You must have heard the terms GSM and CDMA, n number of times in various conversations and there is a possibility that you still don’t k...
You must have heard the terms GSM and
CDMA, n number of times in various conversations and there is a
possibility that you still don’t know what actually these acronyms are,
and if you are one of those persons then you on the right page. We will
try to make you understand the nitty- gritties of these terms.
GSM stands for Global System for Mobiles
and CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. These are basically
two different radio technologies that perform the same task. Both these
technologies wirelessly transmit voice, data and texts from and to your
phone. But both these technologies have their own set of limitations and
advantages. If you want to zero-in on one of these, just go through the
following pointers.
What is GSM, its advantages and limitations?
While using a GSM network, your service
is tied to a tiny, removable module called a SIM card, which stores your
address book and phone number. So in case you want to change your
handset, you just have to insert your SIM card into the other phone and
it’ll download your phone number and import your contacts. In the U.S.,
T-Mobile and AT&T use GSM. GSM carriers are prohibited by the
governing body of cellular, the ITU (International Telecommunications
Union), from disallowing any GSM phones on their networks. That means as
long as a phone is unlocked and supports the right bands; it’ll work on
your carrier of choice. Theoretically switching to a different GSM
carrier is easy but practically, it is a complicated affair. A number of
cellular providers arbitrarily “lock” phones to their network via
software — but thankfully, U.S. federal law requires that carriers allow
subscribers to migrate to other networks upon request (as long as
they’ve paid all outstanding fees, of course). Another one of GSM’s
advantages is that AT&T and T-Mobile’s implementation of one of
GSM’s newer revisions, HSPA+, is quite fast, with a download speed of
11Mbps. Also, all GSM networks support simultaneous voice and data so
that you can talk and surf the web at the same time.
What is CDMA, its advantages and limitations?
As compared to their GSM equivalents,
CDMA networks are more restrictive. CDMA phones instead of using SIMs,
rely on a server-based white list of subscriber numbers to verify your
plan. So if you have misplaced your SIM card, you won’t lose service but
it puts the CDMA carrier a much greater degree of control. Another
important thing, you will be able to switch your phone only with your
carrier’s permission and even a phone compatible with a CDMA carrier’s
network won’t work until it’s been approved by said carrier.
If you compare the CDMA network with
GSM, it has a little edge in certain things like CDMA supports a greater
number of concurrent connections, which theoretically means less
congestion at cell towers. This means fewer dropped calls and internet
slowdowns.
