TIM to launch EDGE technology in 2004

The Brazilian subsidiary of GSM operator Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) plans to launch EDGE high-speed data services in early 2004, TIM Brazil said in a statement Tuesday. The nationwide operator has nearly completed its EDGE overlays in the cities of Sao Paulo and Campinas, in Sao Paulo state, and capital city Brasilia, and expects to cover Rio de Janeiro before March 31, 2004. TIM's EDGE deployment will allow it to better compete with Brazil's largest mobile operator Vivo, which already offers CDMA 1xRTT services, InfoAmericas telecoms director Jose Otero told BNamericas, adding that Brazil's other major player, Claro, a subsidiary of Mexico's America Movil, still needs to migrate most of its network from TDMA technology. Depending on the handset model, EDGE technology allows data speeds of between 85 kbps and 220 kbps - on average four times faster than existing GPRS services, TIM said. EDGE, which stands for Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution, is sometimes referred to as 2.75G, because data speeds are higher than GPRS or 2.5G, but slower than 3G. Internationally, about 50 operators have already launched EDGE services. However, the selection of EDGE handsets is still very limited, TIM said, adding that handset suppliers including Siemens and Sony Ericsson have committed to releasing new EDGE handsets for early 2004. Meanwhile, as part of continuing build-out plans, TIM Nordeste has extended its GSM network to 28 cities in Pernambuco and Ceara states. The company is also rolling out GSM across Paraíba, Alagoas, Rio Grande do Norte and Piauí. The company recently said it was slowing down the build-out pace as it spread the investment out over a longer period of time, to ease pressure on cash flow. TIM also announced Tuesday it has launched a messaging service called VideoMensagem in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, which allows customers with a Nokia 3650 handset to exchange video messages.