Sierra Wireless has announced two more ExpressCard/34 modem cards for people who use HSPA mobile broadband networks on portable devices. The AirCard 501 and AirCard 502 ExpressCard modems offer top download speeds of up to 7.2 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 5.76 Mbps, the Vancouver company said. The cards are said to have a durable internal antenna design that includes no moving parts and extends only three centimeters (1 1/8 inches) from the ExpressCard slot. As a result, Sierra says they can be safely stored in the computer, enabling quicker access and improving efficiency while working on the go. Installation is said to be quick and easy with the Sierra Wireless TRU-Install software installation utility, which steps the user through installation of drivers and software the first time the card is inserted into the slot.
The AirCard 501 supports the 850, 1900, and 2100 MHz HSPA frequency bands that are commonly used on HSPA networks worldwide, while the AirCard 502 supports the 900, 1900, and 2100 MHz frequency bands and will be targeted toward specific markets requiring 900 MHz band support. Both modems are backward compatible with UMTS, EDGE and GSM networks. Commercial shipments of the AirCard 501 ExpressCard are scheduled for later this month. Availability of the AirCard 502 ExpressCard is planned for the first quarter of 2009.