AT&T Wireless Launches Fast U.S. Data Service

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=1&u=/nm/20031118/tc_nm/tech_attwireless_dc' target='_blank'>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=1&u=/nm/20031118/tc_nm/tech_attwireless_dc</a><br /><br /></div>"AT&T Wireless Services Inc. (NYSE:AWE - news), the third-largest U.S. wireless (news - web sites) carrier, launched on Tuesday a new service it said offers the fastest access to data via cell phones in North America. The service, called EDGE, for Enhanced Data GSM Environment, is at least twice as fast as current GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) networks. Both EDGE and GPRS are advanced versions of the world's dominant wireless technology standard, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)."<br /><br />Now for the bad news: unless there's a vendor out there using a software modem, I'm 99% sure that EDGE networks require dedicated EDGE radios - which means current GPRS hardware won't be able to attain EDGE speeds. EDGE is backwards-compatible with GPRS though, so you'll still be able to go GPRS over EDGE.

[cmorris]

Yup.. looks like only the Nokia 6200 is available w/ EDGE support.

http://www.attwireless.com/personal/products/phones.jhtml?titleNumber=14

[sweetpete]

Now the question remains as to when we'll see an EDGE Smartphone. Hopefully there will be an announcement soon :roll:

[bsic]

Of course, EDGE on AT&T is pretty pointless.

The data plans are so expensive, at download speed of 100k you will end up with a pretty big bill. Maybe thats the plan on thier end. I pay $8 for 1MB per month. Id fill that up in 10 seconds on an edge phone.

My company just decided on Verizon for its mobile computing solution... why? A flat fee for unlimited data- which AT&T wants considerably more for ($80/month).