A comparative Study of Gsm and Cdma technology

DECLARATION

I “ GAURAV DAWER” Student of MBA IV semester, SACHDEVA

INSTITUE OF TECHNOLOGY farah, mathura, session 2006-2008 Roll

No.0612670019 hereby declare that Research Project Report entitled “A

COPARATIVE STUDY OF GSM AND CDMA TECHNOLOGY” is the

outcome of my own work and the same has not been submitted to any

university/institution for the award of any degree or professional diploma.

Date: Gaurav Dawer

Place: MBA Final Year

SIT, Mathura

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………………………………….

OVERVIEW……………………………………………….

INTRODUCTION OF CDMA AND GSM TECHNOLOGY………………….

HISTORY OF GSM………………………………………

HISTORY OF CDMA…………………………….

GSM VS CDMA………………………………..

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY…………………………

FINDING………………………………………….

LIMITATIONS………………….

QUESTIONAIRE………………..

I am honored to present this Dissertation titled “A comparative Study of GSM and

CDMA technology” on account of partial fulfillment of Master of Business

Administration program (M.B.A).

For The Successful Completion Of The Project Report, I Owe A Great Deal To Many

People.

I Would Like To Pay My Special Thanks To Mrs Ekta Rao ( HOD MBA) And My

Project Guide Mrs Mitali Chaturvedi .I Express My Sincere Thanks To All Respondents

Who Filled Up The Questionnaire Because Of Them Only This Report has been made

possible.

Gaurav Dawer

The mobile industry in India is divided between the two technologies GSM

and CDMA. While the earlier service providers had adopted the GSM

technology, the new players have been using CDMA technology and have

notched up a significant share of the Indian market. Hence any discussion on

Mobile Forensics need to take into account the presence of the two

technologies.

It is necessary for us to understand the basic differentiation of the two

technologies as they may have an impact on the Forensics. An attempt is

made here to present the fundamental technical aspects about the two

systems.

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications and CDMA

stands for Code Division Multiple Access. They represent different systems

of sharing of the radio spectrum for communication.

Normally the radio spectrum can be shared by different users accessing the

same frequency band without causing interference. The techniques used for

this are  TDMA (Time division multiple access), FDMA (Frequency

division multiple access) and CDMA (Code division multiple access).

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is a form of

multiplexing, which divides the available bandwidth among the different

channels.

GSM is a combination of Time and Frequency-Division Multiple Access

(TDMA/FDMA). The FDMA part involves the division by frequency of the

(maximum) 25 MHz bandwidth into 124 carrier frequencies spaced 200 kHz

apart. Each of these carrier frequencies is then divided in time, using a

TDMA scheme. The fundamental unit of time in this TDMA scheme is

called a burst period and it lasts 15/26 ms (or approx. 0.577 ms). Eight burst

periods are grouped into a TDMA frame (120/26 ms, or approx. 4.615 ms),

which forms the basic unit for the definition of logical channels. One

physical channel is one burst period per TDMA frame. Thus GSM allows

eight simultaneous calls on the same radio frequency.

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) is a form of multiplexing (access

to the same resource will be given to more than one user),which allows the

use of a particular frequency for a number of signals, optimizing the use of

available bandwidth. It is a cellular technology that uses spread-spectrum

techniques. In CDMA technology every channel uses the full available

spectrum. Individual conversations are encoded with a pseudo-random

digitalsequence.

CDMA employs analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) in combination with

spread spectrum technology. Audio input is first digitized (ADC) into binary

elements. The frequency of the transmitted signal is then made to vary

according to a defined pattern (code), so it can be intercepted only by a

receiver whose frequency response is programmed with the same code, so it

follows exactly along with the transmitter frequency. There are trillions of

possible frequency-sequencing codes; this enhances privacy and makes

cloning difficult. The technology is used in ultra-high-frequency (UHF)

cellular telephone systems in the 800-MHz and 1.9-GHz bands.

GSM was first introduced in 1991 and until recently before the

establishment of CDMA networks, GSM was the only mobile

communication system present in the market. CDMA was first used during

World War II by the English allies to foil German attempts at jamming

transmissions. The allies decided to transmit over several frequencies,

instead of one, making it difficult for the Germans to pick up the complete

signal.

