If the promise of 3.6Mbps downstream data (eventually, anyway) on the wings of Cingular's HSDPA network gets you out of bed every morning, but the AirCard 875's bulbous antenna is enough to make you want to cry, just feast your eyes on this little number. Option's Globetrotter GT MAX is the latest (and only second) data card to hit Cingular with support for the higher HSDPA data rate, while still preserving a veritable who's who of backward compatibility (GPRS, EDGE, and plain ol' UMTS) on four GSM and three WCDMA bands. Unlike the aforementioned AirCard from Sierra Wireless, the Globetrotter has a nifty little retractable antenna that'll likely be a hit with road warriors weary of removing modems from their slots when trying to pack the PC away. Look for the Globetrotter GT MAX to be available today from Cingular for a nice, round $49.99 after rebate on a two year agreement.

[Via PHONE Magazine]

Speaking of 3.6Mbps HSDPA equipment, Hong Kong carrier SmarTone-Vodafone has flipped the switch on what is apparently the world's first network-wide implementation of the boosted 3G standard. They're moving at a pretty good clip, too, considering that the 1.8Mbps setup that preceded it went live just this past June -- but even better, they intend to squeeze HSDPA for everything it's worth by 2008, taking the network all the way to its theoretical limit of 14.4Mbps downstream. We'd still be pleased as punch to see nationwide HSDPA at any speed in these parts, but it's encouraging to know that the hardware (and the optimistic attitude) necessary to push it to the max exists somewhere in the world.

Sure, the AirCard 860's purely theoretical 1.8Mbps of HSDPA throughput is all well and good, but 3.6Mbps (again, purely theoretical) is even better. Sierra Wireless' re-upped model, the 875, has now been announced for release on Cingular next month at $99.99 on contract after rebates. With quad-band EDGE and tri-band HSDPA on board, if you manage to find a place in the world where you're not covered by some form of data, you've got bigger problems than your lack of 'Net access.