Novatel Merlin XU870 HSDPA ExpressCard To Enable 7.2Mbps Speed

Novatel Wireless today announced that it has begun commercial shipments of its Merlin XU870, the first commercially available HSDPA ExpressCard. The Merlin XU870 is designed to operate on both North American and European HSDPA networks, Novatel’s press release says.

The Merlin XU870 ExpressCard fits both 34 and 54 size slots and is a tri-band HSDPA/UMTS and quad-band EDGE/GPRS product. “Novatel’s Merlin XU870 ExpressCard has been initially configured for 3.6 Mbps data speeds and when mobile operators start providing 7.2 Mbps service, software utility will be used to upgrade the card and boost its speed to 7.2 Mbps”, the press release says.

Initial shipments began in the third quarter to leading carriers in several countries, including Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal and New Zealand. The Company expects to continue rollouts with both carriers and laptop manufacturers through the end of the year.

Press Release