Cingular Wireless has announced their plan to release a new service for its subscribers, especially those who often travel out of the country, called GlobalConnect. The new service, will make the Cingular customers among the first in the world to use a single PC modem card to receive some of the fastest wireless broadband connections worldwide.

Cingular GlobalConnect features unlimited domestic data usage on the company's BroadbandConnect and EDGE networks in the United States and 100MB of wireless data usage on networks throughout Asia and Europe. The company will also provide customers with a single LaptopConnect card that connects to multiple wireless data networks in 95 countries. The card is a tri-band (850/1900/2100 MHz) UMTS/HSDPA device that has a unique retractable antenna design, making it the world's first UMTS/HSDPA data card that doesn't need to be removed from the notebook computer during transport.

The North America plan will cost $109.99 for Canada and Mexico while the overseas plan will be $139.99 for access in over two dozen countries. With 45 countries currently offering UMTS service, Cingular expects to provide 3G data roaming capability in additional countries throughout the year. "The need for broadband connections continues to move from our offices and living rooms to almost anywhere in the world," said Kris Rinne, chief technology officer for Cingular Wireless.