Ruffian,
Thanks for that great post... I had to pull this part out...
Although the standard allows for maximum efficiency in transferring data, the first generation of GPRS phones likely will be Type 1, Class 12, which supports only five total slots that must either transmit or receive but not both during each transmission. Thus, despite advertised rates of 115kb/s, the maximum rate in one direction will peak at slightly above 56kb/s, while the maximum rate in the opposite direction is 14.4kb/s. So, for example, a handset that's combining four slots to receive at a total rate of 56kb/s would be able to send data at the same time at only 14.4kb/s because that's all the remaining slot can accommodate.
CDMA takes a similar approach to maximize efficiency. In 1XRTT, the transmit and receive functions always are negotiable, so the base station and the mobile can work together to decide what data rate can be supported. For 1XRTT, the advertised maximum rate is 144kb/s, which the first handsets are expected to support.
So in other words, all flavors of 2.5G aren't exactly equal. While Japan has 64K rates now, the GPRS handsets that Ericsson is touting to be available by the end of the year will only be 56K/14K. Furthermore, the 1X handsets will be lapping them at 144K or more (didn't today's QCOM release say the current chipsets were getting 153K already?).
Europe will continue to fall farther and farther behind the race for speed unless they get with the program.
DWB
Q2.5K/Y2K+5 |
