GPRS, Edge, 3G and HSDPA what’s the difference?
Thought i’d update this article to include a little bit about 3.75G, see below. Obviously 4G is taking it’s time!!
So Mobile networks are at last here and we use them every day as part of our normal business and personal lives. However many people I talk to still get confused with the differences between them. IT’s even more prevalent in the Rugged PDA world because due to the stability of the devices a lot of them tend to lag their “Consumer” equivalents in the GPRS technology they use. Below is a quick overview of some of the most important things you need to know about GPRS.
And in the beginning…
They made GSM modems. Does anyone remeber the times we used those horrible 56K modems to connect your desktop to the internet by plugging it into your phone line? Well at first thats how they did it with mobile phones in a roughly similiar way too! Very low data rates of 10kbps and also the fact that you paid for the time you used the service were the main down points of this.
Then came 2G
However with the take up on mobile phones rapidly increasing we saw the switch to digital networks which allowed for better call quality and the SMS service. We started to see the potential for data to be sent using them. 2G was born in the form of GPRS. This allowed data to be sent over a network that was a lot more optimised for data communication.
GPRS was and still is a little bit slow at no more than about 114kbps and unless you have a class 3 device, it can’t support sending data at the same time as a GSM voice call is in session. However this is more than enough for many peoples needs, even today and to add weight to that, the first iPhone was a GPRS device.
Edge a stop-gap
3G was on the way but we saw one more incremental step before this was rolled out. Edge, eGPRS or 2.5G was a technology that gave us 3 fold better data rates with typical 400kbps being heralded by Cingular in the USA by using better coding methods than GPRS. However 120-200kbps is probably more realistic.
Finally 3G Arrives
Finally full 3G was released and it not only gave us more reliable faster data rates of up to 384kbps but it’sbased upon a far better better platform that allows syncronous voice and data usage. With 3G browing the web performing more media intensive data work becamse a reality and in some cases still rivals some broadband connections we have in out homes.
HSDPA and 3.5G, 3.75, 4G and beyond
Currently HSDPA is the standard for most mobile phones. Running at 1.3mbps it rivals most broadband connections and networks are being upgraded across the UK to run at speeds of up to 7.2mbps, coined 4G.
We’re now even starting to see our first 4G devices in the HTC 4G MAX, although we’re actuallky seeing a trend in 3.75G HSUPA devices being released at the moment, which are actually HSDPA devices but with improved upload speeds too.
Added (19/10/11) HSPA is it a spelling mistake!
Well no and HSPA and also evolved HSPA or HSPA+ are all new acronyms in the 3G world. I’m not going to get technical here, but these protocols are basically the next step in the mobile networks upgrade path. HSPA (Downlaod) and HSUPA (Upload) are pretty much implemented now and devices taking advantage of this can now theoretically reach speeds of 14MBPs on the downlink and 6MBPS up, some networks in the world have reported even more than this. HSPA+ further enhances this up to 80 & 22 MBPS which is now surpassing broadband speeds.
With 3.5G, 3.75G, 4G and now HSPA we really now have no excuse to be connected to the Internet where-ever we go and its only a matter of time before the PDA or mobile phone truly becomes the data tool of choice as our lives become ever mobile.
if you still need some help then give us a call at Rugged and Mobile and we’ll only be too happy to help you choose the right device for you.
Dave
Where does EDGE fit in to this? You mention it in the title…
Edge is sometimes referred to as eGPRS or 2.5G and its in the part called “Edge a stop-gap” above.
Basically you find that Edge is still the most common data technology in Rugged PDA’s and it is usually implemented so that dual data and voice calls can occur at the same time.
The first Iphone was a GPRS device what about the new Iphone 4?
The original iphone was edge based (2.5G), the iPhone 3G, was 3G and the iPHone 4 is HSDPA (3.5G). HSUPA (3.75G) is the fastest usuable speed that exists right now but don;t forget that it depends on the network you are using and the availability of the data speed in the first place.
Could you pls tell me if my cell phone (evertek fd10) (which is gprs edge phone) can work with 3G network? (maybe the Q is stupid, but I do not know much about this). Thnx. Kristina
Hi Kristina
If your phone is only an edge (2.5G) then thats all it will ever do, regardless of the network coverage and capability. To get 3G or aboave you need to get a phone with 3G, HSDPA or HSUPA (3, 3.5, 3.75G).
This site is very educative. we really appreciate the efforts u have been making to remove us from the dackness! Thanx.
thnx 4 clearing my head on this, everything was becoming ….
