During the year 1980, analog cellular telephony was gaining momentum of growth in Europe, not only in Scandinavia & the United Kingdom, but also in Germany. Each of these countries developed their own method which rendered these technologies incompatible to each other, including the hardware used. This became undesirable owing to the fact that the mobile equipment was not only limited within the national boundaries, but there was also a very limited market for each type of equipment.
Realising this at an early stage, the matter was referred to a study group called Groupe Spécial Mobile, to generate pan-European public land mobile routine. The method that would be proposed by the study group needed to meet the following criteria –
* lovely quality of speech.
* Low terminal & service cost
* Support for international roaming.
* Ability to support handheld terminals.
* Support for range of new services & facilities.
* Spectral efficiency.
* ISDN compatibility.
This responsibility was transferred from Groupe Spécial Mobile European to Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI), & phase four of the project specifications was published in 1990. Global method for Mobile communications (GSM) is an open architecture digital cellular technology having application in transmitting & receiving voice & data. This technology differs from the first generation wireless systems which used analog technology for communication, while GSM uses digital technology & time division multiple Access (TDMA) transmission methods.
The arrangement of mobile rigs, discussed above, would give way to the development of the generations of cell phone that they have today. At the very beginning, these so called mobile phones were fixed in the cars, being permanently installed. This contraption gained more mobility when later versions had the equipment fitted with a cigarette lighter plug which would go in the socket for the 12 volts power supply that it needed to operate. This made the unit to be taken out of the automobile after unplugging it from the cigarette lighter socket.
GSM technology is a circuit-switched system, & works by dividing each 200 KHz frequency channel in to 25 KHz slots & operates on 900MHz & 1.8GHz bands in Europe & the 1.9GHz & 850MHz bands in the US. In Australia, Canada & plenty of South American countries, 850MHz is used for GSM & 3GSM. Data speeds up-to 9.6Kbps is supported by this technology, which allows transmission of basic data services, such as, Short Message Service (SMS). GSM offers a greater facility in international roaming, allowing international travellers to be in touch with the world. GSM satellite services enables users to access the service from areas where terrestrial coverage is not available.
As time went by, the equipment was modified to be patched with the telephone network, which was tested by the Swedish Police in 1946, for use in the police vehicles. It was observed that automobile battery would run out after some four to six calls were made. Radio telephones became obtainable publicly in the United States towards the end of 1940’s. Since switching technology was not obtainable those days, these phones had to be physically patched in to the telephone network for the intention of a meaningful communication.
The concept of mobile communication was based on such a network that would bring voice & data communication through-out a wide spread area. The idea was to divide the wide spread area in to small sections which would be called a radio cell, which would have a trans-receiver connected to the next cell by switching technology. This concept of dividing the area in to cells has given the name – cellular technology. The architecture evolved to provide a system, where seamless communication could be had when moving around from four cell area to the other. As you leave four cell & move to the next, the previous four would hand over the call to the next tower in the area that you’re presently in & this way providing you with a seamless connectivity.
As the cell phone evolved, the first generation systems, 1G, came in to commercial operation, based on analog switched circuits. The voice quality was bad & the hands off operation would fail most of the time. These were the one primary disadvantages of the routine. The number simultaneous call handling was low & there was no security what-so-ever. The method used a technology called Advanced cell phone Service (AMPS), which operated in the 800MHz band. The method couldn’t be launched commercially before 1983 & was delayed for plenty of reasons, four being the break-up of AT&T. The method was launched in Chicago in the year 1983, with other cities following.
Japan launched AMPS in 1979 & the Europeans had their own technology, which they called Nordic Mobile Telephony (NMT), operating in the 450-MHz band. This was launched in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, & Finland in the year 1981. At a later stage NMT was developed to work on 900MHz bandwidth & came to be known as NMT900. In 1985, the British developed Total Access Communications method (TACS), an entirely different technology of their own. TACS operated on 900MHz & is typically a modified version of AMPS.
The development of the second generation (2G) system, which is truly the GSM architecture, was started in Europe in the year 1982 & was commercially launched in 1992. The technology is a digital radio method which has been designed on Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) principle, which enables the subscribers to use the same radio channel simultaneously, in which time-slots are shared. This technology works on full duplex mode, where both, transmit & get, operate together, considering that in half duplex mode four person can transmit four at a time. Walkie-talkie radios work on half duplex mode & transmission is set by the push of a switch on the body of the radio & with its release, the equipment goes in to get mode.
