I was just reading about the Chinese manufacturer of the mobile broadband modems all our local carriers use, Huawei, is preparing to launch some new models that might mean new options for consumers.

They’re bringing a USB Stick style modem to market, which would be sweet for laptop users as it’s less painful that the “blob on a cable” you get now. There is also talk of a router unit that could be used at home to give multiple home PC’s access.

What annoys me is that Huawei only sell their products to mobile phone companies. Its much the same deal that Optus and Telstra have with cable modems; You have to buy the modems from the carriers. That means we the consumers end up paying much more than necessary for the hardware.

Until a manufacturer steps up and offers these products through normal channels, I guess we’ll just have to accept it.