Shanghai Mobile has officially initiated the commercial use of EGPRS on World Telecommunication Day, May 17. They now provide Internet access with a connection speed two to four times faster than traditional GPRS systems, along with other high quality multimedia services for mobile phone users.
Sources at Shanghai Mobile say they have completed the first stage of EGPRS network installment—covering main areas within the urban loop line— with plans to expand and cover the whole city thereafter. It's noted that suburban customers can also access the signal.
Enhanced GPRS, now EGPRS, is a digital mobile phone technology—a transition between GSM and 3G network technologies. It enhances the network performance of 2.5G, and can be upgraded to 3G.
The Service Department of Shanghai Mobile says they have not yet settled on specific charges for using the EGPRS service. However, some insiders reveal that the fee for using EGPRS is the same with the existing fee for GPRS, and will not increase for Shanghai users.
China Mobile has invested a considerable amount of money to upgrade its existing network to an EGPRS one.
In response to the assertion that this move is related to the fact that 3G licensing has long been delayed in China—preventing many digital services from advancing—Chen Yuping, a director of Telecom Research Institute, the Ministry of Information Industry, responded that EGPRS is not a stop-gap but a transitional technology.
Shanghai Unicom, rival of Shanghai Mobile, has also deployed an EGPRS network according to sources, but the time-peg for commercial use is not yet confirmed.
To commemorate the foundation of the International Telecommunication Union, May 17 is known as World Telecommunication Day.
5月17日是世界通信日,上海移动通信在这天正式推出EGPRS商用业务.该服务可支持手机用户的其他多媒体服务,其网络连接速度是传统GPRS系统的两到四倍. 上海移动的发言人说,他们已经完成EGPRS网络安装的第一阶段工作,其网络已经覆盖内环线,之后准备覆盖整个上海市.这意味着郊区的用户同样也能接收到信号. EGPRS是继GPRS之后的数字移动通信技术,它是GMS到3G网络技术的过渡.它将网络速率提高了2.5倍,最终升级到3倍. 上海移动通信的客服部门称,对EGPRS服务,上海移动还没有决定是否要附加特殊收费.但据内部人事透露,EGPRS的收费与现有GPRS的收费是相同的,而且对上海用户不会增加. 中国移动目前已经斥巨资将现有网络系统提升到EGPRS. 延迟3G技术在中国的引进是为了保护中国的数码服务--chen yupin g 移动通信研究所主管.信息工业部长,EGPRS不是一站式的,而是一项过渡性的技术. 上海移动的竞争对手上海联通,根据消息也已经部署了EGPRS的网络开发,但具体投入商务用途的时间还没有确定. 为庆祝国际电信联盟的成立,每年的5月17日被定为国际电信日.
