Verizon Wireless offers the Sierra Wireless AirCard 595 for $99.99, for use with its EV-DO Rev. 0 network (covering around 250 markets) and faster Rev. A network (available in more than 131 major markets at press time). Service costs $79.99 per month, or $59.99 for customers with a qualifying voice plan.
Installing the VZAccess Manager software and card was painless, and we were prompted to download the firmware upgrade for the available Rev. A service. The speed increase over Rev. 0 was noticeable: Both CNN.com and Gmail loaded in six seconds (essentially the same as if we were on a local Wi-Fi network). Downloading a 5.62MB file took an average of 39 seconds, and uploading a 991KB file took just 20 seconds.
If you're a world traveler, pick up the Cingular connection card, but if you want fast download speeds and the fastest upload speeds in the U.S. for less than $100, Verizon's Sierra Wireless AirCard 595 is the way to go.
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