This was the big boom in cell phone technology.
* 850 MHz (824.2 – 848.8 MHz Tx; 869.2 – 893.8 MHz Rx)
* 900 MHz (880-2 – 914.8 MHz Tx; 925.2 – 959.8 MHz Rx)
* 1800 MHz (1710.2 – 1784.8 MHz Tx; 1805.2 – 1879.8 MH Rx)
* 1900 MHz (1850.2 – 1909.8 MHz Tx; 1930.2 – 1989.8 MHz Rx)
To this day, over 700 mobile networks are under operation in the world, across 213 countries or more & consist of 82.5% of all the global mobile connection the world over. there’s about 2 million GSM cell phone users in the world today, with China being the largest user of mobile phones. China has over 370 million subscribers, with Russia having 145 million. The United States have about 78 million users. GSM phones can be rented & this becomes necessary, when you travel outside the United States on a visit, where your GSM phone is not likely to work. The operational frequencies in the North American countries with Canada as well, are different from what the other countries have. GSM operates on the following frequencies –
If you’re a frequent traveller abroad, it is worthwhile to consider buying a quad band GSM cell phone, so that you’re confident of its compatibility with all the GSM frequencies in the world. The quad band mobile handset is compatible with all the frequencies illustrated above. The Tri band latest mobile phones work operate on 800MHz, 900MHz & 1800MHz frequency bands, which would mean,that it will work in only those countries which operates on those frequency bands. A Dual band mobile operates on 800 MHz & 1900 MHz. Therefore, your choice of the compatible mobile handset will depend on the countries that you visit frequently.
With North the united states & Canada operating on 850MHz & 1900MHz bands, it sets them apart from the rest of the world, which would mean that incase you’re travelling abroad & even if you have a GSM mobile handset, it is likely that you wont be able to operate that handset outside North the united states & Canada.
GSM phones are not only capable of voice transmission, but it allows Short Messaging method (SMS) & also supports General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), which is basically a data service obtainable to GSM phone users. GPRS is a technology in between the second (2G) & the third (3G) generations of mobile telephony. It uses the unused Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) communication channels in the GSM network to transmit data at a moderate speed. As GSM evolved, it retained the backward compatibility. GPRS is an example, where packet data capabilities were added to the consequent releases of GSM technology. In some countries, GSM offers Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE). sometimes it is called Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS). This technology allows the use of enhanced data rates with reliability in transmission. EDGE has been introduced in GSM network since 2003, at first in North the united states.
GSM phones work with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. A SIM card is of the size of a postage stamp & is essentially the brain behind all features that are obtainable to a subscriber through the GSM network. The SIM card, as the name implies, holds your personal identification number & identifies you with the network as you switch on your mobile. it is a microprocessor unit with memories, capable of holding your details including your personal data, such as the telephone numbers that you usually use frequently. it is this SIM card that enables the downloading of your favourite picture, MP3 songs, & video from the net in to your handset.
GSM mobile phones are at times are SIM locked. This would mean that you cannot operate that handset with any other SIM card other than the four which came along with the handset. When you sign a contract with a service provider for a mobile connectivity, you may have signed that contract with a clause that you agree to stay with the service provider for a period of time, which is usually four year. With such a contract, the service provider gives you a GSM phone free of cost & it is SIM locked. You can only use the SIM card sent by the service provider. With any other SIM card the phone wouldn’t work. After the contract is over, the service provider helps you to unlocked mobile phones & you’re then at liberty to select any SIM card for your handset.
GSM offers its subscribers the ‘roaming’ facility. When you’re travelling abroad, you can take your GSM phone with you on roaming mode & you can use your handset to communicate with your business associates, locally & abroad, your friends & your relatives back home. But you want to know that this roaming feature has an added charge on top of your outgoing call charges. This charge is also levied on your incoming calls when you’re on roaming.
Mobile phones are obtainable on rent & pre-paid SIM cards are obtainable for specific countries, where you receive a local number of that country & you do not pay for your incoming calls, unlike roaming. You can save up-to 80% of your call charges & you do not get any bill at the end of the month.
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