Nortel Networks and Nokia are both teaming up with Sierra Wireless to develop high-speed downlink packet access technology for laptop cards. Nortel announced it has completed successful field trials of a new Sierra AirCard that averaged 800 kb/s over European UMTS spectrum, while Nokia announced it would conduct similar trials using the same AirCard later this year.

Sierra claims its AirCard 850 and AirCard 860 are the first data cards utilizing HSDPA technology scheduled for commercial release. The 850 operates over 2100 MHz European W-CDMA spectrum, while the 860 is designed for 1900 MHz PCS frequencies.

Nortel's trials used the AirCard 850 in a laptop in a moving car and a commercial UMTS basestation. While the companies clocked average speeds of 800 kb/s--compared to 384 kb/s typical of UMTS networks--the trials saw peaks in excess of 1 Mb/s. Theoretically, HSDPA has a downlink capacity ceiling of over 14 Mb/s, but vendors expect the first phases of HSDPA to top out at 1.8 Mb/s.

With the first trial under its belt, Nortel expects to conduct commercial field trials with the Sierra technology sometime this year, in time for mmO2's launch European launch of HSDPA launch.

Though Nokia has not conducted trials with the Sierra cards, it has committed to the technology, announcing a joint marketing agreement with the vendor for HSDPA gear. Nokia said it would conduct technical and market trials with the technology this year.