Lenovo ThinkPads To Include Cingular Broadband

Lenovo said Tuesday its ThinkPad T60 notebooks will include Cingular broadband connectivity services.

The move makes Raleigh, N.C.-based Lenovo the latest U.S. notebook vendor to provide built-in Cingular broadband capabilities. ThinkPad T60s will have Cingular's UMTS/HSDPA technology, which includes U.S. connectivity options plus the ability to connect globally via EDGE or GPRS services.

Lenovo said it would offer the Cingular-capable ThinkPad T60s via solution providers and direct through its Web site.

With its BroadbandConnect service, Atlanta-based Cingular is playing catch-up to rival Verizon in the PC broadband wireless space. Last year, New York-based Verizon began providing its own broadband wireless connectivity through notebooks provided by Lenovo, Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

Dell also ships a notebook with the Cingular technology.Cingular offers broadband connectivity in 70 U.S. cities and said it plans to provide coverage in most metropolitan areas by the end of the year.