U300 - Wimax & EVDO Rev A on One USB Device

Franklin's U300 (CMU-300) USB modem, made by C-motech, is not only one of the first WiMAX-capable devices - it is the first device that provides access the EVDO and WiMAX networks and is also compatible with HSDPA. Customers have been hoping for such a product since the announcement of WiMAX coverage in several areas, and its announcement is sure to please a lot of people.

While we do know that the device is in USB format and will be capable of connecting to both networks, there are many unknowns at this time. The cost has not been revealed, and we don't know how the access costs will work. Sprint XOHM does not require a contract to sign up for their service and it is very affordable, but both Sprint's and Verizon's EVDO service requires a 2-year contract at $59.99 per month. It seems likely that if you plan on using both EVDO and WiMAX, you'll pay the full rate of each. Since they are not yet available for testing, we also cannot yet verify whether it might work in an existing EVDO router (the EVDO service, at least) or if it has an antenna port. We will continue to update this page as more information becomes available!

Technical Specifications for U300

Standard:

• IEEE 802.16e Cor2 D3(Wave II) +
• EVDO or HSDPA

Frequency:

• WiMAX 2.5 - 2.7GHz (2.3/3/5GHz, TBD)
• EVDO Rev A 850/1900MHz
• HSDPA 2.1GHz

Data Throughput:

• WiMAX - DL: 28Mbps, UL: 5Mbps
• EVDO Rev-A - DL: 3.1Mbps, UL: 1.8Mbps
• HSDPA - DL: 7.Mbps, UL: 384Kbps

MIMO, Beemforming:

• Supported

H-ARQ:

• Supported

UICC Interface:

• Supported

Max Output Power:

• 23 dBm

Max Power Consumption:

• 2500mW

Interface:

• USB 2.0

Size:

• 92.5mm x 33.5mm x 12mm

Form Factor:

• USB Dongle (DBDM)

Operating Voltage:

• 5V DC

The U300 is expected to be available by the end of 2008.

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