AT&T Announces AirCard 881 HSPA PC Card

The Sierra Wireless AirCard 881 LaptopConnect card for AT&T 3G wireless network is now available. This Type II PC Card for notebooks supports enhanced upload speeds between 500 Kbps and 800 Kbps reportedly.

“Compatible with High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technologies, the AirCard 881 PC will enable average upload speeds between 500 Kbps and 800 Kbps as AT&T commences the industry’s first U.S. deployment of High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA). After completion of comprehensive testing and certification, AT&T is rolling out HSUPA technology in its network today, with availability to be announced in select U.S. markets later this fall,” the press release says.

The AirCard 881 PC Card’s download speeds range from 600 to 1,400 Kbps.

For use in areas in which HSPA coverage is not yet available, the AirCard 881 is also compatible with all four EDGE/GPRS frequency bands used worldwide, according to the press release.

The AirCard 881 will be available at no cost — after rebates — through November 3rd with a new two-year DataConnect contract of $59.99 a month or higher at AT&T retail stores nationwide, online at www.wireless.att.com and through AT&T’s business-to-business sales organizations.

This PC Card is supported under Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, and Windows 2000, and is compatible with Mac notebooks (Mac OS 10.4 or later). However, some newer notebooks do not have a PC Card slot. These laptops usually feature a more compact ExpressCard slot instead.

Source | Via