Sep 19, 2006 | blog
So the latest FCC wireless auction ends after 28 days of intense bidding. T-Mobile did well, gaining significantly needed spectrum across the country.
T-Mobile USA Inc. was the big spender of the auction, winning 120 licenses with bids totaling nearly $4.2 billion. The fourth-largest U.S. carrier gained spectrum across the country, including licenses in the large markets of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. As soon as the auction closed, T-Mobile USA put out a statement saying that it will not immediately reveal its plans for the spectrum.
This is very exciting news for me as a T-Mobile subscriber. While their EDGE data service is great, I can’t wait for 3G data speeds!
Read more at: RCRNews
Sep 1, 2006 | blog
So I’ve yet to get the Cable service hooked up yet, and we’ve been using my MDA’s EDGE connection for Internet access. Overall, I’ve been happy with the speeds I get with my EDGE connection, one time peaking at 200kbps – quite fast compared to my old phone’s (Nokia 6600) 40kpbs.
At our new home though, I get about a peak (so far) of around 127kbps, with an upstream of 74kbps. Not too much to brag about, but right in the range that I’ve seen overall for EDGE service from T-Mobile. I can live with this quite well. This is the first real need for this type of connectivity, though I have used my MDA as a modem on many occasions, it was more of a W?BIC.
So I’ve seen the best-case speeds and the average EDGE speeds, and I am happy with the service. I’ve had mobile data service with my phones for at least 3 years, GPRS was a huge improvement over the original 9.6kbps that you could get out of the standard GSM line, and again with EDGE, it is at least a threefold improvement in speed.
Will I upgrade to a UMTS or HSDPA phone when T-Mobile provides service? Yep! The ~400kpbs of UMTS and multi-megabit speeds of HSDPA will be a great experience. Of course, we’ll have to see what the service charges will be, but at the moment, you can’t get a better deal for mobile Internet access than T-Mobile’s unlimited Internet plan ($20 – its called the BlackBerry Internet plan) and for an additional $10, you can add all their WiFi hotspots as well.
Cool stuff – can’t wait for the broadband connection though!
Aug 24, 2006 | blog
This is a great opportunity if you have ever wanted to be a phone beta tester!
Applicants must work as a professional and be technically savvy. Selected testers will be able to access access e-mail, the Web and even corporate networks on one of the fastest CDMA networks. Users must have a POP e-mail account, or use an Exchange Server. More information and instructions on applying to the beta program can be found on the Centercode Callout.
They are specifically looking for testers in Venezuela and Mexico.
Link to BetaNews | Centercode Seeks EVDO Phone Testers
Aug 23, 2006 | blog
I have a hard time believing this – they only went into beta a week or two ago.
Still, if its true, this would be the first commercial implementation of Unlicensed Mobile Access. This service allows subscribers to use either cellular service or WiFi service to place & receive phone calls.
With T-Mobile having such an extensive WiFi Hotspot network, in addition to supporting free access points, and in conjunction with their GSM network, would allow users to make inexpensive calls many additional locations.
Via Pocket PC Thoughts
Aug 22, 2006 | blog
Well, I could have told ya this! Of course it seems more “real” coming from a more authoritative source like RCRNews.
It seems people and critics are starting to realize that EDGE services, provided nationwide by T-Mobile and Cingular, are good enough to get most mobile broadband work done.
While the industry looks ahead to W-CDMA and HSDPA technologies, EDGE handsets will quietly deliver “near-acceptable†mobile broadband experiences across a wide geographic area, according to ABI Research. The firm projects that vendors will ship as many as 148 million EDGE handsets this year—totaling about 14 percent of the global handset market—and suggested that the industry pay closer attention to the technology.
Although EDGE often is viewed as merely an evolutionary step in GSM technology, it has an important role in delivering services for carriers without 3G licenses or for those waiting for 4G, ABI said.
Well, sure – if you look at the majority of the handsets from T-Mobile and Cingular, you’ll see that the support EDGE. Most often in a quad-band configuration (850/900/1800/1900) to cover most of the world’s GSM implementations.
“When the prospects for EDGE are viewed in the context of next generation networks, its true value comes to light,†said Stuart Carlaw, ABI’s principal analyst. “The technology still represents the only viable choice for supporting seamless service delivery on a very wide area basis. Neither WiMAX nor LTE nor HSUPA will be rolled out with enough geographic coverage to guarantee minimum service requirements on a wide scale.”
Considering that EDGE service has a larger footprint than Verizon/Sprint EVDO networks, I’ll choose EDGE any day. Also, with Cingular’s current HSDPA rollout and T-Mobile’s current winnings in the latest FCC spectrum auction for UMTS/HSDPA, we’re in for some awesome mobile data solutions in 2007!
Cool news, all the same.
Link to EDGE comes into its own – RCRNews.com
