AT&T tuning EDGE network for iPhone?
It is being reported today that AT&T is tuning its EDGE network ahead of the iPhone release on June 29. Supposedly the project is called "Operation Fine Edge" and involves adding internet capacity to certain cell towers to ensure that minimum data speeds will be at least 80kbs (double the previous minimum). Along with 3rd party development, the use of the 2.5G EDGE technology rather than true 3G HSDPA has been a concern from the beginning. Now that the door has seemingly been opened to the former, if AT&T is in fact able to beef up its EDGE network, it may go a long way toward alleviating this last remaining obvious problem with the iPhone.
[via MacNN]
_thumbnail.jpg "Take a stroll down memory lane")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Johnny said 2:07PM on 6-05-2007
It really doesn't make sense why they didn't put 3G into the iPhone. It is available through AT&T. Their theory is that you'll always be close enough to WiFi, but for me and most people that just isn't the case if you aren't at home or office. If I am at one of those places, I'd rather use a real computer than a phone. If I am not at one of those places, I want faster speed than EDGE. I cringe when I need a data connection and the icon says 'E'.
I have to wonder if this isn't going to be a last minute announcement to spike it in. If not, it will definitely need to be added in the first revision.
Reply
Richard said 2:17PM on 6-05-2007
Did you read the TUAW article? It states 3G speed isn't avail everywhere in the US on the at&t network.
You didn't think it made sense to explain why there is no 3G antenna (that we know of) on the iPhone. Perhaps there is. All it would take would be a firmware update?
Reply
Johnny said 2:31PM on 6-05-2007
Richard,
Where did it say that and why does that make it okay not to include it for those people who DO get 3G?
Reply
BigG said 2:41PM on 6-05-2007
you guys are dreaming, there will be no 3G on the initial iPhone and no way to add it via firmware. My guess is you will see a new 3G version though within a year, probably in europe first.
Reply
propwash said 2:43PM on 6-05-2007
Last remaining problem - what ????
NOBODY knows the MONTHLY at&t charge to use it??? $40/month or $140/month ????????? $500/yr or $1300/yr !!!
Reply
Richard said 2:47PM on 6-05-2007
Johnny: Either they edited the post or I read it somewhere else, I jumped thte gun, my apologies.
It isn't ok not to include it but Apple Standpoint and in terms of strategic planning, I would understand why they launched without this feature even if it means adding it further down the road.
Apple also has included dormant-hardware components in their products. It is possible the iPhone has got 3G capability but it just wasn't announced for now. Hence the firmware idea.
Reply
fraserdrew said 2:48PM on 6-05-2007
Serious doubt for 3G iPhone... FCC approval, unless it's under that secrecy thingy
Reply
Richard said 2:48PM on 6-05-2007
BigG: there will no 3G at launch ok, but no firmware update to wake up the feature in the phone, you simply don't know that.
Reply
Pete said 2:54PM on 6-05-2007
Didn't Steve say in the original keynote that versions with 3G, etc would follow shortly after?
Reply
hawkeye said 3:00PM on 6-05-2007
Wow, that's really weird because I felt like my old Cingular 2125 was going faster than it used to. I just assumed it was me being crazy or a minor upgrade on the network. EDGE is still too slow to do full html pages like the iPhone's suppose to though.
Reply
Johnny said 3:17PM on 6-05-2007
I was definitely dreaming about the secret announcement of 3G. It wouldn't make sense anyway for AT&T to initiate project 'Fine Edge' for the iPhone if it were to have 3G. I want a rev B iPhone.
Reply
artifex said 3:34PM on 6-05-2007
Hopefully, rev B will also have GPS, so Google maps are more useful. All the phones Helio sells do that, already, and it sucks the iPhone can't.
Reply
mentalsticks said 3:40PM on 6-05-2007
@artifex: what's been missing so far in all the iPhone hype is the killer app. That could just be GPS. My bet is it'll be present in rev.A (also watch the ad).
Reply
Carter B said 3:51PM on 6-05-2007
3G is a battery drain. Apple can't stay with their form factor and do 3G. I bet it'll be a least a year before we see a 3G phone. I have an EDGE 2125 and won't commit for 2 years for another EDGE phone.
Reply
SwissFreek said 4:20PM on 6-05-2007
I'm going to agree with hawkeye: I just got a N75, because I refused to settle for anything that didn't have 3G (since I live in Boston and we have 3G here), and shortly after I got it three weeks ago, I went to an area that *didn't* have 3G, and noticed that the speed was way, way faster than it used to be on my Treo650. I assumed it was just that Nokia's browser is better than that of the Treo (which is true), but I notice almost no difference between browsing speed when I do and don't have 3G service. Now I guess I know the actual reason for it.
Hmm, maybe I should have sprung for the Edge-only E62...
Reply
SwissFreek said 4:24PM on 6-05-2007
Also, Nokia has taken a long, long time to release a 3G phone here in the US, and even then it (the N75) is only UMTS, not HSDPA, so maybe there's a reason Apple also passed on 3G. Cost, difficulty of integration, who knows. And remember there's lots of features that haven't been revealed yet. GPS could very well be built in.
Reply
Eleventeen said 4:42PM on 6-05-2007
Doesn't matter to me if it doesn't do 3G, I don't have it in my market and it'll probably be a while before they implement it anyway. There's plenty of wifi where I'd be using it though, and thats faster than 3G anyhow.
Reply
James said 4:56PM on 6-05-2007
GPS can't be a killer app becuase I'd say GPS itself needs a killer app. Having GPS tell you where you are is cool and all unless you already know where you are, at which point GPS doesn't really bring much to the table.
For the most part I'm in the same area of the same city for most of my time... I don't see how GPS would help all that much day to day.
Reply
fraserdrew said 4:59PM on 6-05-2007
3G phones CAN Be very slim (In the UK anyway) new sony ericsson fits INSIDE an empty CD case...http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?cc=gb&lc=en&ver=4000&template=pip1&zone=pp&pid=10653
AND the battery life isn't too bad.... but the fact is 3G needs different hardware, I thought...
Reply
David said 5:17PM on 6-05-2007
Did I mention how my Sprint EVDO card in my MacBook Pro rocks!? I don't even bother looking for WIFI anymore when I'm on the road. I'll take the solid 1.5M down and 512k up anyday over screwing around with WIFI.
While I want an iPhone, going back to a slow network on an "internet communicator" is really going to blow. I mean, SERIOUSLY Steve - what the heck were you thinking!? Build a killer device and then marry it to a crappy internet service?
If anything is going to doom the iPhone, its the AT&T network.
Such a shame.
Reply