Wireless Internet Reviews

That’s the USB1000 Global Modem from Verizon Wireless. It looks like your run of the mill dongle, but the hidden gem is that it will work on both CDMA and GSM networks, making it the first world edition modem from VZW. According to the Phone Scoop item, it will run on “800/1900 EVDO Rev. A, quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band 850/1900/2100MHz WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA.” Verizon will also offer a few plans for this one, including one for $130 per month, which includes 5GB of domestic data and 100MB of global roaming. The $220 plan doubles the global roaming amount. This one is available now.

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One of the troubles in buying a wireless broadband modem is that some of the newer ones are not available with older laptop models. The last thing you want to do is get a modem for an ExpressCard slot and find out that your PC only takes PC Card models. The new Sierra Wireless AirCard 402 takes care of that, offering both types of connections. This also keeps your USB slot free and clear (though with most USB modems including flash memory, or at least microSD expansion, keeping it free might not be as high a priority). The 402 also has a built-in GPS receiver, which should be at least marginally useful. The AirCard 402 will run $99.99 after $50 mail-in rebate and the signing of the two-year contract.

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Finally, the nation’s No. 4 cellular provider has released a broadband modem. While it won’t single-handedly catch them up to their competitors, it is a formidable device — a perfect way to kick off T-Mobile’s broadband access. It features tri-band 1700/1900/2100 MHz HSDPA/UMTS radios, which is just fancy talk for it works in T-Mobile 3G network zones. As for the extras, it has a microSD slot for up to 8 gigs, but the best part is that it has Wi-Fi on board, which is compatible with T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home calling service. Pricing and plan details after the jump.

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That there is the A600, the newest broadband modem for the Cricket broadband service. It’s a pretty standard device, featuring an expandable microSD slot for extra storage. Also notable is that it comes with connection manager software already embedded, nixing the need for a setup CD. It runs on all major computing platforms, including Mac OSX 10.3.9 and higher. It’s available now for $69, and can go along with Cricket’s $40/month broadband plan — $35 if you’re already a Cricket wireless subscriber.

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I wonder what happened the year after 35 million cell phones were sold worldwide. I bet shipments more than doubled — might have even quadrupled. That’s how technology typically grows. In 2008, 35 million cellular modems shipped, so we could see a real gaudy number by the end of 2009. Well, that is, we would have if it weren’t for this worldwide recession. We’ll still see some growth in the number of cellular modems shipped, but it won’t be by an astronomical multiplier.

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Sierra Wireless this morning announced two new USB modems: the USB 306 and USB 307. The names make them sound like ordinary USB modems, but they provide one thing no other USB modem does: HSPA+ compatibility. So if you’re off in an area which has this kind of network, you can take advantage of speeds of up to 21 Mbps downlink and 5.76 Mbps uplink. Those are huge speeds compared to our current crop of USB modems on mobile broadband networks.

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It’s time for another aircard release. This time it’s from Sprint, and no, it’s not for their WiMax network. The Sierra Wireless USB 598 runs on the Sprint EV-DO Rev. A network, which runs to major markets across the nation. Unlike the USB760 from Verizon, the USB 598 does not come with built-in memory. However, it does allow you to expand with a microSD card of up to 32 gigabytes. Download speeds range between 600 Kbps and 1.4 Mbps, with upload speeds between 350 and 500 Kbps.

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Verizon Wireless has just added another USB modem to their arsenal. The USB760 will hit shelves on December 1, and will take advantage of Verizon’s EVDO Rev A network. This is among the fastest mobile broadband speeds on the market. Verizon claims download speeds of 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps, and upload speeds of 500 to 800 Kbps.

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