Re: EDGE & 3G

[Chris Hunter <cjhunter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Clearly not ... but I guess the point was that the 3G roll-out is
going
slow & even when it reaches 80%, there'll be large no-go areas ...
especially relevant to us up-country folks ... so GSM / EGDE will be
handy for some time yet ... 'looks like we'll be going for Orange ...

Chris


Andy Davies wrote:

>EDGE is an enhancement to GSM and and according to Wikipedia offers a
>theoretical maximum of 473kbps, so I don't see how it could be
considered 3G
>in the way UTMS based service could.
>
>Of course it all depends on whether you want to classify 2G/3G by the
>underlying technologies or the transmission rates and service
offerings.
>
>Andy
>
>
>On 13/01/07, Chris Hunter <cjhunter@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>>'found this  :
>>
>>EDGE is a 3G-compliant data transfer technology that is up to three
>>times faster than GPRS ...
>>
>>and :
>>
>>Martin Courtney, Network IT Week - 15 Feb 2006
>>
>>
>>Earlier this month, Orange became the only mobile operator in the
UK to
>>commit itself to upgrading its current GPRS packet data services to
>>higher speed connections based on Enhanced Data-rates for GSM
>>Evolution (EDGE) technology.
>>
>>EDGE will provide roaming workers with an estimated 100-200kbit/s
of
>>mobile data bandwidth in the vast swathes of Britain where faster
third
>>generation (3G) data services are currently unavailable. Whilst
EDGE
>>services should deliver more bandwidth for email, web browsing and
file
>>transfer from notebook PC than GPRS, experts warn that the data
rates
>>quoted could prove optimistic.
>>
>>"The general rule of thumb is to take vendor/operator top bit
rates and
>>halve them," warned John Delaney, principal analyst with
research firm
>>Ovum.
>>
>>Whatever the speed, the faster data rates will cost no extra than
>>current GPRS services, according to Orange spokesperson Stuart
Jackson,
>>whilst availability will expand from 300 base stations to 1,500 by
the
>>end of 2006. To prevent customers enjoying the benefits of lower
cost
>>mobile broadband all the time, however, EDGE connections will not
be
>>available in areas already covered by Orange's 3G network, only
where a
>>3G signal is unavailable.
>>
>>"The 3G rollout is still the main focus for Orange. EDGE is an
add-on
>>for customers, which we knew we could do quickly, and pushes
further
>>into rural locations that aren't currently covered by 3G and are
>>unlikely to be for some time," said Jackson.
>>
>>Orange's commitment to a nationwide EDGE rollout was well
telegraphed by
>>a series of regional trials and pilots. But whilst the other three
UK
>>mobile operators with a GSM/GPRS infrastructure in place (3 has
only a
>>3G network) all trialled EDGE, none have decided to deploy the
>>technology as a commercial service.
>>
>>Despite ongoing problems with 3G coverage - it is virtually
pointless
>>attempting to gain a 3G signal outside the UK's major cities - O2,
>>Vodafone and T-Mobile are all committed to expanding their 3G
networks
>>over the next five to ten years, and have no plans to upgrade GPRS
data
>>services in areas of non-3G coverage in the meantime.
>>
>>"3G offers the best infrastructure for delivering high speed
data.
>>Vodafone UK already offers data rates of 384kbit/s to 72 percent of
the
>>UK population and coverage is continually expanding," said
Vodafone head
>>of data services, John Lillistone. "Coverage is well on track
to meet
>>license requirements of 80 percent population coverage by the end
of
>>December 2007."
>>
>>Mike Short, vice president for research and development for O2,
>>estimates that for O2 at least, the cost of rolling out EDGE
services
>>did not justify the benefits it would provide either for the
operator or
>>its mobile customers
>>
>>-----
>>
>>true or not ?
>>
>>Chris
>>
>>
>>
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