I'm looking to organise email access from Kawau Island on the Vodafone network using either a phone as a modem or a straight modem (Vodem or similar) plus a laptop.   I was planning to get a phone or modem that supported GPRS plus HSDPA for future proofing if/when 3G Broadband becomes available at Kawau: there doesn't seem to be any shortage of devices supporting both at a reasonable price.

However now I read that Vodafone is planning to extend 3G mobile broadband to rural areas using HSUPA, rather than HSDPA: so if mobile braodband ever comes to Kawau is may be HSUPA rather than HSDPA.

HSUPA devices seem to be few and far between right now, so perhaps "future proofing" is not practical: I can either concentrate on GPRS for now and accept I may want to upgrade in future, or wait for bit and see what happens with HSUPA coverage and devices.

Have I missed anything out here?  I'm not looking for hard and fast answers or to predict the future, but does it seem to those who know about ceullar data on the Vodafone network that my analysis of my choices is reasonable?  Or is there some other option that I am ignorant of?

Any comments welcome

Cheers.