The article mentions the "software upgrade" this requires...is that for both the backend infrastructure and consumer handsets? Or will a carrier's infrastructure require additional hardware, and the consumer handset require only a software update?
I ask because I'm wondering how likely it would be for a carrier such as AT&T to invest in this advancement for the sake of phones such as the iPhone (as mentioned). I'm assuming the cost of a hardware upgrade as opposed to simply licensing a software upgrade would sway carriers to ignore that this technology exists and move forward with 3G and 4G development.
You actually have it backwards - this will be a software-only upgrade for the base stations and infrastructure, it will be a hardware upgrade to handsets. DLDC requires a second receive chain (like half-MIMO) to do this, and no current handsets in the market (or chipsets, for that matter) have this embedded. The EGPRS2 will also require hardware modifications to work. Latency reductions is definitely part of EDGE Evolution and can be done in SW only, so this is something that you might see rolled out into existing handsets.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Josh @ Mar 27th 2008 11:52AM
The article mentions the "software upgrade" this requires...is that for both the backend infrastructure and consumer handsets? Or will a carrier's infrastructure require additional hardware, and the consumer handset require only a software update?
I ask because I'm wondering how likely it would be for a carrier such as AT&T to invest in this advancement for the sake of phones such as the iPhone (as mentioned). I'm assuming the cost of a hardware upgrade as opposed to simply licensing a software upgrade would sway carriers to ignore that this technology exists and move forward with 3G and 4G development.
Badonkadonk @ Mar 27th 2008 12:58PM
You actually have it backwards - this will be a software-only upgrade for the base stations and infrastructure, it will be a hardware upgrade to handsets. DLDC requires a second receive chain (like half-MIMO) to do this, and no current handsets in the market (or chipsets, for that matter) have this embedded. The EGPRS2 will also require hardware modifications to work. Latency reductions is definitely part of EDGE Evolution and can be done in SW only, so this is something that you might see rolled out into existing handsets.