Since bandwidth is the major problem in the modern times the CDMA has a

very clear advantage over the GSM in these terms. The number of

channels(users) that can be allocated in a given bandwidth is comparatively

higher for CDMA than for GSM. The cost of setting up a CDMA network is

also comparatively less than the GSM network. Due to these advantages

there is high probability that CDMA technology will dominate the future of

mobile communications.

The technologies are normally evaluated on the following three parameters

namely the data transmission capacity, security and radiation levels.

Following table indicates the data transmission of different technologies.:

Cellular

technologyGeneration

Data transmission

capacity

GSM 2G 56 Kps

CDMA (IS-95B) 2.5G 64 Kps - 140 Kps

CDMA 2000 3G 2 MBps

The idea of technology with superior security is not a new one. In 1935, a

Russian researcher Dmitrii Vasilevich AGEEV, published his book "The

basics of linery selection theory", where he explained the concept of coding

the signals. After the WWII, Soviet and American military communication

systems started to use the concept very widely because of many valuable

advantages of the system. The origin concept of CDMA scheme was

recommended by QUALCOMM (the famous communication provider in the

US and worldwide), however Korean research institute, ETRI and

companies like Hyundai, LG, and Samsung performed its realization for the

first time in the world in 1995. As of today many countries have accepted it

as a national standard of mobile communication and worldwide number of

CDMA subscribers has climbed to over 100 million.

As already explained, CDMA uses a radically different approach to what

GSM does. It assigns a unique "code" to put multiple users on the same

wideband channel at the same time. The codes so-called "pseudo-random

code sequence" is used by both the mobile station (handset) and the base

station to distinguish between conversations. This gives a greater level of

privacy and security to the communication.

As far as radiation level concerned, CDMA is the most harmless one among

all existing technologies. Of course, it transmits microwaves while on

standby mode, like other technologies do. However, CDMA technology

checks 800 times per second its transmission level. Therefore, radiation level

is 10 times less than GSM.  Another important thing to point out is that

CDMA system transmits signals only when the user starts conversation.

Simply saying, when you're listening the other ends conversation, you are

not affected by microwave as the speaking person does.

It appears that CDMA would be the dominating technology in future and

Mobile Forensics has to gear itself to the requirements of the CDMA

technology.

In Cellular Service There Are Two Main Competing Network Technologies: Global

System For Mobile Communications (GSM) And Code Division Multiple Access

(CDMA). Cellular Carriers Including Sprint PCS, Cingular Wireless, Verizon And T-

Mobile Use One Or The Other. Understanding The Difference Between GSM And

CDMA Will Allow You To Choose A Carrier That Uses The Preferable Network

Technology For Your Needs.

The GSM Association Is An International Organization Founded In 1987, Dedicated To

Providing, Developing, And Overseeing The Worldwide Wireless Standard Of GSM.

CDMA, A Proprietary Standard Designed By Qualcomm In The United States, Has Been

The Dominant Network Standard For North America And Parts Of Asia. However, GSM

Networks Continue To Make Inroads In The United States, As CDMA Networks Make

Progress In Other Parts Of The World. There Are Camps On Both Sides That Firmly

Believe Either GSM Or CDMA Architecture Is Superior To The Other. That Said, To

The Non-Invested Consumer Who Simply Wants Bottom Line Information To Make A

Choice, The Following Considerations May Be Helpful.

Coverage: The most important factor is getting service in the areas you will be using

your phone. Upon viewing competitors' coverage maps you may discover that only GSM

or CDMA carriers offer cellular service in your area. If so, there is no decision to be

made, but most people will find that they do have a choice.

Data Transfer Speed: With the advent of cellular phones doing double and triple duty as

streaming video devices, podcast receivers and email devices, speed is important to those

who use the phone for more than making calls. CDMA has been traditionally faster than

GSM, though both technologies continue to rapidly leapfrog along this path. Both boast

"3G" standards, or 3rd generation technologies.

