SEOUL (WiMAX Day). Korean WiBro operator KT announced this week the launch of iPlug Premium, a USB modem that supports both HSDPA (a GSM/3G technology) and WiBro (the brand name of mobile WiMAX in Korea). According to a report in KT’s WiBro News, this is the world’s first dual-mode USB modem that is capable of accessing both mobile WiMAX and HSDPA. For KT subscribers, they will be able to access the KT WiBro network in large cities such as Seoul, and in other regions where the WiBro service is as yet unavailable, subscribers can access the KT 3G network. KT also announced that it plans to introduce similar devices in the future that work in mobile handsets.

Numerous equipment vendors are working to develop similar USB devices. At the 3GSM conference in Barcelona last month, Samsung unveiled a USB dongle that can work in dual-mode mobile WiMAX and HSDPA.

Some manufacturers are said to favour the USB dongle approach for now as such a device is more easily cooled than a chip inside a laptop, and says one manufacturer, a USB device for WiMAX can be used for many devices, not just a laptop, and can also be used on a desktop computer.