WiFi has captured the imagination of road warriors; young urbanites who need to have access to networking and internet while on the move. You see them hanging out at high-end coffee outlets like Starbucks and San Francisco Coffee House.
However, not all places have WiFi internet access. Then, there is also the problem of different WiFi plans. Let's say you are in a place where there is WiFi access, but access is not free. You can't just buy a cup of coffee and WiFi access over the counter. So, you must be subscribed to a plan with the service provider.
Clearly, WiFi is inadequate if you want true wireless access to networking and internet wherever you go. Fortunately, there is a solution, it's called EDGE. EDGE stands for Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution. It boosts data transfer rates on existing GPRS networks significantly (it is three times the speed of GPRS).
GPRS, which stands for General Packet Radio Service, is a wireless technology for mobile networks that offers data transmission rates up to 20kbps or 30kbps as well as continuous connection to the network.
To use EDGE, you will need to buy an EDGE-capable phone. Next, you need to subscribe to the service provider. This gives you unlimited access to networking and the internet. Finally, you will need to buy a Bluetooth dongle to attach to your laptop via the USB port. It is advisable that you get a dealer to configure your cell phone and laptop for you. It is actually quite complicated to set up.
Once everything is set up, you can surf the net literally anywhere and when you are outside the WiFi area, you can still surf the net provided you are in an area where there is GPRS. It is a bit slower but with the EDGE subscription, you get unlimited access via GPRS at no additional cost.
Surfing is easy. Just stick the Bluetooth dongle into your laptop's USB port. Then click on the dial-up icon. Within a few seconds, you will be connected to networking and the internet and can start surfing.
Unlike infrared technology, Bluetooth does not need to be within line-of- sight for the connection to work. So, your cell phone can stay in your pocket or your bag. You don't have to take it out at all.
Bear in mind that when you are connected to the net via EDGE, the power consumption is quite high, so don't expect to be able to surf continuously all day long on one battery. After several hours online, your cell phone will need a new charge. Still, you are looking at least four or five hours of continuous connection before the battery drains. That's quite a lot of surfing time.
With EDGE, users can download videos, send big files, take picture at higher resolutions and even attach voice or text to these; all on their mobile phones, while on the move. Users also able to upload multimedia content from their mobile phone to a website page via MMS. The multimedia content can then be shared with an unlimited number of people.
However, the most practical use for EDGE is to allow people to access the net on their laptops via their EDGE-capable phone (which effectively acts as a modem). With this set up in place, users can at last be truly mobile and connected, anywhere, anytime.
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