Orange rolls out Edge as stopgap for 3G

Orange last week become the only UK mobile operator to roll out a nationwide mobile data service based on Enhanced Data-rates for GSM Evolution (Edge) technology, offering business users a way of filling in gaps in current 3G services.

Edge will provide roaming staff with 100-200kbit/s connections in the swathes of Britain where faster 3G data coverage is unavailable. It will offer more cellular bandwidth than GPRS for email, web browsing and file transfer, but will cost no more.

“Edge pushes slightly further into rural locations that are not covered by 3G and may not be for some time,” said Orange spokesman Stuart Jackson.

Available Edge devices include Nokia 6280, 6630, 6680 and N70 handsets; the SPV M5000 made by HTC; a Business Everywhere laptop PC Card; and the BlackBerry 8700g.

Around 70 percent of the UK population in cities or alongside major transport routes can receive 3G mobile data services, Orange estimates. Edge connections should be available to the other 30 percent, with 300 network sites already enabled and a total of 1,500 planned for the end of 2006.

John Delaney of analyst Ovum said Edge provides a useful capability. “But whether it’s a big enough plus to persuade people to migrate to Orange’s network is debatable,” he added.

Other UK operators have rejected the technology, preferring to gradually expand their 3G coverage over the next decade, while supplementing 3G services with static fixed mobile convergence (FMC) connections.

“We don’t see any UK business that cannot be served by 3G, and that’s what we are deploying,” said Mike Short, director of R&D at rival operator O2. “Edge has additional costs associated with it, and is going to be held back by other factors such as the lack of handsets and roaming agreements.”

A T-Mobile spokesperson agreed, adding, “The 3G migration is working towards a 2G switch-off in the future.”