 2010. The volume of data traffic is projected to rise to 29,702.11TB in 2011 and 999,566.50TB by 2015. The firm defines ‘carried data volume’ as the total data transfer from smartphones, media tablets and mobile broadband dongles.

“At Ericsson we believe that more than 50 billion devices around the world will be connected to the web over the coming decade, which only serves to emphasize the need for more efficient connectivity,” said Anders Lindblad, president, Ericsson Region Middle East and North Africa. “In Egypt, as in other parts of the world, we see demand for mobile broadband being driven by a culture of connectivity, what we call a ‘Networked Society’, where consumers are increasingly seeking to remain connected 24×7.”

Mats Norin, head of Ericsson Mobile Broadband Modules, says, “This open communication protocol helps to save both time and cost for notebook and tablet makers. This is true also for the end user, enabling constant connectivity and simpler updates rather than separate downloads from manufacturer web sites.”

Ericsson also worked with silicon partners like AMD, Intel, NVIDIA and Texas Instruments. The result is that Ericsson’s mobile broadband modules supporting the protocol help make the adoption of mobile broadband for the Windows 8-based PC ecosystem smooth.

Norin continues, “As consumers are buying notebooks, netbooks, tablets and other consumer electronics, their expectations on connectivity go up. Ericsson believes in embedded connectivity to help consumers get what they want faster and in the simplest possible way.”

The protocol will be demonstrated in reference devices at the Microsoft BUILD conference taking place in Anaheim, California September 13-16.

The new feature will be available on all Ericsson modules starting with the F5321gw, H5321gw and C5621gw and beyond after the final release of Windows 8.

Notes and media contacts
About Ericsson:

Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services. The company’s portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the “prime driver in an all-communicating world” through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 180 countries, more than 90,000 employees generated revenue of SEK203.3bn ($28.2bn) in 2010. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.

www.ericsson.com

Media contacts:

Corporate Communications Plus
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Yara Khalaf: +2 0100010970