Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution

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Template:Table Mobile phone standards Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution, or EDGE, is a digital mobile phone technology which acts as a bolt-on enhancement to 2G and 2.5G General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) networks. This technology works in GSM networks. EDGE (also known as EGPRS) is a superset to GPRS and can function on any network with GPRS deployed on it, provided the carrier implements the necessary upgrades.

EDGE provides Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS), which can be used for any packet switched applications such as an Internet connection. High-speed data applications such as video services and other multimedia benefit from EGPRS' increased data capacity. EDGE Circuit Switched is a possible future development.

In addition to GMSK (Gaussian minimum-shift keying) EDGE uses 8PSK (8 Phase Shift Keying) for the upper five of its nine modulation and coding schemes. EDGE produces a 3-bit word for every change in carrier phase. This effectively triples the gross data rate offered by GSM. EDGE, like GPRS, uses a rate adaptation algorithm that adapts the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) according to the quality of the radio channel, and thus the bit rate and robustness of data transmission. It introduces a new technology not found in GPRS, Incremental Redundancy, which, instead of retransmitting disturbed packets, sends more redundancy information to be combined in the receiver. This increases the probability of correct decoding.

EDGE can carry data speeds up to 236.8 kbit/s for 4 timeslots (theoretical maximum is 473.6 kbit/s for 8 timeslots) in packet mode and will therefore meet the International Telecommunications Union's requirement for a 3G network, and has been accepted by the ITU as part of the IMT-2000 family of 3G standards. It also enhances the circuit data mode called HSCSD, increasing the data rate of this service. EDGE has been introduced into GSM networks around the world since 2003, initially in North America.

EDGE is actively supported by GSM operators in North America. Some GSM operators elsewhere view UMTS as the ultimate upgrade path and either plan to skip EDGE altogether or use it outside the UMTS coverage area. However, the high cost and slow uptake of UMTS (as demonstrated by the upstart network 3) have resulted in fairly common support for EDGE in the global GSM/GPRS market.

Although EDGE requires no hardware changes to be made in GSM core networks, base stations must be modified. EDGE compatible transceiver units must be installed and the base station subsystem (BSS) needs to be upgraded to support EDGE. New mobile terminal hardware and software is also required to decode/encode the new modulation and coding schemes and carry the higher user data rates to implement new services.

Whether EDGE is 2G or 3G depends on implementation. While Class 3 and below EDGE devices clearly are not 3G, class 4 and above devices perform at a higher bandwidth than other technologies conventionally considered as 3G (such as 1xRTT).

See also: UMTS

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EDGE networks

The following companies have EDGE networks in production:

  • ETISALAT in UAE has a wide EDGE coverage that covers most of the seven emirates.
  • T-Mobile Czech Republic has large EDGE coverage in Czech Republic including all the main cities, Czech Eurotel uses EDGE at new cells.
  • Meteor Mobile Communications, is upgrading its existing 2.5G Network to EDGE throughout Ireland in 2006/07.
  • Sonera has large EDGE coverage in Finland including all the main cities.
  • Telstra in Australia is to start upgrading its existing 2.5G network to EDGE.
  • Elisa Oyj has large EDGE coverage in Finland including all the main cities.
  • Dna Finland is constructing lare EDGE/UMTS network and has partly opened it in Finland.
  • Azercell has EDGE network in Baku, the capital of Azerbiajan.
  • Cellcom has EDGE coverage in Israel.
  • DiGi has reasonable EDGE coverage in Malaysia, particularly in West Malaysia. Coverage in East Malaysia is currently limited to Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and several main town centres. DiGi streams its MobileTV service over its EDGE network.
  • Rogers Wireless has an EDGE network in Canada.
  • Cingular and T-Mobile have EDGE networks in the United States.
  • Orange has EDGE networks in France, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Belgium, and has recently launched EDGE in the UK[1].
  • Bouygues Telecom has now an EDGE Network in France that covers 95 % of the population ; it is the largest EDGE implementation in France [2].
  • Maxis Mobile provides an EDGE network in Malaysia.
  • Mobilkom Austria provides an EDGE network in Austria [3].
  • Moldcell has EDGE networks in large cities of Moldova [4].
  • Cell C has EDGE coverage in South Africa.
  • MTN has EDGE coverage for large areas of South Africa.
  • Vodacom has EDGE coverage for large areas of South Africa.
  • AirTel and Hutch provide EDGE coverage in large parts of India [5] [6].
  • Velcom is constructing EDGE network and has partly opened it in Belarus [7].
  • Telfort has full EDGE coverage in The Netherlands.
  • DTAC is running an EDGE implementation in Bangkok/Thailand [8].
  • Telcel and movistar both operate independent EDGE networks in Mexico. Telcel's covers Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey and has expansions scheduled.
  • Telenor and Netcom both operate separate, nation-wide networks in Norway. Both have complete EDGE coverage.
  • VIPnet has full EDGE coverage in Croatia [9].
  • Telia/TeliaSonera has EDGE coverage in Sweden.
  • TIM has EDGE coverage in major cities in Brazil.
  • Telemig Celular has EDGE coverage in all of its GSM region, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The full list of EDGE Operators previously maintained by GSM World was discontinued in May 2005, but they say "virtually all new GSM infrastructure deployments are also EDGE capable".

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External links

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