EVDO, also known as CDMA2000, is CDMA's answer to the need for speed with a

downstream rate of about 2 megabits per second, though some reports suggest real world

speeds are closer to 300-700 kilobits per second (kbps). This is comparable to basic DSL.

As of fall 2005, EVDO is in the process of being deployed. It is not available everywhere

and requires a phone that is CDMA2000 ready.

GSM's answer is EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), which boasts data

rates of up to 384 kbps with real world speeds reported closer to 70-140 kbps. With

added technologies still in the works that include UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone

Standard) and HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), speeds reportedly

increase to about 275-380 kbps. This technology is also known as W-CDMA, but is

incompatible with CDMA networks. An EDGE-ready phone is required.

In the case of EVDO, theoretical high traffic can degrade speed and performance, while

the EDGE network is more susceptible to interference. Both require being within close

range of a cell to get the best speeds, while performance decreases with distance.

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards: In the United States only GSM phones use

SIM cards. The removable SIM card allows phones to be instantly activated,

interchanged, swapped out and upgraded, all without carrier intervention. The SIM itself

is tied to the network, rather than the actual phone. Phones that are card-enabled can be

used with any GSM carrier.

The CDMA equivalent, a R-UIM card, is only available in parts of Asia but remains on

the horizon for the U.S. market. CDMA carriers in the U.S. require proprietary handsets

that are linked to one carrier only and are not card-enabled. To upgrade a CDMA phone,

the carrier must deactivate the old phone then activate the new one. The old phone

becomes useless.

Roaming: For the most part, both networks have fairly concentrated coverage in major

cities and along major highways. GSM carriers, however, have roaming contracts with

other GSM carriers, allowing wider coverage of more rural areas, generally speaking,

often without roaming charges to the customer. CDMA networks may not cover rural

areas as well as GSM carriers, and though they may contract with GSM cells for roaming

in more rural areas, the charge to the customer will generally be significantly higher.

International Roaming: If you need to make calls to other countries, a GSM carrier can

offer international roaming, as GSM networks dominate the world market. If you travel

to other countries you can even use your GSM cell phone abroad, providing it is a quad-

band phone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz). By purchasing a SIM card with minutes and a

local number in the country you are visiting, you can make calls against the card to save

yourself international roaming charges from your carrier back home. CDMA phones that

are not card-enabled do not have this capability.

According CDG.org, CDMA networks support over 270 million subscribers worldwide,

while GSM.org tallies up their score at over 1 billion. As CDMA phones become R-UIM

enabled and roaming contracts between networks improve, integration of the standards

might eventually make differences all but transparent to the consumer.

The chief GSM carriers in the United States are Cingular Wireless, recently merged with

AT&T Wireless, and T-Mobile USA. Major CDMA carriers are Sprint PCS, Verizon and

Virgin Mobile. There are also several smaller cellular companies on both networks.

Throughout the evolution of cellular telecommunications, various systems were

developed without the benefit of standardized specifications. This presented many

problems directly related to compatibility, especially with the development of digital

radio technology. In 1982, The GSM group ("Groupe Spécial Mobile" (French) 1, 2, 3

and 4) was formed to address these problems. The name of the system comes from the

name of this group, though later the decision was made to keep the initials but to change

what they stood for. Originally the group was hosted by CEPT.

From 1982 to 1985 discussions were held to decide between building an analog or digital

system. After multiple field tests, a digital system was adopted for GSM. The next task

was to decide between a narrow or broadband solution. In May 1987, the narrowband

time division multiple access (TDMA) solution was

Choosen.

The technical fundamentals of the GSM system were defined in 1987. In 1989, ETSI took

over control and by 1990 the first GSM specification was completed, amounting to over

6,000 pages of text. Commercial operation began in 1991 with Radiolinja in finland.

In 1998, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) was formed. Originally it was

intended only to produce the specifications of the next (third, 3G) generation of mobile

networks. However, 3GPP also took over the maintenance and development of the GSM

specification. ETSI is a partner in 3GPP.

GSM provides recommendations, not requirements. The GSM specifications define the

functions and interface requirements in detail but do not address the hardware. The

reason for this is to not limit the designers yet still make it possible for the operators to

buy equipment from different suppliers.

