Within days of T-Mobile launching its femto-like 3G wireless router, 3UK has unveiled a competing product the company claims can enable up to four people to share a mobile broadband connection.

The company is using the D100 from Huawei into which the subscriber inserts their 3G dongle as supplied by 3UK. Users can then access the D100 using a WiFi connection. The device, which supports a maximum of four WiFi connections, can be purchased online from 3UK for around €90.

Separately, O2 has hinted it might announce something similar later this month. The company's head of solutions architects, Steve Pluta, is expected to unveil a new offering targeted at SMEs that integrates fixed-line and mobile services. The scant details available mentioned that this new FMC service, which would not launch until Q1/09, would come with the option of taking fixed-line services and pricing on to a mobile handset.

For more on this story:
- go to The Inquirer [1] and Mobile Today [2]

Related article:
T-Mobile dongles 3G mobile broadband sharing. T-Mobile story [3]