EDGE Basics, Version 1.

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1 EDGE Concept




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1.1 Introduction - What is EDGE? (1/2) ..........................................3
1.1 Introduction - What is EDGE? (2/2) ..........................................4
1.2 3GPP.....................................................................................5
1.3 EDGE Phase 1........................................................................6
1.4 EGPRS ..................................................................................7
1.5 EDGE Applications (1/2) .........................................................8
1.5 EDGE Applications (2/2) .........................................................9
1.6 Transmission Speed Boosts.................................................10
1.7 EDGE in the Americas (1/2)...................................................11
1.7 EDGE in the Americas (2/2)...................................................12



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1.1 Introduction - What is EDGE? (1/2)




Since GSM Radio started its tremendous success in the early nineties of the past
century, mobile data has become more and more significant. In the early days of
mobile personal communication speech was the only application used, but soon
customers demanded mobile fax and e-mail transfer which was limited by the low bit
rate of 9.6 kbps. Since 1999 a bundling of up to 4 timeslots has been possible, called
high-speed circuit-switched data, HSCSD, providing modem speeds of up to 57.6
kbps.

The General Packet Radio Service, available since 2000, introduced the packet-
oriented data transfer to legacy GSM systems enabling the personal internet.
Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) is the migration step towards 3G
systems providing 384 kbps in circuit-switched mode and 474 kbps in packet-
switched mode and hence: true personal mobile multimedia.





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1.1 Introduction - What is EDGE? (2/2)




Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution is available now as an enhancement to
GSM or an alternative for UMTS. Its biggest advantage: The present GSM/GPRS
infrastructure can still be used with some smooth upgrades that secure the huge
investments made throughout the years. The basic concept of EDGE is based on a
new modulation type, called 8-PSK, and a bundling of up to all 8 time slots per TDMA
frame for one user to provide a higher user bit rate on the existing GSM air interface.
EDGE phase 2 will even support new, advanced speech services.

EDGE can be applied to many 2G networks using different frequency ranges
identified as public GSM networks and GSM-R (non-public GSM for railway control at
876-880/921-925 MHz). Originally, EDGE was also designed to boost IS-136 (D-
AMPS or TDMA). With the recent decision of the majority of American 2G mobile
network operators to join the GSM community, this option has become nearly
obsolete.





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1.2 3GPP




EDGE specification work has been moved from ETSI (European Telecommunication
Standards Institute) to 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) in order to align
GSM evolution and UMTS development. EDGE is being specified in such a way that
it will enhance the throughput per time slot for both High-speed Circuit-switched Data
(HSCSD) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). The enhancement of HSCSD
is called ECSD (Enhanced Circuit-switched Data) and the enhancement of GPRS is
called EGPRS (Enhanced GPRS).






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1.3 EDGE Phase 1




EDGE boosts data speed and capacity per time slot. Phase1 of EDGE
standardisation was completed by the end of 1999 and includes both ECSD and
EGPRS services showing the following features: ECSD at 28.8 kbps NT/T per time
slot, ECSD at 43.2 kbps NT per time slot, ECSD at 57.6 kbps NT and 64 kbps T with
two time slots, EGPRS between 8.8 and 59.2 kbps using Modulation and Coding
schemes MCS1..9, Link adaptation for ECSD and Link adaptation combined with
Incremental Redundancy for EGPRS.







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1.4 EGPRS




Though 3GPP has developed both the CS and PS evolutionary path for GSM, the
packet-oriented path is most likely to dominate. The reason is two-fold:
1. Data is billed per volume as in GPRS leading to better customer acceptance
and
2. Data transmission can be protected more effectively because of the
Incremental Redundancy and link adaptation. In ECSD, only link adaptation is
available.
As it is unlikely that ECSD will play a further role in EDGE phase 1, the following
parts of this course will only focus on EGPRS.





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1.5 EDGE Applications (1/2)




EDGE is beneficial for both network operators and users. Network operators can
push existing data services and explore new revenue-generating possibilities. As a
complement to UMTS, sophisticated data services are also available in areas without
WCDMA coverage.
And finally, EDGE can act as a true alternative for network operators that are not
going for WCDMA as a 3G solution. In all cases network operators and end users
move to personal multimedia in a much more efficient way.



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1.5 EDGE Applications (2/2)




Are there dedicated services supported by EDGE? Basically the answer is no. Each
data service that already exists or is planned for UMTS can be delivered by EDGE in
a far more efficient way than GPRS provides today, or with nearly the same
performance that UMTS will provide in the future, as the listing shows. In the future,
the range of service applications is only limited by our imaginations.



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1.6 Transmission Speed Boosts




The effectiveness of EDGE service delivery is impressive. Transmission speeds even
faster than standard wire-line systems become reality. This graph shows that GSM
was designed 20 years ago for pure speech services with some basic mobile data
capabilities. All the recent evolutions, e.g., HSCSD and GPRS, are still not sufficient
for the sophisticated mobile data applications now demanded by business and
leisure customers.



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1.7 EDGE in the Americas (1/2)




Major U.S. IS-136 network operators like Cingular and Voicestream are the early
EDGE adopters using their GSM 800/GSM 1900 systems with GPRS and EDGE to
provide 3G-like services.



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1.7 EDGE in the Americas (2/2)




ut there could be one big problem in the U.S: One single operator may have GSM
and TDMA networks in different cities and regions. A severe national roaming
problem must be solved as GSM customers cannot fall back on analogue AMPS in
the way IS-136 TDMA does.
The GSM ANSI IS-136 Interoperability Team (GAIT) was founded with the objective
of overcoming this GSM/TDMA roaming problem and promoting the development of
GSM - IS-136 dual band and dual mode phones.