When I got myself the iPhone 3G, I signed up for a data plan that gives me 30GB every month. Since I did not think I would be using up all that data on just a mobile device, and also that I had been looking for a long-term solution to the problem of not finding wireless access while on a shoot at some remote location, I was on the lookout for a 3G modem for my laptop.

Okay, okay… I wanted mobile broadband really only because all the ‘friendly neighbours’ around my local coffeeshop have wised up and password-protected their wireless networks. So there.

I took one look at the Huawei E220 external USB modem SingTel offers and immediately dismissed it; it’s ridiculous to have that thing dangling off my laptop. Inelegant. Impractical. I decided I wanted an ExpressCard solution.

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I am a big fan of ExpressCard and its predecessor PCMCIA/PC Card. Being a slot in a laptop, it lets you keep a peripheral tucked away and have it accompany your laptop all the time. Take, for example, the ubiquitous multi-format memory card reader: it’s something I use daily, so I have one hidden away in the ExpressCard slot.

The data plan I signed up for was crafted for the iPhone, so SingTel didn’t think they needed to throw in the modem; I’d have to fork out more money on top of the monthly subscription. There was no option to purchase the modem separately. Not that I would have, any way, though M1 was more than happy to sell this modem to me for S$398.

S$398! I told them politely to go fly a kite. You can get the Huawei E220 for as low as S$180 if you knew where to look.

Well, I’m happy I didn’t settle for less, because I found the BandLuxe 3.5G C100S HSDPA Adapter.

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The BandLuxe 3.5G C100S HSDA Adapter is both an ExpressCard and a USB device. By sheer clever design, a USB adaptor is provided with the modem; should you need to reposition the modem for better cell tower reception, you can simply slot the modem into the adaptor. And, in a very, very nice touch, a small plastic hook is included for you to snap onto the now-external modem so you can hang it off the screen lid of your laptop.

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I have never heard of BandLuxe before (some manufacturer from Taiwan), but I sure am impressed with them. Little things like this matters, y’know?

I was up and running in no time. It took next to nothing to get the modem up and running in Mac OS X. The configuration scripts necessary for OS X to recognize the modem are baked into the device, so they are always there should you need them again.

The C100S is listed on plenty of online shopping sites, though the price, averaging S$300 before shipping, is way too much. I got mine for S$250 thru the classifieds forum in Hardwarezone. If you are in the market for a 3G modem, and are able to find the C100S for a reasonable price, I highly recommend it.

Oh, and speaking of which, has any one realized how difficult it is to get a 3G modem off the shelf here in Singapore? It’s next to impossible! Can you say “telco conspiracy”?