Today in Russia, high-speed mobile Internet is available almost everywhere, even in remote rural areas. However, sometimes we find ourselves in places where instead of 5G or LTE on our smartphone screen, only the letter “E” appears. At such times, the Internet speed is so low that it is difficult to load messages in instant messengers, let alone photos or web pages.
What does the “E” icon on your phone’s screen mean? It’s short for EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution). EDGE is an enhanced version of the GSM standard, but its speeds are limited; it’s faster than 2G, but significantly slower than 3G.
Why is EDGE so slow? You can send SMS and make calls in “E” mode, but it’s not the best option for surfing the Internet. The maximum theoretical speed of EDGE is 384 Kbps, which is much lower than modern mobile Internet standards. In reality, the speed is often even lower than this value due to various network conditions and limitations.
When does the “E” appear on the phone? The first reason is the distance from the cell towers or the use of old equipment, which leads to a decrease in signal quality. The second reason is the network overload at mass events or in rooms with a weak signal. In such cases, the phone automatically switches to EDGE mode to maintain the connection, but the Internet will work much slower.
If you encounter the “E” icon and want to increase your Internet speed, try changing the network settings on your smartphone. For example, for Android devices, you can select “3G Only” mode in the SIM card and cellular data settings. iPhone owners should go to the “Cellular” section and select the “3G” option. This can help improve the quality of your Internet connection in areas with weak signals.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
