New Options in Broadband Connectivity Feel the need for speed? Cellular broadband is ready for liftoff.

High-bandwidth cellular is breaking out all over. Would you believe 7Mbps-plus download speeds? How about 14Mbps-plus? Those are speeds GSM and CDMA networks, respectively, will achieve, says Qualcomm--although not long before late 2007.

In the interim, cellular carriers are busy upgrading their pipes to still-zippy 3G minimums of 450Kbps to 800Kbps downstream and 300Kbps to 400Kbps upstream. Carriers say their UMTS and 1xEV-DO revisions of GSM and CDMA, respectively, should cover all major U.S. cities by year-end.

Specifically, Cingular Wireless plans to expand its UMTS BroadbandConnect from 16 urban areas to most major markets. Sprint Nextel is upgrading its Power Vision network to a faster EV-DO version with 3.1Mbps bursts that should reach 190 million Americans. And 3G pioneer Verizon Wireless hopes to cover 200 million consumers with the faster EV-DO flavor over its Broadband Access network. Novatel Wirelessand Sierra Wirelessare already shipping the laptop built-ins and PC card receivers for tapping these networks. And the thin selection of 3G-capable smartphones will expand noticeably in coming months.