AT&T has announced the forthcoming launch of the Sierra Wireless USBConnect Lightning USB modem.
The modem is compatible with the ongoing 7.2Mbps network upgrade being launched across the country, with Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami expected to launch the upgraded service the end of the year.
Pricing for the modem is set at $99.99 after new 2 year agreement and LaptopConnect data plan requirement before an additional $100 mail-in rebate, bringing the total cost to free on contract.
I would like to see how this compares to a Sprint 4G card that also works on the REVA 3G network. I would guess Sprint would win.
Duker, AT&T’s card works with UMTS, EDGE, and GPRS.
The real issue is AT&T’s local loops are not ready to handle 3.5G speeds. While they can deliver 7.2 mbps to one or two people per tower, when you add in a fraction of the iPhone users in any market… you’ll never hit those speeds consistently.
Sprint 4G is based on Clearwire’s network, which has T3’s end-to-end, and can actually sustain 7 mbps per connection.