Intel looks to SIM cards for universal wireless access

News about Intel:

Intel has backed an initiative to equip future notebooks with a SIM card slot, the better to integrate support for 3G mobile phone network connectivity into the machines. The scheme, launched this week by the GSM Association (GSMA), has the goal of making GSM, GPRS and 3G connectivity as ubiquitous in tomorrow's laptops as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are today.

The chip giant will work with the GSMA to develop guidelines for manufacturers keen to incorporate 3G support and, crucially, the next-generation High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) technology, which accelerates 3G-hosted downloads to true broadband speeds. The advice will also show how best to add SIM slots and allow machines to connect automatically to WLANs and 3G WANs, and to roam seamlessly between them.