Wireless equipment maker Nokia Siemens Networks said Thursday that it has new software that will more than double the download speed on networks using 2.5G EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Environment) wireless technology.
This is good news for first generation iPhone users whose phones connect to the mobile Net via AT&T's EDGE network. On average iPhone users report that they can get download speeds of 210 kbps. Nokia Siemens says that with a simple software upgrade to the EDGE network equipment, operators, like AT&T, can offer their customers download speeds of 592 kilobits per second.
EDGE is typically considered a 2.5G network technology that is based on the worldwide GSM (Global System Mobile Communications) cell phone standard. Many cell phone operators, such as AT&T, first built their wireless data networks using this technology. But now AT&T and other GSM carriers around the world are deploying faster 3G networks using a technology called HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access). Networks using HSDPA offer download speeds between 600 kbps and 1.4 megabits per second.
Most of the 3G rollouts are nearing completion and many carriers are already talking about 4G networks. This means there are few, if any, carriers around the globe still deploying new EDGE networks. So why is Nokia Siemens enhancing the technology?
The reason is simple. Nokia Siemens believes that speedier EDGE networks will extend the life of the already deployed 2.5G networks. Carriers have already paid for these networks, so the software upgrade simply breathes new life into an existing asset. The network upgrade also allows mobile operators to provide a smoother transition between the 2.5G EDGE network and the newer 3G HSDPA network, since most carriers have a wider network footprint using EDGE than they do using HSDPA.
For example, I have a 3G Samsung Blackjack that operates on AT&T's network. In New York City where I live, I access AT&T's 3G network when I download my work e-mail or when I check my favorite mobile Web sites. But when I visit my father at the beach in Delaware, my phone often roams to AT&T's EDGE network, because the 3G service is limited there. When I try to access mobile Web pages or sync my e-mail from the EDGE network, the service is painfully slow. If AT&T used Nokia Siemens' software to speed up its EDGE network, I probably wouldn't even notice when I was roaming on EDGE instead of using the 3G network.
"By 2015, we expect to live in a broadband-IP world with 5 billion people 'always on' and therefore Nokia Siemens Networks is committed to protecting customer investments and continue to implement leading EDGE technology," Ari Lehtoranta, Head of Radio Access Business Unit for Nokia Siemens, said in a statement. "Dual Carrier software upgrade is an easy and extremely cost efficient step to bring broadband user experience to GSM/EDGE networks."
A faster EDGE network would also be great for all those first generation iPhone users whose biggest complaint is that downloading Web pages on an iPhone over AT&T's network is like watching paint dry.
Of course, AT&T would have to deploy the Nokia Siemens technology in order to get these benefits. The software will be available in the third quarter of 2008, the company said.
Intel and Nokia said Wednesday that they're working closely together to get WiMax-enabled devices on the market in 2008 when Sprint Nextel plans to launch parts of its new WiMax network.
The companies announced at the WiMax World Tradeshow in Chicago that they'd work together to ensure interoperability between Intel's WiMax chips and Nokia's laptop devices. Intel will also work with Nokia Siemens Networks to ensure interoperability between Intel's chips and Nokia Siemens' networking gear.
Intel and Nokia are both strong proponents of WiMax, a wireless technology that provides faster speeds than cellular technology, but offers service over longer distances than Wi-Fi. And both companies are providing technology and equipment to Sprint Nextel, which is currently building out a nationwide WiMax network.
Intel, Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks said they've already begun testing their gear with equipment with dozens of other vendors in Sprint's Herndon, Va., testing labs. The companies hope that this early interoperability testing will reduce the time it takes to ensure these products work with other devices, ultimately speeding up adoption of the technology and getting products to market more quickly.
"Intel, Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks all recognize our collective responsibility in ensuring that people can take full advantage of WiMax," Raviv Melamed, general manager of Intel's Mobile Wireless Group, said in a statement. "Simply put, the infrastructure behind the networks and the devices that access those networks must work together seamlessly."
Intel and Motorola have been working together on Mobile WiMax interoperability since 2005.
Nokia also said Wednesday that it will use Intel's WiMax chips designed specifically for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices, in its new Nseries Internet Tablets. The Internet tablets, which are designed to offer a rich Internet and computing experience on a device small enough to fit into a pocket, will be among the very first WiMax-enabled devices to ship in 2008.
Intel also plans to make a big push with WiMax in the traditional laptop market. At its recent developer conference in San Francisco, the company introduced its next-generation notebook technology called Montevina, which will include an integrated Wi-Fi/WiMax radio. The plan is that in 2008, laptop consumers will have the option of choosing WiMax as an additional access technology when they configure their new laptops.
- prev
- 1
- next
