Intel axes 3G support for Centrino

By Tom Sanders on Feb 19, 2007 9:52 AM
Filed under Hardware

Users stuck with Wi-Fi or external network cards for now.

Intel has abandoned plans to add 3G wireless connectivity to its next Centrino platform codenamed Santa Rosa.

The chipmaker said in September that it planned to embed Nokia networking cards to deliver HSDPA access to notebook computers.

The decision to abandon the plans means that notebook users will have to rely on Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity, or purchase a separate networking card.

Intel claimed that including the wireless chips is too expensive, but suggested that it might do so at a later time.

"After validating the return on investment, Intel and Nokia have said that there is not sufficient return to bring the technologies together," Intel spokeswoman Agnes Kwan told vnunet.com.

The main Santa Rosa wireless upgrade will now be the inclusion of support for the 802.11n draft standard. The technology is slated for release in the second quarter of this year.