Verizon gets its own-branded EV-DO ExpressCard solution
Novatal Wireless and Verizon Wireless have announced the retail availability of the V640 ExpressCard. Owners of notebook computers with ExpressCard/34 and ExpressCard/54 slots can now hop onto Verizon's 3G EV-DO Broadband network. “Expanding and strengthening our relationship with Verizon Wireless, and making sure its enterprise and consumer users have the most innovative wireless computing capabilities, are key objectives for Novatel Wireless. With the introduction of our compact and high-speed EV-DO ExpressCards, we continue to expand our product line and bring the latest wireless broadband solutions to market,” said Peter Leparulo, chief executive officer of Novatel Wireless.
The V640 is a rebranded version of the Novatel XV620 which was tested by
PC Magazine back in late June. The prototype card had average download speeds of 651 Kbps, average uploads of 117 Kbps and peak download speeds of 1.4 Mbps. For those keeping score, Dell also uses a version of this card which they call the
Dell Wireless 5700. That card was released in June and retails for $179.
Verizon will make the V640 available for $179.99 with a two-year contract ($229.99 with one-year contract) and will charge $59.99 a month for customers that already have a Verizon voice line ($79.99 for those without). The V640 is available immediately from
http://www.verizonwireless.com and will be available in Verizon retail outlets beginning August 24.