Sierra Wireless today announced plans to supply the new Sierra Wireless AirCard 597E ExpressCard for operation on the Sprint Mobile Broadband EV-DO Rev A network.

In addition to its more compact form factor, the AirCard 597E ExpressCard offers several advancements over earlier cards, including built-in assisted GPS (A-GPS) to support location-based services. Using the GPS chipset and the latest version of Sprint Connection Manager, users can conduct a “locate and search,” which plots their current location on a map and then searches for nearby points of interest.

AirCard 597E ExpressCard

• Transfers data wirelessly at speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps on the downlink and 1.8 Mbps on the uplink, using the latest EV-DO Rev A technology
• Provides mobile broadband access for notebook computers with ExpressCard/34 and ExpressCard/54 slots
• Supports Location Based Services, with a built-in GPS antenna designed for accuracy and fast location fix
• Features a high-performance, durable antenna optimized for signal acquisition and speed, as well as a connector for an optional external antenna to improve performance in fringe areas or more demanding user conditions
• Incorporates the new 65nm MSM6800A chipset from QUALCOMM, with improved power-efficiency, wireless data and GPS performance.