US : Novatel Wireless announced it will supply its Merlin U630(TM) PC Data Cards to Vodafone Spain, one of Southern Europe's largest wireless carriers. Novatel Wireless will provide Vodafone Spain with the country's first quad band Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Wireless PC Card Modem, enabling its 10.9 million customers to access wireless high-speed broadband worldwide. Novatel Wireless' Merlin U630 is immediately available to Vodafone Spain subscribers.

Vodafone Spain will market the Merlin U630 as the Mobile Connect Datacard, the first wireless quad band PC Card in Spain. Vodafone customers can access data on UMTS 2100 MHz bands in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East and GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 MHz bands across the globe. Mobile workers are able to wirelessly send and receive emails, access the Internet and download attachments at speeds of up to 384 kilobits per second. 3G subscribers can remotely retrieve information on corporate networks that are stored behind firewalls, allowing users to continuously stay in contact with co-workers, customers and partners even when out of the office. The mobile connectivity provided by the Merlin U630 boosts productivity, improves efficiency and provides businesses with a significant competitive advantage.

"Laptop connectivity is in strong demand by our subscriber base and we are pleased to offer the Merlin U630 to provide mobility not only in Spain, but worldwide," said Carlos Becker, 3G Product Manager at Vodafone Spain. "3G data access is changing the way we work and live, and Vodafone Spain is committed to being at the forefront of this technological advancement."

"We are pleased to add Vodafone Spain to our growing list of next-generation UMTS customers, further expanding global access to 3G data services," said Rob Hadley, senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing at Novatel Wireless. "Equipped with our Merlin U630, mobile workers are now able to carry a single UMTS data card to gain high-speed broadband access to multiple networks and continents worldwide. Launching the first quad band PC Card is testament to Novatel Wireless' strong leadership in the 3G industry."

Novatel Wireless is the global leader in UMTS PC Card sales with Merlin UMTS PC Cards available from 15 operators in 18 countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America.