EDGE vs GPRS

What is EDGE?
It is Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution is a digital mobile phone technology
attuned backwards.This technology, also termed as Enhanced GPRS or Enhanced Data rates for
Global Evolution or IMT Single Carrier makes superior data transmission rates possible.
1: edge data rate is 3 times of gprs data rate
2: It has a higher bit rate precisely because the technology is based on a modulation structure of
8PSK
3:EDGE can be used for any packet switched application, such as an Internet connection
Technology used:
EDGE/EGPRS is implemented as a bolt-on enhancement for 2.5G GSM/GPRS networks,
making it easier for existing GSM carriers to upgrade to it.
EDGE-compatible transceiver units must be installed and the base station subsystem needs to be
upgraded to support EDGE. If the operator already has this in place, which is often the case
today, the network can be upgraded to EDGE by activating an optional software feature. Today
EDGE is supported by all major chip vendors for both GSM and WCDMA/HSPA.
Transmission Techniques:
1: In addition to Gaussian minimum-shift keying (GMSK), EDGE uses higher-order PSK/8
phase shift keying (8PSK) for the upper five of its nine modulation and coding schemes
2:EDGE produces a 3-bit word for every change in carrier phase. This effectively triples the
gross data rate offered by GSM. EDGE, like GPRS, uses a rate adaptation algorithm that adapts
the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) according to the quality of the radio channel, and thus
the bit rate and robustness of data transmission. It introduces a new technology not found in
GPRS, Incremental Redundancy, which, instead of retransmitting disturbed packets, sends more
redundancy information to be combined in the receiver. This increases the probability of correct
decoding.
EDGE can carry a bandwidth up to 236 kbit/s for 4 timeslots (theoretical maximum is
473.6 kbit/s for 8 timeslots) in packet mode, this means it can handle traffic 4-times more
standard than GPRS.

EDGE modulation and coding scheme (MCS):

EDGE is four times as efficient as GPRS. GPRS uses four coding schemes (CS-1 to 4) while
EDGE uses nine Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS-1 to 9), of which the first four have
similar performance (but not equal) to GPRS.
Data Rates Differences:
GPRS :

GPRS Coding Scheme

speed (Kbit/s)

CS-1

8.0

CS-2

12.0

CS-3

14.4

CS-4

20.0

EDGE :
EDGE Modulation and Coding
Scheme (MCS)

Bit Rate
(kbit/s/slot)

Modulation

MCS-1

8.80

GMSK

MCS-2

11.2

GMSK

MCS-3

14.8

GMSK

MCS-4

17.6

GMSK

MCS-5

22.4

8-PSK

MCS-6

29.6

8-PSK

MCS-7

43.8

8-PSK

MCS-8

54.4

8-PSK

MCS-9

59.2

8-PSK

What is GPRS?
It is a packet-switching technology that enables data transfers through cellular networks.it is used
for mobile internet,MMS,and other data networksGeneral packet radio service (GPRS) is apacket
oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular communication system's global system
for mobile communications (GSM).

Channel encoding:
Channel encoding is based on a convolutional code at different code rates and GMSK
modulation defined for GSM. The following table summarises the options:
Coding scheme

Speed (kbit/s)

CS-1

8.0

CS-2

12.0

CS-3

14.4

CS-4

20.0

The least robust, but fastest, coding scheme (CS-4) is available near a base transceiver station (BTS), while the most

robust coding scheme (CS-1) is used when the mobile station (MS) is further away from a BTS.
Using the CS-4 it is possible to achieve a user speed of 20.0 kbit/s per time slot. However, using this scheme the cell
coverage is 25% of normal. CS-1 can achieve a user speed of only 8.0 kbit/s per time slot, but has 98% of normal
coverage. Newer network equipment can adapt the transfer speed automatically depending on the mobile location.
In addition to GPRS, there are two other GSM technologies which deliver data services: circuit-switched data (CSD)
and high-speed circuit-switched data (HSCSD). In contrast to the shared nature of GPRS, these instead establish a
dedicated circuit (usually billed per minute). Some applications such as video calling may prefer HSCSD, especially
when there is a continuous flow of data between the endpoints.
The following table summarises some possible configurations of GPRS and circuit switched data services.

Technology

Download (kbit/s)

Upload (kbit/s)

TDMA Timeslots
allocated
(DL+UL)

CSD

9.6

9.6

1+1

HSCSD

28.8

14.4

2+1

HSCSD

43.2

14.4

3+1

GPRS

80.0

20.0 (Class 8 & 10

and CS-4)

4+1

GPRS

60.0

40.0 (Class 10 and

CS-4)

3+2

EGPRS (EDGE)

236.8

59.2 (Class 8, 10
and MCS-9)

4+1

EGPRS (EDGE)

177.6

118.4 (Class 10 and

MCS-9)

3+2

For GPRS coding scheme details:

http://www.cellular-news.com/gprs/GPRS_classes_and_coding_schemes.shtml