Historically, the life of a modern person every year becomes more and more informative. It is not always possible in everyday hustle and bustle to extract interesting news from the information stream, a description of technological innovations or just a recipe for a new dish from “old” products.
Today we’ll talk about EDGE (pronounced Edge). What is an EDGE network? In fact, this combination of letters GPRS / EDGE refers to mobile communications. More precisely, we are talking about technology for transmitting data over long distances without the use of wires. In addition to voice communications, operators provide the ability to transmit data using mobile phones.
*** Brief information: all familiar mobile phones can transmit / receive data (information in digital form) in addition to voice - photos, music, video, text. In addition, the ability to transfer data allows you to use mobile versions of communication programs (SKYPE, ICQ) in cell phones , and use your browser to browse pages of Internet resources.
The subscriber pays not the time spent on the network, but the amount of downloaded / transmitted information (traffic). Using packet data transfer does not interfere with voice communication - the line is not busy, you can talk and transmit / receive data in parallel.
Initially, data in the networks of mobile operators was transmitted using GPRS technology (transmission speed up to 171.2 kbit / s, real - within 30 kbit / s). These speeds were clearly not enough for comfortable work with data. In 2004, several US mobile operators began using the new EDGE standard for data transfer. What is EDGE? A standard in which the data transfer rate was three times higher than when using GPRS. This significantly increased the attractiveness of their offers in comparison with competitors.
EDGE gradually moved overseas and spread among European mobile operators. The question of what is EDGE is relevant today. There is a simple explanation for this. Today, the EDGE network is successfully operating where much higher data rates (third-generation 3G networks) have not yet reached. Thus, EDGE is the “today” of our mobile communications.
Why is data transfer so important? After all, mobile communications are designed for voice communication. At first glance, of course, this is so. But in business there is such a thing as "average income per subscriber." Subscribers are already using voice communication. If, in addition to voice communication, mobile traffic is added to the package of services at a good speed and at a "reasonable price", this will significantly increase the amount of money that subscribers will spend monthly on communication.
Due to the massive demand, which has been successfully formed by the players in the telecommunications market, GPRS / EDGE-based services have begun to generate substantial revenue and have significantly increased the amount of money that the average subscriber spends on cellular communications. If we are still considering what EDGE is, then the potential of mobile Internet has not yet been fully developed, we have something to strive for.
A review of the services that mobile operators provide today allows us to note a noticeable increase in mobile traffic consumption. Considering the availability of relatively inexpensive unlimited Internet and not very developed 3G coverage, it can be predicted that EDGE will not be released very soon. Numerous “smart” gadgets and the trend of “mobility” among the population from 5 to 35 years old provide a steadily growing demand for mobile traffic.
In the West, work with fourth-generation networks is already in full swing, and the third generation has not taken root in our country either. Normal stable operation and 3G coverage is still available only in megacities, and even then not in all. However, this is not a reason to lament about unfulfilled dreams and hopelessly lost prospects. The question of what is EDGE, we have safely considered. And everything else is still “very possible” - globalization and the search for new sales markets make us very attractive to multinational corporations. Experts firmly believe that we will not be ignored by the benefits of scientific and technological progress. It just happens a little later than the rest.