ATLANTA, United States—U.S. operator Cingular Wireless announced it will begin upgrading its current TDMA and analog network to General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) packet data and GSM voice technology. Cingular said the move to GSM/GPRS, which has been expected since AT&T Wireless announced a similar move last year, would be followed by a migration to Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), allowing the carrier to offer peak data rates up to 384 kilobits per second (kbps).
Ericsson, Nokia and Siemens were selected to assist with the infrastructure build out on the reported US$3 billion deal and will supply the carrier with GSM 850/1900 MHz handsets.
Cingular currently operates GSM networks in California, Washington, Nevada, South Carolina, North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and coastal Georgia, with GPRS available in Seattle, Las Vegas, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Cingular said the move to a nationwide GSM network was based on the increased spectrum efficiency of the technology in relation to its current TDMA and analog networks, availability of GSM infrastructure that operates in the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz spectrum bands, continued development of GAIT handsets allowing customers to roam between TDMA and GSM networks, and commitments from infrastructure providers to supply EDGE infrastructure and devices.