Great blog…. and very useful…but really in the begining… I mean back in the very beginning …like 1985/86/87….I had a Vodafone mobile (Motorola and then Nokia) to which I attached a CDLC modem and to that a “PDA” (later a Psion Organiser/Psion Organiser II) to access individual BBS, MicroNet & later JANet. With no http, tools were the big problem…but there was finger, gopher, and email. But it didn’t fit the pocket very well… and if you really wanted to use it for more than an hour, you’d probalby flatten your car battery…but I could keep a database in my office, and interogate it on the move.. (well no, I had to park up)….but rugged…oh yes very rugged….just don’t dangle it by the cables….:-)
Haha! Reminds me of the early days when people had analogue phones and the batteries ran out in 10 minutes!
wow, it is really nice. i really learned alot now. great. thank you for ur explanation
thank you
broadband is working on 2G or not
Hi Amritpal
This post was about mobile WAN (Wide area network) technology which connects mobile phones to the internet via the GSM or CDMA phone network. It runs over your Airtel or Hutch mobile network and 2G is GPRS running at no more than about 40-50KBps. Broadband is usually the term we use for cables going into your home or office. In the UK we have ADSL (BT) or Cable (Virgin Media). Broadband as a term is also a way people refer to their network speeds. You need HSDPA (3.5G) or above to really start getting up to broadband level speeds.
I’m not sure what speeds your broadband is in India, but in the UK Virgin is topping 50MBps, whilst ADSL tends to currently top out at 20MBPs. HSDPA is theoretically up to 7MBPs but I don’t think the mobile networks in the UK support anything like that.
Hope that helps.
Hi, thank you for this nice article.
I have a question: my galaxy tab often keeps switching between hsdpa and edge, sometimes hooking one or the other.
Why?
Hi Marco
Thats because, despite the Galaxy being capable of higher 3G speeds (HSUPA or HSDPA i can;t remember!), it depends on the network you are using and the capability of the GSM mast you aere using. This is why in a city you’ll often get 3G or HSDPA, but where the population thins out, the masts have never been upgraded from eGPRS. Your Galaxy will hook up to whatever it has available from 2G up to 3.75G.
Ur doing great service by explaining these IT jargons very cearly to all those who new to this field
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No its certainly not rugged, but its an interesting case and concept. Otterboxes are great for keeping smartphones clean of scratches and they do offer added protection but they are not MIL or IP rated and are far from what we would call rugged. To be truly rugged requires a lot more than a fancy case.
Great article! I had a 3G phone connected with T-Mobile 3G sim card. After my phone broke I went on the hunt for a reasonable replacement. Not needing internet on a regular bases the pay as you go option is my basis for not upgrading to an iphone or go on contract. The replacement phone I settled for has all the bells and whistles but is GPRS/EDGE and thanks to your article I saved myself some hard earned money! As I told my friend, “There is no need buying a phone that has functions you don’t understand or can’t use.”. Thanks to your article, I took my on advice! Cheers!
Many thanks for the comment!
i have a 3.5g phone using in a 3g supporting area but without a 3g activated sim.will i have any advantage while browsing or downloading?
The type of network coverage you will actually experience depends on all 3 Prasoon. Firstly you will only ever get the speeds of the mobile network masts you are connected to. If you;rein a GPRS area then thats all you’ll get regardless of how fast your PDA is. Secondly the PDA of course dictates the speed too, if its an Edge (2.5G) device then even if you;re in the centre of Bangalore where HSDPA is prevalent everywhere, you will still only get a 2.5G speed. I’m not sure about the SIM cards. I know you used to be able to get GOPRS locked SIM cards in the UK, I haven;t come across them for a while though. The SIM card can restrict your speed though and I beleive this was done by the mobile operator detecting certain SIM cards and restricting this at their end. This is how mobile opertaors restrict/curb high data users.
educative article, i really like it. God bless!
After reading this blog article back in August, I started keeping track of my download/upload speeds using the dslreports website, an HTC Touch Diamond and a Vodafone (Ireland) account. In the heart of the Pyrenees with SFR (part of the Vodafone group) I was getting GPRS at 26kbps, Edge at about 40kbps and HSDPA at between 220 & 240kbps. In my home in Ireland, where I have my own cell I get about 2500kbps on HSDPA and if I wonder into the village it drops to around 1000kbps or so showing the 3G logo.
