On Wednesday, Sierra Wireless introduced its new AirCard 880U and 881U model USB modems.

According the Macworld News, the new modems are designed around the High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) protocol and can function at a theoretical upload speed of two megabits per second and can download at 7.2 megabits per second. The units are also compatible with the HSPDA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS and GSM networks.

Where regional access is concerned, the 880U is optimized for use in Europe and Asia while the 881U is optimized for use in North America. Both models feature their own internal batteries to ensure sufficient power in peak or fringe area transmission requirements. The units also feature power control, a patent-pending antenna that Sierra Wireless claims boosts data performance and an architecture geared towards data traffic management.

Final pricing for the USB modems has yet to be announced and may be set by the cell service carries that resell the units to their customers.

If you have any thoughts on this or a favorite USB modem of your own, let us know in the comments or forums.