GSM BASED STASTION

MARKET SITUATION

More than 1.6 billion people use GSM phones as of 2005, making GSM the dominant

mobile phone system worldwide with about 70% of the world's market. The countries of

the European Union passed legislation mandating the use of the European-originated

GSM (and its 3G successors) as the single mobile phone system in their countries in

order to maximize interoperability. This gave the system a solid base for expansion to

other countries, as users in other countries who wish to roam in Europe have to use GSM.

GSM dominates across Europe, Russia, Africa, and the Middle East, and has a presence

in nearly every country. GSM's main competitor, cdmaOne, is used primarily in North

America, South America, and Asia. [2] [3]. cdmaOne also benefited from increased radio

spectrum efficiencies as compared to the more common GSM networks. Roaming with

GSM phones can be better, especially internationally, as GSM is widely supported.

However, just as with competing technologies GSM roaming can be degraded or

impossible due to incompatible frequency allocations or business issues.

Another major reason for the growth in GSM usage, particularly between 1998 to 2002,

was the availability of prepaid calling from mobile phone operators. This allows people

who are either unable or unwilling to enter into a contract with an operator to have

mobile phones. For example, students and teenagers can get a prepaid account which they

can manage themselves without needing a parent to manage and sign for a contracted

account. It also allows some operators to offer solutions for low-frequency users who are

likely to choose prepaid accounts rather than the cheapest non-prepaid accounts since the

latter still costs more. Prepaid also enabled the rapid expansion of GSM in many

developing countries where large sections of the population do not have access to banks

or bank accounts and countries where there are no effective credit rating agencies. (In

many developed countries, starting a non-prepaid contract with a cellular phone operator

is almost always subject to credit verification through personal information provided by

credit rating agencies).

GSM was also the first to have SMS text messaging which proved extremely popular

with the teenage market.

The largest North American GSM carrier (also the largest North American phone

operator) is Cingular Wireless, which acquired AT&T Wireless in the fall of 2004. Other

North American GSM carriers include T-Mobile USA, Cincinnati Bell Wireless and

Rogers Wireless.

RADIO INTERFACE

GSM is a cellular network, which means that mobile phones connect to it by searching

for cells in the immediate vicinity. GSM networks operate at various different radio

frequencies. Most GSM networks operate in the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz bands. Some

networks in parts of the Americas (including the USA and Canada) that operate in the

850 MHz or 1900 MHz bands because the 900 and 1800MHz frequency bands were

already allocated. An even smaller number of areas use the 400 and 450MHz frequency

bands. Because of this proliferation of bands, there is no single phone sold that can work

at full capabilities on all GSM systems in the world.

In the 900 MHz band the uplink frequency band is 890-915 MHz, and the downlink

frequency band is 935-960 MHz. This 25 MHz bandwidth is subdivided into 124 carrier

frequency channels, each spaced 200 kHz apart. Time division multiplexing is used to

allow eight speech channels per Radio frequency channel. There are eight burst periods

grouped into what is called a TDMA frame. The channel data rate is 270.833 kb/s, and

the frame duration is 4.615 ms.

The transmission power in the handset is limited to a maximum of 2 watts in

GSM850/900 and 1 watt in GSM1800/1900.

GSM uses linear predictive coding (LPC). The purpose of LPC is to reduce the bit rate.

The LPC provides parameters for a filter that mimics the vocal tract. The signal passes

through this filter, leaving behind a residual signal. Speech is encoded at 13 kbps.

There are four different cell sizes in a GSM network - macro, micro, pico and umbrella

cells. The coverage area of each cell varies according to the implementation environment.

Macro cells can be regarded as cells where the base station antenna is installed on a mast

or a building above average roof top level. Micro cells are cells whose antenna height is

under average roof top level; they are typically used in urban areas. Picocells are small

cells whose diameter is a few dozen meters; they are mainly used indoors. On the other

hand, umbrella cells are used to cover shadowed regions of smaller cells and fill in gaps

in coverage between those cells.

