Irish firm Cubic to enable HP’s global mobile broadband strategy

1 Oct 2013

Computing giant HP is to roll out a global embedded broadband service with Irish tech player Cubic Telecom through which competitively priced broadband at prices as low as €1.25 for three hours will feature on select HP ProBook and HP EliteBook notebooks, as well as the HP ElitePad 900.

The HP Mobile Connect service will be available across 3G and 4G networks at local pricing.

Cubic Telecom has delivered a special software application and global SIM card which are embedded in HP notebooks and tablets at manufacturing. Customers can choose from several one-click competitively priced connectivity plans whenever and wherever they need connectivity. HP Mobile Connect delivers simple uncomplicated local and international access at local pricing using Cubic’s smart network which is integrated with the wireless infrastructures of Tier 1 mobile network operators around the world.

Key unique aspects are a single global multi-IMSI SIM card embedded in the device that can support local access in many different countries and customised client applications for Windows 7 and Windows 8 and a customized portal branded to HP’s specific brand guidelines.

HP Mobile Connect is being offered initially by HP in Europe for customers to benefit from uncomplicated immediate connectivity within their specific country and across multiple countries around the world, including USA, China and Hong Kong.

The service will be available on HP tablets and notebooks with integrated Qualcomm GobiTM 3G and 4G technology.

The service is now available in Europe with local plans available in Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the UK.

HP is offering a free trial and local plans will start at €1.25 for three hours of service. There are also plans for one day, one week and one month of service.

The announcement of the deal with Cubic coincided with HP’s launch of a new portfolio of notebooks and tablets, including the HP EliteBook 800 series which is 40pc thinner and 28pc lighter than previous models and the HP Spectre x2 Pro ultrabook with fourth generation Intel Core i3/i5 processors.

The deal between Cubic and HP comes hot on the heels of a similar deal with Google whereby Cubic will roll out a Chromebook 3G data SIM card that will work in 55 countries worldwide.

In recent months Cubic Telecom announced it is to create 70 new jobs after securing US$5.2m in funding from US telecoms tech giant Qualcomm, ACT Venture Capital, TPS Investments and Enterprise Ireland.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com