Last week 3 Mobile announced the launch of its 3G Wi-Fi Router for mobile broadband customers in Australia. Designed to be used in tandem with one of 3's USB modems, the Wi-Fi Router simply piggybacks off the USB Modem when it's plugged in, allowing users to share a single mobile broadband account.

It sounds like a reasonable idea, as many people use mobile broadband as their primary Internet connection.

According to 3, the unit is recommended for use by "two to four people at one time" and is protected by WPA encryption.

Now, I'm sure it's convenient if you've got multiple users in the home for example, but at what expense to speed and service?

Let it be known that I haven't yet tested the unit, so I won't be too harsh. But really, considering the general speed of mobile broadband in Australia right now, I'm really not expecting too much.

I shouldn't be too harsh on 3 (although, really, I haven't criticised them!). It's Optus who have been copping the rough end of the stick of late and for good reason. But you can forgive me for being a little sceptical, right?

One big positive is 3's data plans — while not associated with blistering speeds, they are certainly known for their good value. As an example, 3 charges a commendable $49 per month for 7GB of data. Like Telstra and Optus, 3 also recently introduced a prepaid billing system too.

I'll be waiting in anticipation when I get my hands on the Wi-Fi Router later this week and will be sure to inform you of the results.