Nokia is the world's biggest cell phone maker — clearly a smart bunch of guys and gals — so they recognize a great business opportunity when they see one. This time they're looking to make a buck by making and selling USB HSPA modems for laptops, a relatively small business (run by a number of relatively small companies) that they believe is about to get huge.

You may have noticed that netbooks (ultra-small, ultra-cheap laptops) have become outrageously popular over the past few months, and with their portability comes the expectation to get online and check your e-mail anywhere. To that end, some of them have built-in modems that connect to 3G networks traditionally used for cell phones, but some don't. Nokia will be working with 3G network providers to hawk these little modems to consumers like yourself who want to surf everywhere but don't have built-in 3G modems.

Beyond that, details are scarce. No prices, exact dates, or providers have been named yet.

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