dude maximum transfer speed for EDGE connection is 384kbps..so how can it support 256KBps/2mbps ?
Actually that would be the maximum transfer speed of the original revision of UMTS (R99), also known as 3G, which was released by NTT DoCoMo in 2001 (I was in Tokyo at the time).
Thankfully what's being rolled out now in India is several revisions after the original so most networks are deploying HSDPA, also known as 3.5G which offers 7.2mbit/s -
Tata DoCoMo is supposedly deploying 21mbit/s equipment, but handsets aren't capable of that yet and AFAIK they haven't got any of the 21mbit/s USB dongles (yet).
That aside, EDGE has a maximum speed of 236.8kbit/s. Therefore the only conclusion that can be had is that maybe the connection he saw wasn't Aircel, since they are not even planning to release 3G until next year. Unless it was some Aircel person testing that connection, as they did win spectrum in Tamil Nadu.
Maybe it was Tata Photon+ or Reliance Netconnect+ or MTS MBlaze - all of which are *capable* of up to 3.1mbit/s - or perhaps even BSNL 3G which is capable of up to 3.6mbit/s in most circles (though I understand they're deploying 7.2mbit/s nodes in Bangalore).