Cheers David
These seem very very typical of GPRS/3G speeds albeit at the top end and quite impressive to me if they’re actual speeds obtained. You still hardlly get 2MB through your “UP TO” speeds on broadband connections so I am quite impressed! Don’t forget that speeds can also be affected by a lot of other thigns too like number of users, how the mobile operators throttle speeds, what device and SIM you have and also GPRS especially can be implemented quite differently on devices, especially class 12 ones.
Thanks… A very informative description.
I’d just like to know more about the cost differences between 3G and GPRS/EDGE. My phone is 3G compatible and can either be set on GSM, UMTS or dual mode. Do you know which one will be cheaper? I am not too worried about the battery life.
Thank you for a very informative description.
I’d just like to know more about the cost differences between 3G and GPRS/EDGE. My phone is 3G compatible and can either be set on GSM, UMTS or dual mode. Do you know which one will be cheaper? I am not too worried about the effects on battery life.
Hi Melissa
You can think of all of these as roads. 2G or GPRS is a narrow country lane, 2.5G (Edge) maybe a B-Road, 3G an A or main road and all the way up to HSUPA which is like a 5 lane motorway.
Think of the traffic going down these roads and then the toll booths they would have on them. The Motoroway will take far more money as there are probably 10-15 booths on the toll with far more traffic on the road. Its the same with GPRS. You will only ever get a low KBPS speed down these so effectively you can’t physically spend the same amount of money you can on a 3G or HSUPA enabled phone.
Sometimes we wonder how these mobile operators give you a smartphone capable of doing 7MBPS but only give you 500MB per month, you do the maths!
Hope to have helped
love it
Thanks 4 a nice article. But plz whats d difference between GSM, UMTS and DUAL MODE when selecting network. I hav it in nokia 5230 & dont know d usefulness
Hi Marcus
I don’t know thw phone but i do know that it sounds like it has what’s called a “dual radio”. This means it will work on GSM and UMTS based networks. GSM is what Europe and parts of Africa use (among others) and UMTS is what Asia use. The USA is half and hald, AT&T is a GSM Netwok, Verizon and Sprint are UMTS. I htink I got that the right way round, but you get the picture!
Basically your phone can work anywhere!
R&M this is really useful – could you give rough dates as to when each step happened or will happen, i know it would be very rough but the trend is of interest. Thanks Gordo
Hi Gordon
Its a tricky one to assess really. The reason is there have been 4G handsets for years but the network in the UK has never been upgraded to make use of them. However things are changing now and fast. We have just seen the first 3.9 (HSPA+) handset released in the Honeywell Dolphin 7800 and we’ll need t upgrade the blog to deal with this!
In the states they’re rolling out 4G aggressively now on the Sprint and Verizon networks and the next iPhone is rumoured to be full 4G too so I think next year will see the UK probably lagging but definitely improving.
Hope that helps!
Thanks but i am interested in the history & trend, if i took the view of date when realistic UK adoption took/will take place (just guessing) do you think it would it look like this?
GSM 2001
GPRS 2006
3G 2010
3.5G2011
3.75G 2012
4G 2013
see what i am getting at? – could you correct these dates in your opnion, I kow its very rough i still use plenty of GPRS but i am trying to show the aceleration effect over a roughly decade. Thanks
Yes that would be interesting. I lived through it all, used it all. But it also, all went by so fast. A review of the technology timeline, introduction, uptake, even commercial adoption would be interesting to study. No doubt there are some commercial studies out there, but they’ll be a $1500 if not more.
Regards all
D
Well I know 4G is being tested in London right now and its pulling 80MBPS from what someone at O2 told me. 4G is due to launch in 2013 in the UK and its brand new technology so should be far more stable and far quicker.
4G will also take ver the old TV signal frquencies to help it reach rural areas far bett than 3.xG does now.
There’s actually a great link i found this morning about the dates that should help far more than i can here, it has an in depth look at the agreements and country take up of GSM to HSDPA.
http://www.gsm.org/about-us/history.htm
Hope that helps!
Brilliant…I’d forgotten how many steps there had been…. I recall back in about 2002, you could access my wap.blog by typing “cafe” (2233) on your wap enabled phone… think the system went belly-up around 2005.
Nice simple timeline on gsm.org though.
Thanks again
D
hi, what about IPhone 4s here in the philippines, does it use HSDPA ? pls. tell me im new here and would be more than grateful for the info
To My knowldedge the iPhone 4 is an HSDPA phone with 3.5G capability. The 3G used 3G!, and the iPhone 2 used GPRS or edge to be precise.
Thanksfor the insight dave.
Great blog, very educational, thanks