Phone data connection speed

When a phone specifies that it has GPRS, Edge, HSCSD etc does that mean that
the phone has hardware which is only capable of that speed?

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› See More: Phone data connection speed

[email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
> When a phone specifies that it has GPRS, Edge, HSCSD etc does that mean that
> the phone has hardware which is only capable of that speed?

Depens whose specs you're reading.

If looking at specs provided by the handset maker then yes, if looking
at network-supplied specs then they usually quote their own limits.
--
Regards
Jon

"Bruce Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When a phone specifies that it has GPRS, Edge, HSCSD etc does that mean
> that
> the phone has hardware which is only capable of that speed?
>
>

Gprs is a contended service, so the more peeps using it though the node the
slower it'll go. Max would be about 30ish k (if you're really lucky) down
to a few bytes a second.. HSCSD is the same a an old dial up connection,
speed would depend on line noise etc...

"Ben" <NOSPAM@NO_S_PA_AM.co.uk> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Bruce Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > When a phone specifies that it has GPRS, Edge, HSCSD etc does that mean
> > that
> > the phone has hardware which is only capable of that speed?
> >
> >
>
> Gprs is a contended service, so the more peeps using it though the node
the
> slower it'll go. Max would be about 30ish k (if you're really lucky) down
> to a few bytes a second.. HSCSD is the same a an old dial up connection,
> speed would depend on line noise etc...
>
>

Whats the real state of affairs with 3G and EDGE? Can you actually get these
speeds on all networks if you have a phone that supports it? Do the network
operators charge through the roof on pay as you go for using a fast speed? I
was looking at getting a sim free EDGE compatible phone to develop 3rd party
apps for but if they're going to charge a fortune for an unreliable service.
I thought 3G ran over the old analogue TV airwaves - if so you should be
able to receive streaming video across the country?

"Bruce Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Ben" <NOSPAM@NO_S_PA_AM.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> "Bruce Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > When a phone specifies that it has GPRS, Edge, HSCSD etc does that mean
>> > that
>> > the phone has hardware which is only capable of that speed?
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Gprs is a contended service, so the more peeps using it though the node
> the
>> slower it'll go. Max would be about 30ish k (if you're really lucky)
>> down
>> to a few bytes a second.. HSCSD is the same a an old dial up connection,
>> speed would depend on line noise etc...
>>
>>
>
> Whats the real state of affairs with 3G and EDGE? Can you actually get
> these
> speeds on all networks if you have a phone that supports it? Do the
> network
> operators charge through the roof on pay as you go for using a fast speed?
> I
> was looking at getting a sim free EDGE compatible phone to develop 3rd
> party
> apps for but if they're going to charge a fortune for an unreliable
> service.
> I thought 3G ran over the old analogue TV airwaves - if so you should be
> able to receive streaming video across the country?
>
>
I don't think you can get EDGE in the UK (I'm sure someone correct me if I'm
wrong there). 3G runs on it own network, that what all the operators have
been upgrading over the last year or so. It's not broadcast in the same way
a tv is, it's sent straight to the device the same way a call or a sms is.
So you have the same problems you have with grps, the more users, using the
service the slower it gets and if your using it for streaming tv you soon
hit the point where it's not usable at all, as there's not enough data
arriving at the device to keep even a 15 or 12 fps stream going...

There's a trail somewhere (Swindon ? Oxford, maybe) where O2 are using
broadcast style system (I can't remember what system their using, anyone
know of the top of their head?), but that's small scale and only for a few
months as they don't have access to the channel for longer than that.
There are moves to try to use the old analogue bands, but
A: there don't become free until 2010/12 when analogue gets switched off
for good and
B: lots of other areas want to use the same bandwidth for other things.
It's down to whoever gives the right gov dept the biggest back hander !!
(Sorry, did I say that out loud..).

Ben

[email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
> Whats the real state of affairs with 3G and EDGE? Can you actually get these
> speeds on all networks if you have a phone that supports it? Do the network
> operators charge through the roof on pay as you go for using a fast speed? I
> was looking at getting a sim free EDGE compatible phone to develop 3rd party
> apps for but if they're going to charge a fortune for an unreliable service.
> I thought 3G ran over the old analogue TV airwaves - if so you should be
> able to receive streaming video across the country?

