@NickyColman
8th December 2009, 10:44 PM
Today, when I left the house my iPhone disconnected from my home wifi as it usually does and where it would normally flicker between a 2G/3G signal - something funny happened!
An E appeared.
An E which, all O2 iPhoners will know, stands for EDGE or 2.75G as I've heard it referred. It offers a bridge between 2G or 'o' & 3G where one or t'other is not available.
The reason I was surprised is that I've never seen/heard anything regarding Vodafone and EDGE. It was primarily O2 & Orange's domain (mainly O2 when they announced the 2G iPhone and that they would boost their 2G network with EDGE to help data speeds).
As any of my Twitter friends will know, I tweeted my findings straight away. Within an hour or so, the official Vodafone (@VodafoneUK) twitterererer, responded with this;
"VodafoneUK - @benfitter @NickyColman We're using EDGE to support high demand for data usage in some areas.Let us know what your EDGE exp. is like.Thanks"
So just to make sure it wasnt a one off, I checked the normal 3G blackspot up the road from me and sure as eggs is eggs FULL EDGE. (see screenshot).
Its a 'backwards' step of sorts; why are Vodafone concentrating on EDGE rather than 3G or 3G+/HSDPA/3.5G etc? Yet at the same time, I think its good that Vodafone are "deepening" their network rather than going from high-speed 3G down to a snails pace with 2G.
Either way, an interesting move from the big red one.
An E appeared.
An E which, all O2 iPhoners will know, stands for EDGE or 2.75G as I've heard it referred. It offers a bridge between 2G or 'o' & 3G where one or t'other is not available.
The reason I was surprised is that I've never seen/heard anything regarding Vodafone and EDGE. It was primarily O2 & Orange's domain (mainly O2 when they announced the 2G iPhone and that they would boost their 2G network with EDGE to help data speeds).
As any of my Twitter friends will know, I tweeted my findings straight away. Within an hour or so, the official Vodafone (@VodafoneUK) twitterererer, responded with this;
"VodafoneUK - @benfitter @NickyColman We're using EDGE to support high demand for data usage in some areas.Let us know what your EDGE exp. is like.Thanks"
So just to make sure it wasnt a one off, I checked the normal 3G blackspot up the road from me and sure as eggs is eggs FULL EDGE. (see screenshot).
Its a 'backwards' step of sorts; why are Vodafone concentrating on EDGE rather than 3G or 3G+/HSDPA/3.5G etc? Yet at the same time, I think its good that Vodafone are "deepening" their network rather than going from high-speed 3G down to a snails pace with 2G.
Either way, an interesting move from the big red one.