OSKAR TESTS FAST INTERNET - EDGE
A selected group of Oskar employees have started testing EDGE, a new technology that allows customers to connect to the Internet at speeds that are up to three times faster than conventional GPRS, as well as use a wider selection of data services. Next year, it is anticipated that Oskar customers will be able to use data services at speeds that were, until now, only associated with third generation networks. The main goal of the technical tests is to find out how well EDGE functions within the network as well as test the stability, data connection speed and compatibility with data services such as MMS and WAP. As Oskar has already demonstrated, when it launches new technologies on the market it is always on the basis of genuine user tests. This will also be the case with EDGE.
A selected group of Oskar employees have started testing EDGE, a new technology that allows customers to connect to the Internet at speeds that are up to three times faster than conventional GPRS, as well as use a wider selection of data services. Next year, it is anticipated that Oskar customers will be able to use data services at speeds that were, until now, only associated with third generation networks.
The main goal of the technical tests is to find out how well EDGE functions within the network as well as test the stability, data connection speed and compatibility with data services such as MMS and WAP. As Oskar has already demonstrated, when it launches new technologies on the market it is always on the basis of genuine user tests. This will also be the case with EDGE. After the technical tests have been completed, Oskar will call in its Technoids*, who will help further test the user-friendliness of this technology.
"The testing of EDGE technology is of the next logical step after the marked coverage improvement and signal quality that we achieved this year," says Mario Mele, Vice President of Marketing. Oskar is completely obsessed with coverage this year. This is demonstrated in the fact that every other day this year, Oskar built a new transmission station. "Oskar is working intensively on its Mobile Internet services and is pleased to be able to offer such added value services that customers really want," Mele adds.
EDGE is the latest technology for Mobile Internet Services in GSM networks. It is the next development step of the already popular GPRS technology, but the transmission speed it offers is up to three times faster. The advantage of combining EDGE and GPRS lies primarily in the fact that the customer needs only one mobile phone and need not drag around "several boxes." In 2005 we can also expect to see significant growth in the number of handsets that support EDGE and a drop in handset prices, which will certainly heighten the interest in this technology.
*Technoids are specially selected technophiles who use and test Oskar services before they are formally brought to market to make sure they are tailored to customers’ needs. Technoids cooperate help with the fine-tuning of Oskar data services like GPRS, Oskar WAP or MMS. They also publish their findings to help customers discover the best use of Oskar’s services. For more details see www.oskarena.cz.