[buger]

I am living in a big city, the map shows almost 100% HSDPA, in small places UMTS or EDGE.. From time to time I can get no data connection depending on my current place.

On those places phone calls over GSM are working...

Is GSM and GPRS almost the same? Should be GPRS be availible at all places where normal phone calls are working? Or is it possible that phone calls are working while at the same time no data connection can be established at all?

[sudude · Accepted solution]

Networks favour GSM calls over packet data (GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA) i.e. if the network is crowded with GSM calls it will limit the packet data speeds. Hope this helps.

[buger]

Makes sense for me.

[megadodo]

GPRS is not always available even if you have service. The cell may be busy (as already suggested) and if you are in a large cell GPRS may not be working towards the outer edge of the cell (data losses increase proportionaly with signal strength). In an urban environment it is more likely that too many people are making calls to justify data usage. "Noise" can also kill data while still allowing calls to continue.

HTH