EDGE - Are all 2g sites going to be :

[Anonymous]

I have read from vodafone eforum that ALL their 2g sites are being upgraded to EDGE:
Quote and Link :

"All our 2G sites are in the process of being upgraded to EDGE sites, but we don't have a specific timescale on when that will be completed, either for a local area or in whole"
http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Using-th ... d-p/646269
Are o2 following suit does anyone know ?

Cheers
B

[adamtemp64]

You would have to ring customer services as unlike the voda forums there are no official o2 staff commenting in the o2 forums.
But o2 have posted a lot of info on the status page saying they are doing work on the 2g network in the planned section of http://status.o2.co.uk read into that what you like

[Anonymous]

Seems little point in going Edge if the sites can now be used for 3G at 900MHz

[Anonymous]

There is every point as 3G ispatchy at best. If i had to rely on 3G id have no phone at all

[adamtemp64]

from this old article looks like edge conversion is a software upgrade http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/14/o2_edge/
But utms over 900 will require better backhuall for the data and new equipment so more costly at least edge would speed data up in rural areas from a crawl to a walk.

[adamtemp64]

beaufighter the 3g over 900mhz is very new and allows o2 to use its existing 2g network sites to transmit a 3g signal ofcom gave permission only a week or so ago all 3g in the uk was on the 2100 band now can go on 900 1800 and 2100 but not all handsets use 900/1800 utms yet. (the iphone4 has 900/2100 utms but not 1800)

[Anonymous]

Great info Adam, thanks for that, I was unaware of the difference, I only know that 3G coverage in the area I live is appalling, thanks in part, I believe, to the siting of the cell in a low lying area that is masked by buildings from where I live higher up the hill. 😐

[Anonymous]

Most of O2's 2G network is already Edge enabled, its been like this since the introduction of the first Iphone 2G where edge was a requirement (no one else jumped on this bandwagon) so whats that, 3 years?
As for 900mhz bandwidth, 2G and 3G technology is totally different and you would still need a 3G network to use it even though the bandwidth is different, chances are it will be used for LTE or 4G which is a data network.

[adamtemp64]

tony
Edge non existent in most rural areas even on new 2g sites
And utms over 900mhz / 1800 mhz has been given ofcom approval Uk lte will use the 800mhz 2.6ghz band once digital switchover is complete and auction taken place.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binari ... tement.pdf
also mentions lte wimax in the 900 1800 band but not until much later in the year