Sony Electronics Inc. said it will include embedded EDGE modems on its T-Series VAIO notebooks configured to operate on Cingular Wireless L.L.C.’s nationwide network. The notebooks will also include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios as well as Sony’s SmartWi technology that will allow users to toggle between the various connectivity options using keyboard function keys.
Sony said the embedded modem, which uses a chipset developed by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, is a class 10 device providing average network speeds of between 100 kilobits and 110 kilobits per second with bursts of up to 220 kbps.
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In support of the new offering, Cingular said it will offer customers a free month of service for customers signing up for unlimited access at $80 under one-year contracts and two months of free service for customers signing two-year contracts. The carrier will also offer a tiered plan that includes 50 megabytes of data throughput for $50 per month.
Sony added that while the initial notebooks will include access only to EDGE wide area networks, the company was “continuously looking at newer technologies.”