The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is going into high speed overdrive. The USB standard has been updated for the first time in 8 years, resulting in an update that will make transfering music, video, photos and other data ten times faster than the current USB 2.0 standard. USB 3.0 will be known as "superspeed" USB, and will appear in devices starting sometime next year.

Verizon Wireless announced that the USB760(TM) Micro Modem is available in business sales channels beginning today. Developed by Novatel Wireless, a leading provider of wireless broadband solutions, the USB760 gives customers a powerful, pocket-sized wireless broadband modem that runs on Verizon Wireless' high-speed network, which uses Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) technology. The USB760 will be available for order in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Dec. 1.

A study from ABI Research, based on a survey of 750 U.S. mobile business customers, found that small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are adopting mobile broadband technology moreso than large enterprises.

While ABI Research noted that businesses with more than 1,000 employees have highly mobile workforces and extensive IT support, which are helping to drive adoption for mobile broadband services, it's smaller businesses that are adopting mobile broadband on a broader scale right now.

Acer and Toshiba have now joined Lenovo by announcing a family of laptops which support Sprint's Xohm WiMAX. The Xohm service is now live in Baltimore with service coming soon to Chicago and Washington, DC. Sprint is also planning service rollouts in Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia, and northern Virginia.

AT&T is now offering up to $150 off a broadband laptop when you sign up for a new two-year mobile broadband data plan. The offer applies to the Lenovo ThinkPad family of notebook computers. Users must sign up for a new $60 per month mobile data plan on AT&T's DataConnect service. The eligible Lenovo broadband laptops have a built in Ericsson modem capable of receiving download speeds between 700 Kbps and 1.7 Mbps, and uplink speeds between 500 Kbps and 1.2 Mbps.

Sixteen of the world’s best known IT and mobile companies have united behind a GSMA-led initiative to create a new category of always-connected Mobile Broadband devices, delivering a compelling alternative to WiFi. This will give consumers the freedom to get online on the move, while enabling operators to address a US$50 billion opportunity in both mature and emerging markets (Pyramid Research*).

Sony Ericsson announced a deals with Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba that will provide HSPA mobile broadband integration into laptops set to launch in New Zealand, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The integrated broadband will replace the requirement for a USB modem card on all laptops which feature integrated mobile broadband.

There will likely be special pricing on the broadband laptops when you sign up for a mobile broadband plan with your carrier. This form of subsidized pricing is similiar to what is already offered by the telcos for mobile phones and service.

T-Mobile (www.t-mobile.co.uk) is giving away a free Acer Travelmate 5320 to customers who sign up for a 3GB a month 2 year contract. The contract is a £30 per month mobile broadband contract for residents of the UK.

The package on offer is the Mobile Broadband Plus, which normally costs £10 per month on a 24 month contract or £20 a month on a 12 month contract, and comes with a free USB modem stick and a monthly download allowance of 3GB. The offer also includes access to T-Mobile’s hotspots for wireless access.

According to a research study performed this month by Harris Interactive and sponsored by Alloy Media + Marketing today's college students prefer laptops with mobile broadband over desktop pcs. In 2003, 91% of respondents said that they owned a desktop pc versus 53% of respondents today. Additionally, 42% of respondents in 2003 owned a laptop whereas 70% of respondents own a laptop today.