factors: the radio environment affecting RLC retransmissions and link adaptation; the link adaptation parameter settings affecting the LA algorithm and MCS selection thresholds; the ratio of short versus long TBFs; the ratio of actual user payload versus 'signalling' payload. The stronger the signal level and the lower the interference, the higher will be the MCS utilised. This will ensure the best EGPRS performance (maximum throughput and minimum latency). To influence this factor, standard GSM optimisation techniques may be applied (e.g. additional sites, antenna downtilting, optimum GSM band selection 850/1900, 900/1800). Carefully selecting link adaptation and MCS settings will influence the rate of change between the MCS and also the ability to respond to a changing RF environment. Optimum settings will depend on the dominant fading environment for a given coverage area. Being too conservative will result in a lower MCS and suboptimum throughput and latency. Being too aggressive will result in higher TBF failures, window stalling and a generally intermittent/unreliable service. Short TBFs can be managed by either modifying TBF release delay parameters or adding performance enhancing proxy (PEP) servers connected to the appropriate service gateway or access point node (APN). A TBF release delay increases the TBF time and reduces latency by allowing normally short TBFs to be 'combined' SO that new channel request and assignments are not required between the normally terminated TBFs. While this reduces latency, longer TBFs lead to an increased probability of TBF blocking and congestion, SO care must be taken when optimising these parameters. Performance enhancing proxies act as an application buffer on the Gi/Internet backbone SO they essentially encapsulate the desired (initially fragmented) data into a steady stream of data, causing radio allocation to be driven into longer steady TBFs. The gain in PEPs over TBF release delay parameters is significantly increased efficiency since the compiled data can be more