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Lengthy Delays Plague GPRS
Overheating GPRS terminals cause vendors to drastically decrease speeds.
Andrew Dornan, Data Communications
Vendors at Telecom 99 are hyping their GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) equipment as the next big step in mobile data, claiming the technology will push GSM speeds to 115 kbit/s. The trouble is, GPRS terminals overheat, causing vendors to throttle down the speeds and delay rollout for a year.
GSM devices use the same type of radiation as microwave ovens, and higher data rates mean more of it. GPRS gear literally cooks itself if it runs for long periods of time, posing a safety hazard. It also wastes valuable battery power.
"It will be at least a year before we are selling GPRS phones," says Juha Junnonen, a mobile marketing manager at Nokia Corp. (Espoo, Finland). Ivan Gouletquer, a GPRS demonstrator from Alcatel SA (Paris), is on the same timetable. "We won't be shipping GPRS phones until Q3 2000. But neither will anyone else."
He's right about that. Nokia's GPRS demonstration at Telecom 99 has a working backbone, but uses wireless LAN cards for the actual radio interface. Ericsson LM (Stockholm, Sweden) hasn't even brought any prototypes, preferring to show off its non-functioning "concept" third generation phones.
Ironically, the GSM Association, which is launching an initiative to address GRPS roaming, will be well into its efforts before the terminals are even available (see "Global Roaming Effort Underway" ).
The delay is only half of the problem. When GPRS terminals finally do arrive in the shops, customers will find another disappointment: The terminals and PC cards won't allow speeds anything like the 115 kbit/s so often touted by vendors. Vendors must limit the speeds to prevent the terminals from getting too hot. Nokia's, for example, will offer only 14.4 kbit/s upstream and 43.2 kbit/s downstream. Alcatel is showing off a prototype that's only 14.4 kbit/s each way -- the same as GSM.
Panasonic Matsushita Co. (Yokohoma, Japan) is promising the fastest speeds, claiming its GPRS terminal will provide 56 kbit/s duplex. But potential customers face an even longer wait. "It should be available by "Christmas." says Hiroshi Tamano, Panasonic's associate director of sales and marketing. "That's Christmas next year." |
