Other pages in the review
3
3 makes use of a Novatel Merlin U630 quad-band wireless card compatible with GSM/GPRS and 3G networks. The demonstration device shipped with a setup CD and a clear plastic case for the card all contained within a DVD case complete with CD holder. A 3 SIM slots into the side of the card and a small latch allows for its easy removal as required. A five-inch external aerial is supplied with the device; this can be attached with Velcro to the case of your laptop.
It took a while to install this card but it did not cause any serious problems apart from the lack of a progress indicator—we were given no indication as to when we should plug in the card itself. For want of further instructions we plugged in the card after software installation and activated the desktop icon. Here we were presented with a control dashboard looking somewhat like a section of a mobile phone. The dash provides for email and browser launching; network configuration options and status displays are also present.
Coverage and plans
3 offers 3G services similar to that supplied by Optus and Vodafone. There is reasonable coverage in most state capitals and a few regional centres; beyond this range customers have the option to fallback onto Telstra’s GPRS network. Three plans are offered (should we be surprised there are three plans?), each with the same speed but differing in the amount of data included. Excess data costs are reasonable unless you stray out of the 3G service range, at which point you are billed at a significantly higher rate for a slower service.
Performance
In our tests download speed was somewhat slower than expected but upload speeds were reasonable. The nominal service speed is 384/64Kbps and we recorded an average of 187/54Kbps. In defence of 3 we recorded 335/59Kbps on a shorter test in May which is quite respectable. It scored poorly in our latency tests, scoring about 2.1 seconds; availability was very good at 99.7 percent.
We should also note that the throughput rates were very consistent over time, apart from a short time towards the end of our testing. As noted earlier there is any number of factors which could account for this variation, one possibility that comes to mind is the adverse effect of the poor average latency score of about 2.1 seconds; some providers managed latency scores down to one 10th of this amount—which is more like what one normally hopes for.
Overall, standard 3G cards offer limited flexibility in terms of speed and we found the expected speed a little unreliable at our test site. Nonetheless the card and associated services are reasonably priced and there are no serious faults to be found in service provision.