Antenna launched to provide portable broadband in rural areas

UK company Deltenna has just unveiled a dedicated device designed to provide an alternative broadband service to those in poor-signal, rural areas.

The Deltenna WiBE is a small, 18 x 13cm device combining a SIM-based 3G modem and a boosting phase array antenna. This antenna works to track down the best signal and provide users with an average broadband speed of around 2Mb. It may not be the speediest in the country, but it could provide a lifeline to those still coping with dial-up.

The WiBE device also features a WiFi router which enables it to be linked up to WiFi-enabled devices around the house. The WiBE's maximum throughput is 7.2Mb and, in areas of weak signal, it can deliver a data throughout 30-times greater than a 3G USB modem dongle.

Deltenna has also confirmed it's currently working on a 4G (LTE) device which should be announced in 2011. The developers are confident this model will be capable of providing rural broadband speeds of 50Mb and above.

Speaking on the benefits of this portable broadband antenna, Andrew Fox, CEO of Deltenna, said: "There are still millions of people throughout Europe and the US for whom fast broadband is a myth. The WiBE's range and throughput means broadband can more easily, and cost effectively, be deployed in regions that don't have access to DSL."

Deltenna didn't release any details on the pricing of this product.