Swedish telecom equipment manufacturer Ericsson announced an enhanced EDGE Evolution solution promising to power the current GSM networks with 3G capabilities.
Ericsson claims that the new solution can shoot up data speeds by up to 300%. The new solution makes available mobile broadband at near-3G speeds to 4 billion of the world s population.
Even where 3G exists, the solution can offer coverage in patchy areas, the company said.
Ulf Ewaldsson, vice president and head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson, said, "We are proud to be the world's first vendor with a commercially available EDGE Evolution solution. This is mobile broadband performance with low entry barriers. With this technology, operators can address a potential market of 4 billion GSM users and provide cost-effective mobile broadband anywhere - including countries where 3G licenses have not yet been granted."
In the Indian context, the EDGE Evolution solution holds relevance for those operators who fail to successfully bid for 3G spectrum. The solution is already being evaluated in European and Asian markets.
