Option HSDPA card adds 1.8Mbps wireless to laptops
by Marc Perton 
posted Jan 23rd 2006 at 2:51PM
If you're looking for better wireless throughput from your laptop (and who isn't?), Option has added a new HSDPA PC card to its repertoire, which already included an internal card designed to be pre-installed by laptop manufacturers. The new card can achieve transfer rates of 1.8Mbps on HSDPA networks, and can fall back to UMTS and GPRS/EDGE if no HSDPA network is available. If you want to use one right now, though, you'd better be prepared to move to Austria, where Mobilkom Austria wil become one of the first carriers to support the new card.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mroach @ Jan 23rd 2006 3:16PM
I'm waiting for a dualband (1900/2100) UMTS card before I buy one. Hopefully Option will make one someday.
IllPhil @ Jan 23rd 2006 3:28PM
hahaha!!! i cant believe it, finally at least something that austria imports first lol - let me guess: when seeing the prices of the actual data transfer, noone would ever even think of gettin it ;P
Justin @ Jan 23rd 2006 3:52PM
Too bad it won't fit in the new MacBook Pro's next-gen slot. Has anything compatible even been announced yet?
canosso @ Jan 23rd 2006 4:24PM
@IllPhil
500 MB for 39 Euros, 1 GB for 69 Euros per month:
http://www.a1.net/privat/mobilesbreitbandtarife
MJR @ Jan 23rd 2006 5:08PM
The card has been on sale for quite some time already - it's the UMTS/EDGE PC-Card which became upgradeable to HSDPA by flash upgraed (downloadable at www.a1.net/hsdpa) today. Already tried it and it is incredibly fast. Once again mobilkom austria was the first to launch a break-thru technology. They were first in GPRS, first in UMTS and now HSDPA - that's what I call an innovator!
andrew @ Jan 23rd 2006 5:54PM
Globe.... WHAT's that say?? It looks a lot like the text is cut off, but maybe it's just the wierd font... As for the technology, I'm waiting for WiMAX. Although if the amount of time IEEE required to get 802.11n going, a truly ground-breaking tech like WiMAX may never be ratified and in common use in my lifetiime...
spy1325 @ Jan 23rd 2006 6:48PM
I have an HSDPA network card from cingular the "Air Card" from Sierra Wireless, and i get speeds up to 1.2 mb/s on my laptop. i like it alot/
Boothe @ Jan 23rd 2006 6:58PM
Will these cards fit the new laptops slots where the old pcmica cards use to fit? Those new cards are called "Expresscards"...Dell for one, makes the laptops.
Sanketh @ Jan 28th 2006 8:53PM
good one,
El Casey @ Jan 30th 2006 9:26AM
EUR39 for 500MB doesn't sound so bad. I have to pay $0.17/MB for a lousy 1Mbps in my dormitory in Moscow (get with the program, Russia!). Here's to hoping it'll be making its debut soon after I return to the US! ;)
*And it says "Globetrotter," Andrew.