When I got my 3G (in Canada) it was separate from the sim card. The card had arrived earlier, it was .20 cents on my bill. But it was a Rogers/AT&T.
All stores that sell phone services sell a sim card for 10 dollars, so I bought one from Telus whom I've been with for a long time.
Receiving your iPad without a card means that you're free to choose your service provider, more of a blessing to me after all.