Cingular Offers EDGE Network As Enterprise Backup

Cingular Wireless Monday said it was offering a new service that would make its EDGE data network available as a backup to existing wireline enterprise access.

The company said it was offering its Wireless WNA Connectivity Service in conjunction with its co-owners, SBC Communications and BellSouth. The service uses a gateway connected to an enterprises network that automatically kicks in if wireline service is interrupted. The EDGE network provides typical speeds in the range of 100 Kbps with speeds as high as 135 Kbps, but would be enough to keep critical applications working in case of an outage, the company said in a statement.

"We've seen considerable interest in the Wireless WAN Connectivity Service from a number of companies who want to use a wireless data solution with a gateway device at their network edge to provide redundant connectivity," Jeff Bradley, Cingular's vice president for business data solutions, said in a statement. "They realize that this solution is cost-effective and can be deployed quickly, while providing a higher level of redundancy for their IT network operations."

The gateway is the Digi International. It provides a direct Ethernet connection to the enterprise's primary server, according to Cingular.