On Wednesday, Germany's Nova Media introduced its GlobeSurfer ICON HSUPA High-Speed USB modem. The modem, which retails for €299 (or US$478.25), supports the HSUPA 3G UTMS speeds, EDGE and GPRS protocols and ships with a USB extension cord.

"This small and lightwight modem is the perfect internet companion for the MacBook Air", said Jan Fuellemann, PR spokesperson at nova media. "Since it features an advanced receiver technology, it is likly to work in places with sub-optimal quality of reception as well."

According to Macworld UK, the GlobeSurfer HSUPA ships with the Internet connect wizard launch2net software, which offers connection settings for most international network operators.

If you've found a HSUPA modem of choice for travel, let us know over in the comments or forums.