Orange launches the UK's first EDGE network

EDGE data might seem like an old hat around these parts, but for once we can look with compassion upon another part of the world and rejoice with them as they play catch-up to our infrastructure — sort of. February 1st marks Orange's launch of the first EDGE
network in the UK, an interesting move from Orange since they already have a 3G network deployed, but something they see necessary to fill in the coverage gaps that the expensive 3G coverage leaves. They already have multiple EDGE and 3G phones on the market, so the transition shouldn't be too hard for current customers, but hopefully Orange can keep up with their HSDPA plans while juggling this EDGE rollout, because we'd hate for some precious Mbps to suffer at the hands of silly things like "coverage" and "network availability."