Nokia phones tap speedy networks

Nokia on Monday introduced the first phone to take advantage of speedy wireless networks that allow people to surf the Web at double the rate they could before.

The new Nokia 6200, which is expected to hit shelves in early 2003, will cost between $250 and $350 and will be targeted at business consumers.

The company said the phone is the first to be compliant with wireless networks based on EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) technology, an advanced wireless system designed to speed the delivery of voice and data traffic.

The EDGE system delivers data at speeds up to 118kbps, which is more than double the speed offered by earlier versions of the most common wireless technology standard, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). Wireless carriers including Cingular Wireless and AT&T have announced support for EDGE technology.

Nokia said the phone will let people easily send and receive pictures and other multimedia material, surf the Web, and remotely synchronize their personal information with a PC at speeds faster than ever. The company also is offering an optional camera feature so people can take pictures and share them immediately.

"No technology is an economic success for the technology itself," John Barry, director of Nokia's mobile phones business unit, said in a statement. "What people want is effortless mobility...applications and services, and fast, simple access to information on the go."