[sura]

I notice that the EDGE icon will sometimes have an "E" in it and sometimes not. According to the iPhone User's Guide the "E" indicates EDGE, the empty square indicates GPRS. In any event, the internet seems to work. This is a new phenomenon so it has me confused/concerned because I thought EDGE was what is used in the US and GPRS in other parts of the world. (is this wrong?)

BTW, Im on T Mobile with T Zones. Phone is a 1.0.2 upgraded to 1.1.3 (yesterday).

[dicksharard]

Okay, here's how it goes. GPRS is an old technology. Also known as 2G. Edge is newer and faster. Also known as 2.5G. GPRS has been used in the United States for some time now. I believe it might have been the first wireless data network in the US, but don't quote me on that. Anyways, the fact remains. GPRS is still used today in the US. Mostly in remote areas and on other networks. My experience with this might help you understand how and where GPRS is used. I live in Memphis, TN. I am under the edge network. During hunting season, I spend time in Crowder, MS which is a remote and rural area. My unlocked t-mobile iPhone will get off T-Mo network and connect to UNICEL network. Phone works normally, but the internet speed goes to GPRS. GPRS gets you an average of 24 kb/s and EDGE is about 124 kb/s. These are averages and are subject to signal strength. Hope this helps!

[phungy]

EDGE is an innovation on the GPRS technology. GPRS and EDGE are simply the same concept of mobile internet but the EDGE technology has made many more improvements. The biggest improvement that consumers are concerned with is speed.

The EDGE technology offers speeds of 236kbits per second if not more, while GPRS has speeds of up to 48kbits per second. So Yes, EDGE is better in the fact that an EDGE device will give you a lot faster data rate. But beware, some service providers may charge you extra for the EDGE service.

Source.