I Am A Hsdpa Noob

[gibberish]

so thanks to wikipedia i have learned that hsdpa is a 3g communications protocol. my phone contract ends in april, and i plan to get a phone which i can tether to my pandora in order to have access to the internets wherever iam.

firstly, is hsdpa what im looking for? any phone which supports hsdpa can be used with pandora right? if a phone uses 3g does it necessarily also support hsdpa?

secondly, which uk phone networks offer the best plans for use with this? and lastly, would the sony ericcson experia or htc touch pro be suitable candidates for the job?

thanks

 

[Chip]

3G just means "third gen data over wireless". HSDPA is the latest and greatest flavor of 3G for GSM cell networks. Having a 3G phone does not necessarily mean it supports HSDPA, as it may use one of the slightly older standards. Honestly, those older standards are still quite quick. It's like the difference between EVDO and EVDO rev A on a CDMA network. Technically they're all 3G. The new stuff is just a bit faster.

Just to confuse matters further, some companies refer to the latest standards as "3.5G", while others don't.

As for working with the Pandora, the phone will have to support bluetooth or USB tethering. Not all do. Some phones do, but the carrier might lock out the feature. This is SOP for Verizon in the US. I don't know how common it is in the UK, but it is definately look into before making a purchase.

 

[DynaMight]

Three is your best bet imo, they have a good HSDPA network and coverage.

You can get 'unlimited' under a fair usage policy for £5 per month on contract or £10 per month for 1GB on Pay as you go.

Most new top of the range phones will support HSDPA, quick search of Google indicates both phones do support it.... worth checking you can get it in your area too! Most cities should do.

I surf fairly often using my 3.5g connection and find it quite quick for general internet surfing, can take a little while to 'find' the site but once it starts going its pretty quick.

 

[spinghed]

While most service providers do tend to frown on tethering, it's generally accepted that it goes on and unless you're online constantly downloading video and bittorrenting, you should be fine...

Saying that you may find that some phones have been "hacked" by the network you're on not to allow or to hide various functions.

I have 2 unlocked nokias on O2 and a sony erricsson which I can use with my laptops. I have found that my old nokias have a faster and more stable connection than the newer sony...

- Think you need to decide on which phone you'd like and then look around a few forums to see if you can tether them and what kind of connection you'll get

imho. don't use 3 - they are cheap, but I'm in London and had piss poor reception with all their phones, when I complained, I was told I wasn't using my phone properly and their network was fantastic....? I left.

- my 2c worth

Rick

 

[fiveseven]

Any idea what exactly the 'fair use policy' on three's unlimited access is? I've thought about tethering with Pandora, but I haven't been able to find any mention of the policy on it in the help section of three's website.

 

[CandidStan]

Unless they announced they were doing an ARM and OpenGL ES port as well.

and even then it would be dodgy, as it may or may not work with Pandoras control system (I'm sure people would want it to use the analogs which are not exactly standard across any other range of handhelds).

Any idea what exactly the 'fair use policy' on three's unlimited access is? I've thought about tethering with Pandora, but I haven't been able to find any mention of the policy on it in the help section of three's website.

I would just find an open access point. If your not in an area where you can get internet access, then why do you have a Pandora?

 

[gibberish]

I would just find an open access point. If your not in an area where you can get internet access, then why do you have a Pandora?

:huh: its a portable device man, surely you're gona take it on journeys and stuff where there may not be wifi access.

anyway, thanks for info.