O2 unveils mobile broadband upload service

7 Jul 2008

The evolution of mobile broadband continues as operator O2 is first to market with a new content upload service that allows users to upload files and photos at speeds of up to 1.4Mbps.

The company said this speed is faster than other providers in the marketplace and raises the bar for mobile broadband functionality.

The move is likely to spark similar competitive efforts by the other mobile broadband providers in the Irish market, namely Vodafone and 3 Ireland.

O2 also revealed today that some 55,000 people are now using its HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) broadband service. It added that the network has 89pc population coverage.

Aimed at consumers wishing to upload video content and photos, as well as corporate users uploading heavy documents, the new service means they can now download and upload up to 10GB in total of data as standard per month, with no additional charges for occasional usage in excess of this.

“Last year O2 launched its mobile broadband service, which has proven extremely popular, with over 55,000 customers signed up to date,” said Jude Lynch (pictured), sales director at O2 in Ireland,

“Now that our extensive network rollout project has concluded, equipping the network with 7.2 Mbps functionality, we are confident that O2 customers will experience the best mobile broadband service available in Ireland.

“We are delighted to be the first mobile broadband provider in the country to offer upload functionality at broadband speeds.

“This is a result of the significant investment that we have made in our network over the past two years, and provides major benefits for our broadband customers who can now upload files, music, and photos much more conveniently, in addition to downloading content.”

For example, he said, a 5MB song can now be uploaded in 40 seconds, whereas previously it would have taken over two minutes.

By John Kennedy

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

editorial@siliconrepublic.com