2.5G: Bridging the Gap
- Acronym: 2.5 Generation Wireless
- Telephony: A term used to describe a telephone which bridges the 2G and 3G cellular wireless standards by using circuit-switched networks to achieve some of the benefits of 3G (such as web browsing and messaging).
The telecommunications industry recognized that something needed to be done, and began discussing and developing a 3G (third-generation) standard. However, the consumer market was pressing for improved data transmissions and features in the present, not sometime in the future.
This led to an intermediate step between 2G and 3G telephones. Introduced in 2001, 2.5G telephones use a technology called digital packet switching technology. This means that each signal is broken into digital packets and each packet is sent separately. These telephones have the capability for limited web browsing, enhanced multimedia and streaming video that the consumer market demanded.
With the introduction of 2.5G, however, the description "cellular telephone" has been left behind. As the communications are as often data as voice, the technology is more appropriately called "wireless telecommunications".
There are two primary 2.5G technologies:
- GRPRS (General Radio Packet Radio Services)
- EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM Environment)
While 2.5G telecommunications does not offer full 3G capabilities, it is a first step in the right direction. |
