Industry's First Commercial Deployment of EDGE Technology Boosts Data Speeds
For Wireless Uploads, Downloads and Web Browsing
ATLANTA, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless today announced the
world's first commercial deployment of wireless services using Enhanced
Datarate for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology. Cingular's initial EDGE
service offering is in its Indianapolis market, with subsequent deployments
expected later in the year.
Building on more than a decade of wireless data experience, Cingular's
EDGE technology enables true "third generation" (3G) wireless data services
with data speeds typically three times faster than those available on GSM/GPRS
networks. Based on GSM, the worldwide standard for cellular communications,
EDGE is a software enhancement for Cingular's General Packet Radio Service
(GPRS) data network that can support peak data rates up to 170 kilobits per
second with average data rates of 75-135 Kbps.
"Our EDGE rollout demonstrates Cingular's continuing progress and
evolution in GSM deployment," said Bill Clift, chief technical officer at
Cingular Wireless. "EDGE is recognized as the most economical way to overlay
GSM/GPRS to achieve 3G capabilities and we're proud to be the first North
American carrier to deliver EDGE-based wireless services to our customers."
"Cingular is making good on its promise to leverage its GSM overlay to
move quickly towards 3G," said Roger Entner, an analyst with the Yankee Group.
"By putting the right infrastructure into place now, the company is well
positioned to deploy EDGE services strategically, when EDGE devices are
available and customers are ready to adopt high-speed data services."
Cingular's rollout of EDGE in Indianapolis means that customers in this
market can now enjoy near broadband speeds when accessing the Internet from a
phone or laptop, or while sending and receiving digital images. Customers,
activated on a Cingular data-enabled rateplan, need only obtain an EDGE
enabled device -- such as the Nokia 6200 with its mobile office kit -- to take
advantage of higher data speeds. They can browse the Internet with Wireless
Internet Express, access corporate data using DataConnect or send photo
messages. The difference will be in much faster download and upload speeds.
Another key benefit of EDGE-capable devices from Cingular is that they are
backwards-compatible with GPRS and programmed to stay "on network." If a
customer travels from a Cingular EDGE coverage area to a Cingular area that
only has GPRS, the device will fallback to Cingular's GPRS coverage, even when
it is in a data session. Roaming fees are also the same for GPRS and EDGE.
In the future, EDGE will enable Cingular to offer more products and
services that take advantage of EDGE's higher speed-including audio and video,
higher resolution photos, and more robust email and corporate data access.
ABOUT CINGULAR WIRELESS
Cingular Wireless, a joint venture between SBC Communications (NYSE: SBC)
and BellSouth (NYSE: BLS), serves more than 22 million voice and data
customers across the United States. A leader in mobile voice and data
communications, Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover,
the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes.
Cingular provides cellular/PCS service in 43 of the top 50 markets nationwide,
and provides corporate e-mail and other advanced data services through its
EDGE, GPRS and Mobitex packet data networks. Details of the company are
available at http://www.cingular.com .
SOURCE Cingular Wireless
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Related links:
http://www.cingular.com
CONTACT:
Tony Carter of Cingular Wireless,
+1-404-236-6419, or tony.carter@cingular.com
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