GSM World 2001 Update.  Re-produced with kind permission from Mobile Communications International.

Alan Hadden, president, GSA - the Global mobile Suppliers Association

Mobile Internet services using GSM are here. It's hardly surprising that they are already on the market, as mobile internet can drive additional voice usage and many operators feel they need to be perceived as data leaders in order to maintain their voice sales. The next step is commercial GPRS services, which are launched or planned in most GSM markets, enabling hundreds of operators in 170 countries to give their customers (500 million by May 2001) their first taste of 3G-type services.

Non-voice services
GSM/GPRS will be the largest technology in the Americas too. In fact, the future for GSM has never been brighter thanks to its open interfaces, global deployment, massive scale economies, and competitive advantage. Users are showing their appetite for non-voice services with the SMS - short message service - generating 50 billion messages across the world's GSM networks in the first three months of 2001 alone, and giving large revenues to operators. Users will soon be able to experience audio and video clips, send electronic postcards to each other and tap into entertainment and services databases personalised according to their preferences, location or situation.

GPRS is the first step towards 3G and adds required new functionalities quickly and cheaply, thereby delivering a huge advance in service capabilities and an 'always on, always connected' experience. Operators rolling out GPRS now will benefit from gaining the experience linked with being first to market.

Beyond GPRS, 3G technology such as EDGE will deliver higher data rates, while WCDMA/UMTS allows the most efficient usage of new spectrum for even more speeds and more capacity.

EDGE is one of the ITU's 3G radio standards (IMT-SC) offering operators currently using TDMA-based radio interfaces, such as GSM and IS-136, the chance to enable 3G data rates. EDGE enhances the coding protocols using operators' existing frequency bands and delivering higher data speeds. Combined with GPRS, EDGE will result in much improved utilisation of the radio network and a three times increase in overall network capacity. Thus, operators can achieve a cost-effective migration of existing networks to 3G without requiring new spectrum. EDGE represents the lowest risk technology evolution from a mature worldwide GSM base - higher performance with global scale and scope and lower cost.

As operators acquire new spectrum, the introduction of WCDMA will add more capacity and speed. Here too, early time to the 3G services market via GPRS/EDGE will be crucial. In fact, EDGE in particular has an important role to play in fast nationwide high-speed data services coverage, and is a complement to UMTS.

GSM is now available in all world cellular bands (800, 900, 1800, 1900) supporting GPRS and EDGE. The GSM SIMcard delivers security and attractiveness, and automatic global roaming. IS-136 operators have already announced evolution to GSM/GPRS and EDGE and are working on aggressive deployment programmes. It seems that everyone is now going in the same direction, GSM operators and IS-136 operators included.

All of which takes us back to the mobile internet. Applications are crucial to 3G success and the mobile internet is vital for growth in the wireless industry. GPRS provides the first important step but evolution to EDGE will provide the first true 3G experiences and is essential for getting the most out of existing spectrum, building early 3G experiences and revenues. Not only will EDGE enhance the user experience but, as mentioned, for the UMTS operator which has acquired additional 3G spectrum, EDGE de-risks those investments, providing complementary nationwide and hotspot support to the UMTS coverage of major cities in the early years.

Alan Hadden, president GSA

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