Qualcomm provides Super 3G's missing uplink

ZDNet UK News writes that "Qualcomm (QCOM) has successfully completed a test call using HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), the missing uplink in super-3G. The technology promises to provide speeds comparable to the downlink speeds of HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access)."

According to the article, "the test calls achieved an uplink speed of 2Mbps, compared to the 64Kbps uplink speed offered by 3G services such as HSDPA. One of the drawbacks of HSDPA as a true broadband replacement has been its unsuitability for sending large amounts of data quickly, which is where HSUPA comes in."

John Delaney at Ovum said, "We can probably assume it'll be about the same rate as HSDPA on the uplink [in real-world conditions]." Delaney cautioned that, as Qualcomm is "not part of the GSM camp… the real impact of testing HSUPA will be when it comes from one of the more mainstream GSM vendors".

Delaney added, "If Qualcomm is using this as a kind of wedge to drive GSM operators towards their kit, then that's unlikely to work."

Qualcomm Europe's president, Andrew Gilbert got all bent out of shape at Delaney's comments, calling them "absolute rubbish."