Mobile operator mmO 2has unveiled plans to sell a third-generation laptop card in Germany from April, the latest in a growing list of mobile firms rolling out high-speed services.
mmO 2's larger rival and the world's biggest mobile firm, Vodafone, unveiled its 3G laptop data card in seven markets, including Germany, last month.
Usually aimed at the business user, these cards can be inserted into compatible laptops and are far faster than the GPRS cards now in widespread use.
MmO 2, which operates in Britain, Germany and the Republic of Ireland, said its O 2Germany unit would sell the laptop cards, supporting speeds of up to 384 kilobit a second, for €285 ($352).
These cards are a stepping stone to full-fledged 3G phone services, whose roll-out has been delayed several times by a shortage of reliable phones and other technical glitches.
The firm said the 3G service would cover about 40 per cent of Germany's population through its own network and its network sharing and roaming agreement with its larger rival, Deutsche Telekom unit T-Mobile.