GSM Mobile Phone Guide

[SuperXCM]

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What is GSM ?

GSM systems are used in nearly 200 countries (with 600 million subscribers) worldwide, from Europe (where the standard originated) throughout Africa, Asia and Australasia.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) leads the world as the fastest growing, most reliable and advanced digital technology available in the marketplace today. GSM provides integrated voice mail, high-speed data, fax, paging and short message services capabilities. GSM customers enjoy secure communications, and GSM offers unparalleled call privacy and fraud prevention.

GSM phones work with a small electronic chip called the SIM card. The SIM card holds the phone number assigned by the service provider, your phonebook and other registration information. GSM operates on multiple frequency bands around the world - 900 Mhz and 1800Mhz, used in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and South America ; 850 Mhz and 1900 Mhz, used in the.North America and South America. Different service providers operate on different frequency within the country. For example, T-mobile operates on 1900 mhz in the USA, while Cingular operates on 1900 mhz or 850 mhz. When selecting your cell phone make sure that you select a phone that operates on your service provider's band.


Dual-band

A dual-band phone operates at both the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum. Dual-band works in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and much of South America.

Tri-band

A tri-band phone operates on three frequency bands, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz, allowing you to use it in Europe, Africa, Asia, nearly all of North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Quad-band

A quad-band phone allows you to roam almost anywhere globally. It covers the 850 Mhz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz frequency ranges. Many countries in South America only have 850 MHz GSM service while both 1900 MHZ and 850 MHz GSM services are supported in the USA. 99% of all countries use the GSM standard. WE believe eventually GSM will be the only cell phone standard in the world.

Unlocked GSM Phones

Unlocked GSM phones are not locked to a specific service provider.Unlocked phones will work with any GSM service provider that is supported by the phone's frequency band. Normally, all the phones sold by the service providers are locked to be used with their service only. For example, a locked phone from T-mobile wouldn't work with Cingular's service.

2G Network

The 2G phase began in the 1990s and much of this technology is still in use. The 2G cell phone features digital voice encoding. Examples include CDMA and GSM. Since its inception, 2G technology has steadily improved, with increased bandwidth, packet routing, and the introduction of multimedia.

3G Network

3G is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) specification for the third-generation mobile communications technology that was created for high-speed transfer of data and multimedia content, such as video, downloads, music and interactive games. 3G aims to increase bandwidth up to 384 Kbps when a device is stationary or moving at pedestrian speed, 128 Kbps in a car, and 2 Mbps in fixed applications. 3G will work over wireless air interfaces, such as GSM, TDMA, and CDMA. The new EDGE service was developed specifically to meet the bandwidth needs of 3G.

The first pre-commercial 3G network was launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan branded FOMA, in May 2001 on a pre-release of W-CDMA-GA3Y technology. The first commercial launch of 3G was also by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on October 1, 2001. The second network to go commercially live was by SK Telecom in South Korea on the CDMA2000 1xEV-DO technology in January 2002. By May 2002 the second South Korean 3G network was launched by KTF on EV-DO and thus the Koreans were the first to see competition among 3G operators.

[SuperXCM]

EDGE

EDGE provides up to three times the data capacity of GPRS. Using EDGE, operators can handle three times more subscribers than GPRS; triple their data rate per subscriber, or add extra capacity to their voice communications. EDGE uses the same TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) frame structure, logic channel and 200kHz carrier bandwidth as today's GSM networks, which allows it to be overlaid directly onto an existing GSM network. For many existing GSM/GPRS networks, EDGE is a simple software-upgrade.

Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS), or IMT Single Carrier (IMT-SC) is a digital mobile phone technology that allows increased data transmission rates and improved data transmission reliability. EDGE is generally classified as 2.75G, although it is part of ITU's 3G definition. EDGE has been introduced into GSM networks around the world since 2003, initially by Cingular (now AT&T) in the United States.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless protocol utilizing short-range communications technology facilitating data transmission over short distances from fixed and/or mobile devices, creating wireless personal area networks (PANs).
Bluetooth is the term used to describe the protocol of a short range (10 meter) frequency-hopping radio link between devices. These devices are then termed Bluetooth - enabled. Documentation on Bluetooth is split into two sections, the Bluetooth Specification and Bluetooth Profiles.

The technology can be applied between desktops and notebook computers, handhelds, PDAs, mobile phones, camera phones, headphones, printers, digital cameras, headsets, keyboards and computer mice.

SIM Card

A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is part of a removable smart card ICC (Integrated Circuit Card), also known as SIM Cards, for mobile, telephony devices (such as computers) and mobile phones. SIM cards securely store the service-subscriber key (IMSI) used to identify a subscriber. The SIM card allows users to change phones by simply removing the SIM card from one mobile phone and inserting it into another mobile phone or broadband telephony device.

The SIM card makes it easy to switch to a new phone by simply sliding the SIM out of the old phone and into the new one. The SIM holds personal identity information, cell phone number, phone book, text messages and other data. It can be thought of as a mini hard disk that automatically activates the phone into which it is inserted.

IMSI

SIM cards are identified on their individual operator networks by holding a unique International Mobile Subscriber Identity. Mobile operators connect mobile phone calls and communicate with their market SIM cards using their IMSI.

[rupesh]

Hi,

Also have a look on CDMA And GSM Secrets Codes!!!

[amda]

Very useful information
Thanks a lot

Thanks for the information.Is CDMA service better than GSM in terms of call reception?

Originally Posted by waqyum

Thanks for the information.Is CDMA service better than GSM in terms of call reception?

I prefer GSM, personally