More good news for prospective iPhone customers. AT&T seems to have bumped up speeds on its EDGE network. According to several tech bloggers, EDGE users are experiencing significantly improved speeds when loading Web pages and sending and receiving data. Gizmondo listed improved speeds of 200 kbps, up from 40 kbps just a day or two before.
While Executive Director of Media for AT&T Mobility Mark Siegel would not specifically say that the network had been beefed up, he did say: "We've done a lot to improve EDGE and make it "i" ready." Siegel also asserted that one of the reasons Apple chose AT&T is that its EDGE network is the largest high-speed data network deployed in the country. "No 3G network anywhere in the U.S. reaches as many people as EDGE does," says Siegel.
AT&T spokesman Brad Mays also confirmed the rumors, saying that in preparation for the iPhone, AT&T has invested more than $50 million to improve data network capacity. He also said the iPhone was specifically designed for great performance over the EDGE network. "The way the iPhone is made makes downloading even faster on EDGE. Specifically, the caching in the iPhone is so advanced, screens don't build - they just pop."