AT&T's "Fine Edge" to boost data speeds ahead of iPhone
Wireless provider and exclusive U.S. iPhone carrier AT&T Wireless has launched an internal operation aimed at boosting the data speeds of its 2.5G EDGE network ahead of this month's iPhone launch, according to a published report.
Electronic gadget site Gizmodo reports on the matter, dubbed operation "Fine Edge," which it claims has been ongoing for about six weeks. The optimization is due to wrap up around mid-month, just two weeks before the Apple handset hits the open market.
The move is reportedly part of a broader effort on AT&T's part to assure the optimal iPhone experience come June 29th, the first day the inaugural Apple mobile phone is due to turn up at Apple and AT&T retail stores.
According to the report, existing limitations and bottlenecks on the AT&T EDGE network stem not from protocols but rather the network's data backend and the way the towers are configured to allocate bandwidth to data and calls.
As such, AT&T engineers are said to be "dropping in more T-1 lines" into the poorest performing towers, hoping to get the network's paltry 40kbps performance to a new minimum of 80kpbs. (EDGE's real world maximum performance is reportedly about 200kbps.)
Prior to "Fine EDGE" and the iPhone, most of AT&T's efforts were positioned towards building out its 3G network, the report adds.
Apple is expected to launch a version of its iPhone for use on the speedier 3G networks sometime in 2008.
Electronic gadget site Gizmodo reports on the matter, dubbed operation "Fine Edge," which it claims has been ongoing for about six weeks. The optimization is due to wrap up around mid-month, just two weeks before the Apple handset hits the open market.
The move is reportedly part of a broader effort on AT&T's part to assure the optimal iPhone experience come June 29th, the first day the inaugural Apple mobile phone is due to turn up at Apple and AT&T retail stores.
According to the report, existing limitations and bottlenecks on the AT&T EDGE network stem not from protocols but rather the network's data backend and the way the towers are configured to allocate bandwidth to data and calls.
As such, AT&T engineers are said to be "dropping in more T-1 lines" into the poorest performing towers, hoping to get the network's paltry 40kbps performance to a new minimum of 80kpbs. (EDGE's real world maximum performance is reportedly about 200kbps.)
Prior to "Fine EDGE" and the iPhone, most of AT&T's efforts were positioned towards building out its 3G network, the report adds.
Apple is expected to launch a version of its iPhone for use on the speedier 3G networks sometime in 2008.
Comments
M
p.s. My first number 1!
Apple is Doomed!!
Don't you mean "teh Doomed"?
Amazing... Apple makes at&t jump through hoops for iPhone. That's power.
It looks like AT&T is quite a bit behind Verizon in wireless speeds!
Way behind Sprint as well, but this will be better than before.
It looks like AT&T is quite a bit behind Verizon in wireless speeds!
Well, EDGE is behind EVDO, but that's not surprising. EDGE is old tech on GSM networks as well.
Don't you mean "teh Doomed"?
Amazing... Apple makes at&t jump through hoops for iPhone. That's power.
I agree, this is not Apple making anyone jump thorugh hoops. This is AT&T doing what they should do anyhow. If anything, the iPhone forced their hand a bit. Otherwise, good news for all Cingular/AT&T Subscribers...
What they 'should' do, and what they 'do'... can be quite different. I believe the iPhone has a lot to do with this.
Besides, they know that a crippled network could noticably slow adoption of the phone even if the interface is the most advanced currently available.
As such, AT&T engineers are said to be "dropping in more T-1 lines" into the poorest performing towers, hoping to get the network's paltry 40kbps performance to a new minimum of 80kpbs. (EDGE's real world maximum performance is reportedly about 200kbps.)
ATT's EDGE is running at 40kpbs??? Wow, 'old school' dialup I had a few years back beat that.
On ATT's site, they claim real-world speeds of 75-135 kbps. Guess they were telling a bit of a fibberoo up 'till now.
Hopefully they can get the floor up to that 80kbps they're talkin' about, but even then, EDGE is still EDGE, and Wifi is still far from everywhere. That 3G iPhone can't come too soon.
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...they're talkin' about...
Too busy to type that "g"?
Too busy to type that "g"?
Not much goin' on in your life, huh?
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What they 'should' do, and what they 'do'... can be quite different. I believe the iPhone has a lot to do with this.
Agreed, I am quite sure that Apple dictated a minimum speed, so they are just upping it to meet an exceed the Apple requirement.
Its probably part of the contract as Apple want a ceirtain level of user satisfaction.
Similar Article: http://www.nobosh.com/Article/AT%26T...or-iPhone/622/
It would have been nice if someone said what 3g 2g etc were able to achieve in speed.
Similar Article: http://www.nobosh.com/Article/AT%26T...or-iPhone/622/
Yeah, that article you linked to is wrong. It says:
3G networks are faster than anything currently available in the U.S.. At present, 3G networks are only available overseas. U.S. wireless carriers such as AT&T and Verzion are rapidly working to launch a 3G network.
That's not really true. 3G networks overseas are in some cases faster than US 3G networks, but there are widely-deployed 3G networks already available in the US. And Verizon and ATT are not "working to launch a 3G network", both already launched 3G networks in the US years ago, along with Sprint.
Kinda weird that the writer is so misinformed, and that's a very recent article, too.
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Too busy to type that "g"?
Hmm.
I would have thought that it would take the same number of keys to type " ' ", as it takes to type "g".
But, perhaps I'm wrong.
Still buying an iPhone.. but just know they are full of $h!t on this 'Fine Edge' crap.
-NUM
Hmm.
I would have thought that it would take the same number of keys to type " ' ", as it takes to type "g".
But, perhaps I'm wrong.
Hey, don't pick on the man for trying to conserve his 'g'. AT&T will only give him 2Gs so why spend them all so quick??
Agreed, I am quite sure that Apple dictated a minimum speed, so they are just upping it to meet an exceed the Apple requirement.
Its probably part of the contract as Apple want a ceirtain level of user satisfaction.
Keep in mind that they really need to update their speed. As opposed to a lot of cell phones, which use a more limited browser/display for better performance, the iPhone is 'saddled' with a full browser, which sounds great when you're showing it off on a wifi network and stuff, but will perform horribly if you go to a content-laden site over a dial-up speed network.