Your Account And Coverage Area - Sierra Wireless AirCard 800 Series Installation Manual

Welcome to the AirCard 800 Series wireless USB modem
Note: If you purchased the
AirCard USB modem from a
GSM service provider, you may
already have an account.
Otherwise, your retailer should
be able to provide you with the
names of companies that
provide this service.
Note: The fee for service is
usually higher when you are
"roaming" (connected to a
network other than the one
belonging to your service
provider).
Rev 1.2 May.07
Every network that offers 3G UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA service
does so on one of these bands:
• WCDMA 850—used by North American service providers
• WCDMA 1900—used by North American service
providers
• WCDMA 2100—used by European, Asian, and Australian
service providers
The AirCard USB modem supports quad-band 850 / 900 / 1800
/ 1900 MHz GSM / GPRS /EDGE, and tri-band 850 / 1900 / 2100
MHz WCDMA / HSDPA/HSUPA frequency bands.

Your account and coverage area

Companies that operate GSM networks and provide access to
those networks are called service providers. You must have an
account with a GSM service provider that offers HSDPA/
HSUPA or UMTS service to use the AirCard USB modem's 3G
capability. (The AirCard USB modem is backward compatible
to 2G service.)
When you obtain your account, you are given a SIM card, also
called a "smart card" or "smart chip". (Depending on how you
purchased your AirCard USB modem, you may already have
an account, and your SIM card may have been included in
your package.) The SIM card contains account information and
must be inserted in the AirCard USB modem anytime you use
it.
Before you can use the AirCard USB modem, you must install
the AirCard USB modem software and ensure that your
AirCard USB modem is configured to use your account.
Instructions on completing these steps are provided in the
chapters that follow.
Once installed and configured, you can connect to the Internet
with the AirCard USB modem in any area in which you can
obtain GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, or HSDPA/HSUPA service.
Your ability to obtain service depends on these factors:
• Proximity to a GSM network—You must be within the
coverage area of a GSM network in order to use the
AirCard USB modem.
• Service provider—If you are within the coverage area of a
network that is not operated by your own service
provider, you can obtain service only if there is a roaming
agreement between your service provider and the network
operator.
11