And it features what is called mobile Internet protocol (IP), a packet data service that requires users to pay only for the amount of data they send and receive rather than for the amount of time spent on line.

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On the horizon, new data services such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) may make it cheaper for users to stay logged on to AIM all day.

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The smart phone market will only take off when technologies such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) are implemented in mobile networks, enabling faster transfer rates of data via mobile phone, she said.

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Satellite, surprisingly, came out as having the best throughput although before you rush out to get satellite service remember that the roundtrip latency (the time it takes a data packet to go from your PC to its destination and for an acknowledgement to come back) over a satellite connection is often in the range of 900 milliseconds to 1, 400 milliseconds.

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