Unless you are living in a cave, you must have seen the ads indicating that Vodafone has finally launched their 3G services in India. Since 3G theoretically allows data speeds up to 21.1 Mbps (yes, that’s theoretical, do let us know if you get that speed), there is a possibility of using 3G as your primary broadband connection, provided if you do not download much. 3G USB data sticks only let you use the 3G data on the computer they are plugged into. What if you have more computers in your house? This is where these MiFi devices come into picture.
The MiFi concept is not new in India. Tata Photon launched their MiFi type device back in August last year. However, Tata Photon has a maximum speed limit of 3.1 Mbps. Vodafone’s 3G MiFi can, theoretically, give you up to 7.2 Mbps. Thats twice of that of Tata Photon.
Here is how the device looks like:
Features:
- HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
- 4 hours battery life
- Plug and play
- Charge using supplied adaptor or USB
Think of Vodafone 3G MiFi as a pocket sized WiFi router, which you can carry with you. So, if you are traveling in the city in a chauffeur driven car, you can, access the internet on your laptop or smartphone over WiFi using this device. The device connects to the internet using Vodafone’s 3G network and then lets you share that connection over WiFi. This is better than USB sticks in two ways:
- You do not need to install any driver or dialer to connect
- You can share the connection over multiple devices
The only disadvantage with these devices is that the data speed totally relies on the signal strength and the current load on the network. So, if you are driving through an area with low signal strength or lots of people using 3G data, your speed will be affected.
The MiFi device is currently priced at INR 5500 and is available in Vodafone stores in areas where Vodafone 3G is available.
