Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution

Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) is a mobile-data technology that increases GSM packet-data speeds through more efficient radio modulation while retaining much of GSM infrastructure.

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8-PSK: An eight-phase modulation scheme that encodes three bits per symbol by varying a radio wave’s phase. EDGE uses 8-PSK to carry more bits per radio symbol than GSM’s original modulation.
Global System for Mobile Communications: A digital cellular standard that defines mobile radio access, network architecture, and services. EDGE extends GSM networks and preserves compatibility with their radio infrastructure.
Enhanced GPRS: The packet-data radio interface defined for EDGE, also known as EGPRS. EGPRS is EDGE’s packet-data enhancement to the earlier GPRS radio interface.
GPRS: A GSM packet-data service that enables mobile internet access at rates below those of EDGE. GPRS is EDGE’s direct predecessor and provides the baseline for its speed improvement.
Gaussian minimum-shift keying: A continuous-phase frequency modulation scheme used by GSM to transmit digital data. EDGE retains GSM’s GMSK mode for weaker radio conditions, unlike its higher-rate 8-PSK mode.
General Packet Radio Service: A packet-switched mobile-data service introduced for GSM networks. EDGE enhances the packet-data service architecture established by GPRS.
Mobile broadband: Internet access delivered over cellular or other wireless networks to mobile devices. EDGE provided a step toward mobile broadband on existing GSM networks.
High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data: A GSM enhancement that increases data rates by assigning multiple time slots to a circuit-switched connection. HSCSD raises GSM data rates through circuit switching rather than EDGE’s enhanced packet radio.
Link adaptation: The adjustment of a transmission’s coding and modulation to changing channel conditions. EDGE changes its modulation and coding scheme as signal quality varies.
Time-division multiple access: A method that lets multiple users share a radio channel by transmitting in separate time slots. EDGE inherits GSM’s time-slot structure for assigning radio capacity.