First announcement about EDGE in Africa

Spacefon, a leading GSM service provider in Ghana announced in April 2004 that it would be launching Africa's first EDGE-capable mobile network later in the year. Spacefon signed a deal with Ericsson to effect this.

The network upgrade would also come with other value-added services like GPRS and MMS. The following article by David Ajao gives an insight into this technology, EDGE.

What is EDGE?
EDGE is an acronym for Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution. It basically entails further enhancements in data capability over the core GSM network thereby providing more capacity for voice traffic, along with high-speed data capabilities. These new services include music / video clips downloading, full Multimedia Messaging, high speed internet access (theoretically as high as 180kbps) and email. In essence, EDGE is a 3G technology that delivers broadband-like data speeds to mobile devices. It is a relatively new mobile communications technology platform that was developed by Ericsson, a mobile equipment manufacturer based in Sweden.

The first generation (1G) of mobile telephony is the plain old analogue mobile networks that only provide basic telephony with poor signal quality and prone to eves-dropping. The second generation (2G) includes digital networks like CDMA, TDMA and GSM. 2G networks provide superior sound quality, a high level of security due to digital encryption, additional data services such as SMS, EMS, Caller ID, and a host of others.
3G networks go a step further from what is possible on 2G. Increased speed, service quality, security, and more. Other networks in the 3G family include: HDSCD, EDGE.

EDGE is an improvement on the GPRS network and allows consumers to connect to the Internet and send / receive data, including digital images, browse web sites, at up to three times faster than possible with an ordinary GSM/GPRS network. EDGE enables GSM operators to offer higher-speed mobile-data access, serve more mobile-data customers, and free up GSM network capacity to accommodate additional voice traffic.

EDGE builds on the GSM infrastructure and uses the same 850/900/1800/1900 Hz frequency bands as GSM. Adequate bandwidth for mobile Internet services in GSM is provided by first installing the packet-oriented General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). However, real-time data applications require more bandwidth and Quality of Service (QoS) than can be provided by today's GPRS. By changing the modulation scheme from GMSK (Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying), which uses only part of the phase to 8PSK (8 Phase Shift Keying, making use of the full 360º), this capacity gap can be closed. In this way, EGPRS (EDGE) can offer both high QoS and high bandwidth to each subscriber.

Charges
Charges on EDGE networks are done as per amount of data transfer at a given time. Subscribers pay for the amount of data sent and received and not on the number of minutes spent when connected to the Internet.

Thus, it is possible to stay connected for as long as possible if little or no transfer is made. Applications like Instant Messaging consume very low bandwidth and as such results in little data transfer. EDGE is appropriate for low-end users and not necessarily for heavy users as heavy use could result in huge bills.

Applications
It is very essential that the subscriber be equipped with the right mobile equipment, to enjoy this service. Some new mobile phone handsets and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) come with EDGE-capability and are built to provide Multimedia Messaging, Instant Messaging (MSN or Yahoo!), Email, XHTML web browsers etc. Another alternative is to connect an EDGE-capable handset to a Personal Computer. This could be done via Infrared, Bluetooth or even Wi-Fi. Connecting such an equipment to a computer opens a window to many endless applications. These equipment usually come with software that has to be installed on computers on which the connection is to be made. EDGE-capable PC cards are also available that connect directly to laptop computers.

New services like video over MMS, video streaming, push to talk, short audio messaging, see what I see, and video calls will arrive in GSM/EDGE mass markets during the next few years, further boosting data mass markets.

EDGE-capable handsets include: Nokia 3200, Motorola T725, Nokia 6200, Nokia 6620, Nokia 7700, Nokia 5140, Nokia 6820, Nokia 6810, Nokia 6230, Nokia 7200.
EDGE-capable PC cards include: Nokia 12, Sony Ericsson GC85, Sierra Wireless AirCard® 775.

David Ajao, a web developer writes from Accra, Ghana.
www.web4africa.net
8th November 2004

See Also:

• GSM in Africa
• Mobile Technology spotlight: What is GPRS?
• Technology spotlight: What is EDGE?
• Guide To Wireless Phones
• Mobile Phone Usage In Africa and the future
• Mobile Phone Market in Africa
• Mobile Telephony. Which Way For Africa?