Pros & Cons
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- With HSDPA 7.2 for download and HSUPA for uploads, the AirCard 881 will likely be the fastest cellular PC Card available.
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- Newer laptops may not have a PC Card slot.
- AT&T; hasn't turned on HSDPA 7.2 and HSUPA in most places yet.
Sierra Wireless Aircard 881 Specs
| 802.11x/Band(s): | No |
| Bands: | 1800 |
| Bands: | 1900 |
| Bands: | 2100 |
| Bands: | 850 |
| Bands: | 900 |
| Cellular Technology : | EDGE |
| Cellular Technology : | GPRS |
| Cellular Technology : | HSDPA |
| Cellular Technology : | UMTS |
| Mac Compatible: | Yes |
| Service Provider: | AT&T |
In the arms race for the fastest wireless Internet, the latest weapon is HSUPA, a system that should boost wireless uploads on AT&T's network to speeds from 400 to 800 kilobits per second (Kbps). The first card to support HSUPA, the Sierra Wireless AirCard 881 is a strong performer for both uploads and downloads on the road.
The AirCard 881 is a one-piece device that easily fits into a laptop's PC Card slot. A set of small, unobtrusive LED lights on the top of the card show whether it's in 2G (slow) or 3G (fast) mode. AT&T's Connection Manager software supports Windows XP and Vista. Sierra offers a free program to support Mac OS, but as no Mac laptop in almost two years has had a PC Card slot, the value of this card for Mac owners is almost nonexistent.
The AirCard 881 actually has two new technologies. HSDPA 7.2 is meant to boost download speeds beyond existing HSDPA 3.6 cards like our Editors' Choice
Carriers have to upgrade their towers to HSDPA 7.2 and HSUPA, though, and it looked like that had yet to happen during the week I was testing in New York City. I got very similar speed results on the AirCard 881 and 875U. The 881 did come out faster on 22 of 40 download tests, but that's a very narrow margin, and the differences in average speed were so small as to be meaningless. I got an average of 1.1-Mbps downloads and 300-Kbps uploads with both cards—very good download speeds, but speeds that are possible with HSDPA 3.6 and without HSUPA. Reception was also similar enough to the 875U not to matter.
Like all AT&T cards, the AirCard 881 requires a data plan. We recommend the $60-per-month unlimited-use plan. That's the same price that Sprint and Verizon charge for high-speed data card plans. The AirCard 881 roams internationally, though you'll pay through the nose to have it do so: $20 per megabyte in most countries. If you're going to do any overseas roaming, get an international data plan. The $109.99 North America plan gives you 100MB per month in Canada and Mexico, with additional data at $5 per MB. The $139.99 Global plan extends your 100MB to many European and Asian countries, with additional data in those countries at $5 per MB. If you're not in high-speed range, the card (like all AT&T cards) drops to the slower EDGE network.
That said, there's no downside to getting the Sierra AirCard 881, as long as you have a laptop with a PC Card slot. With its next-generation technologies, it's only going to get faster. While I was writing this review, AT&T introduced the USBConnect 881, a USB modem with the Sierra AirCard 881 hardware inside. This would be the best option for Mac users and those without PC card slots, but until we test that one, the AirCard 881 gets our Editors' Choice for the best high-speed Internet solution on AT&T's network.
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