GSM Vs CDMA - A Comparative Study

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GSM Vs CDMA - A Comparative Study: Introduction

The world's first cellular networks1 introduced in the early 1990s, used analog2 radio transmission technologies. Within a few years, millions of subscribers signed up for service provided by the cellular networks, and demanded more and more airtime3. As a result, dropped calls and network busy signals became common in many areas. To accommodate more calls within the limited amount of radio spectrum4 available, the industry developed a digital5 wireless technology called GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication). Today, most of the cellular phones in the world, outside the U.S., use GSM technology. GSM, one of the oldest technologies used by the cellular industry, is considered to be very dependable technology. By the beginning of the 21st century, one billion cellular phones used this technology. GSM has always grown and adapted to the changing needs of customers. The number of GSM subscribers has increased over the years, with around 160 million new customers added in 2002 alone.

From 1997 to 2003, the number of GSM customers increased 10 times. GSM, which is continuously evolving at a rapid pace, provides several voice and data enabled services.

But just as GSM was being standardized, an even better solution for mobile communication⁶ was found in another technology called CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). CDMA, a digital wireless technology, was pioneered and commercially developed by Qualcomm.⁷ In CDMA there is no division of the frequency band.⁸ The same frequency band is used repeatedly, and hence it is also called Spread spectrum. CDMA was commercially introduced in 1995. In 2003, CDMA became one of the fastest evolving technologies. In 1999, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)⁹ selected CDMA as the industry standard for new "third-generation" 3G; (Refer Exhibit-I for 3G) wireless systems. CDMA provides clear, reliable voice communication and good data services. Many leading wireless companies are using or are switching over to CDMA to make use of its high speed services.

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1] A network that supports mobile communication, and is divided into sells each one having a base station. The base station supports broadcast communication within the cell.
2] A way of transmitting data by which information is encoded into radio waves. Analog networks have limited call carrying capacity.
3] The actual time spent using a wireless phone.
4] The entire spectrum of frequencies used for communications---includes frequencies used for radio, radar and television.
5] A way of transmitting data by which information is encoded into zeroes and ones.
6] Wireless telecommunication is divided into mobile communication and fixed wireless communication. Mobile communication provides roaming facilities to users when they are outside their home.
7] Founded in 1985, it pioneered CDMA. It is headquartered in San Diego and has several branches worldwide.
8] A band of adjacent radio frequencies (for example, the frequencies assigned for transmitting radio and television signals).
9] A United Nations agency headquartered in Geneva. It promotes the development of telecommunication services worldwide and oversees the global allocation of spectrum for future users.

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