The Orange 3G office card downloads files at about 30k a second, which
is fairly rapid for a mobile device, about half what you'd get from a
512k ADSL line or thereabouts.
--
Regards
Jon

>>>
>>
>> Whats the real state of affairs with 3G and EDGE? Can you actually get
>> these
>> speeds on all networks if you have a phone that supports it? Do the
>> network
>> operators charge through the roof on pay as you go for using a fast
>> speed? I
>> was looking at getting a sim free EDGE compatible phone to develop 3rd
>> party
>> apps for but if they're going to charge a fortune for an unreliable
>> service.
>> I thought 3G ran over the old analogue TV airwaves - if so you should be
>> able to receive streaming video across the country?
>>
>>
> I don't think you can get EDGE in the UK (I'm sure someone correct me if
> I'm wrong there). 3G runs on it own network, that what all the operators
> have been upgrading over the last year or so. It's not broadcast in the
> same way a tv is, it's sent straight to the device the same way a call or
> a sms is. So you have the same problems you have with grps, the more
> users, using the service the slower it gets and if your using it for
> streaming tv you soon hit the point where it's not usable at all, as
> there's not enough data arriving at the device to keep even a 15 or 12 fps
> stream going...
>
> There's a trail somewhere (Swindon ? Oxford, maybe) where O2 are using
> broadcast style system (I can't remember what system their using, anyone
> know of the top of their head?), but that's small scale and only for a few
> months as they don't have access to the channel for longer than that.
> There are moves to try to use the old analogue bands, but
> A: there don't become free until 2010/12 when analogue gets switched off
> for good and
> B: lots of other areas want to use the same bandwidth for other things.
> It's down to whoever gives the right gov dept the biggest back hander !!
> (Sorry, did I say that out loud..).
>
> Ben
>
OK, just found this on the O2 site about their tv trail...
http://www.02.com/about/tv_to_mobile_trial.asp

Use's DVB-H to brordcast the progs

On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 22:06:05 GMT, "Bruce Lee"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>When a phone specifies that it has GPRS, Edge, HSCSD etc does that mean that
>the phone has hardware which is only capable of that speed?

GPRS, Edge and HSCSD all can operate at different speeds, depending on
the capabilities of that implementation.

So I really can't understand your question. Sorry.

--

Iain
the out-of-date hairydog guide to mobile phones
http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell1.html
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On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 14:33:01 -0000, Jon <[email protected]>
wrote:

>The Orange 3G office card downloads files at about 30k a second, which
>is fairly rapid for a mobile device, about half what you'd get from a
>512k ADSL line or thereabouts.

IME, they really can give the full 384kb/sec download speed if you are
in a quite traffic area with a good strong signal.

That's two thirds of the speed of a 512k ADSL line, however, in those
conditions it /seems/ as fast as ADSL - but the uplink seems much
slower.

--

Iain
the out-of-date hairydog guide to mobile phones
http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell1.html
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<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 14:33:01 -0000, Jon <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>The Orange 3G office card downloads files at about 30k a second, which
>>is fairly rapid for a mobile device, about half what you'd get from a
>>512k ADSL line or thereabouts.
>
> IME, they really can give the full 384kb/sec download speed if you are
> in a quite traffic area with a good strong signal.

No where near this when you consider handshaking, error handling , number of
users, etc Jons comments above are a realistic assessment ie comparable with
dial up

On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:36:42 GMT, "Dazzah" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>No where near this when you consider handshaking, error handling , number of
>users, etc Jons comments above are a realistic assessment ie comparable with
>dial up

Bollocks. I have used it and got that speed. You need to be in
excellent signal and somewhere there are not many other users, but it
most certainly is possible. The handshaking does not come out of the
384k.

--

Iain
the out-of-date hairydog guide to mobile phones
http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell1.html
Browse now while stocks last!

> I don't think you can get EDGE in the UK (I'm sure someone correct me if I'm
> wrong there).

EDGE is available on Orange on certain masts.

"Usenet User" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > I don't think you can get EDGE in the UK (I'm sure someone correct me if
I'm
> > wrong there).
>
> EDGE is available on Orange on certain masts.
>

Indeed it is - the hardware has been slowly rolled out over the past year or
so. EDGE coverage is - very roughly - in line with 3G coverage.

Regards

Jon.