Cell radius varies depending on antenna height, antenna gain and propagation conditions

from a couple of hundred meters to several tens of kilometers. The longest distance the

GSM specification supports in practical use is 35 km or 22 miles. There are also several

implementations of the concept of an extended cell, where the cell radius could be double

or even more, depending on the antenna system, the type of terrain and the timing

advance.

Indoor coverage is also supported by GSM and may be achieved by using an indoor

picocell base station, or an indoor repeater with distributed indoor antennas fed through

power splitters, to deliver the radio signals from an antenna outdoors to the separate

indoor distributed antenna system. These are typically deployed when a lot of call

capacity is needed indoors, for example in shopping centers or airports. However, this is

not a pre-requisite, since indoor coverage is also provided by in-building penetration of

the radio signals from nearby cells.

The modulation used in GSM is Gaussian minimum shift keying (GMSK), a kind of

continuous-phase frequency shift keying. In GMSK, the signal to be modulated onto the

carrier is first smoothened with a Gaussian low-pass filter prior to being fed to a

frequency modulator, which greatly reduces the interference to neighboring channels

(adjacent channel interference.

Network structure

GSM NETWORK STRUCTURE

The network behind the GSM system seen by the customer is large and complicated in order to

provide all of the services which are required. It is divided into a number of sections and these

are each covered in separate articles.

the Base Station Subsystem (the base stations and their controllers).

the Network and Switching Subsystem (the part of the network most similar to a fixed

network). This is sometimes also just called the core network.

the GPRS Core Network (the optional part which allows packet based Internet

connections).

all of the elements in the system combine to produce many GSM services such as voice

calls and SMS.

SIM(Subscriber Identity Module )

One of the key features of GSM is the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), commonly known as

a SIM card. The SIM is a detachable smartcard containing the user's subscription information

and phonebook. This allows the user to retain his information after switching handsets.

Alternatively, the user can also change operators while retaining the handset simply by

changing the SIM. Some operators will block this by allowing the phone to use only a single

SIM, or only a SIM issued by them; this practice is known as SIM locking, and is illegal in

some countries.

In the U.S., Europe and Australia, many operators lock the mobiles they sell. This is done

because the price of the mobile phone is typically subsidised with revenue from subscriptions

and operators want to try to avoid subsidising competitor's mobiles. A subscriber can usually

contact the provider to remove the lock for a fee, utilize private services to remove the lock, or

make use of ample software and websites available on the Internet to unlock the handset

themselves. It is important to notice that the locking is done to the handset only, and not to the

account. It is always possible to switch to another (non-locked) handset.

Some providers in the USA and Europe, such as T-Mobile, Cingular and the three French

Operators, will unlock the phone for free if the customer has held an account for a certain

period. Third party unlocking services exist that are often quicker and lower cost than that of

the operator. In most countries removing the lock is legal.

A curious exception to this rule is Belgium, where all phones are sold unlocked. However, it is

unlawful for operators there to offer any form of subsidy on the phone's price. This was also

the case in Finland until April the 1st 2006, when selling subsided combinations of handsets

and accounts became legal. It is still to be seen if there will be SIM locked phones on the

market.

GSM SECURITY

GSM was designed with a moderate level of security. The system was designed to authenticate

the subscriber using shared-secret cryptography. Communications between the subscriber and

the base station can be encrypted. The development of UMTS introduces an optional USIM,

that uses a longer authentication key to give greater security, as well as mutually authenticating

the network and the user - whereas GSM only authenticated the user to the network (and not

vice versa). The security model therefore offers confidentiality and authentication, but limited

authorization capabilities, and no non-repudiation

GSM uses several cryptographic algorithms for security. The A5/1 and A5/2 stream ciphers are

used for ensuring over-the-air voice privacy. A5/1 was developed first and is a stronger

algorithm used within Europe and the United States; A5/2 is weaker and used in other

countries. A large security advantage of GSM over earlier systems is that the Ki, the crypto

variable stored on the SIM card that is the key to any GSM ciphering algorithm, is never sent

over the air interface. Serious weaknesses have been found in both algorithms, and it is

possible to break A5/2 in real-time in a ciphertext-only attack. The system supports multiple

algorithms so operators may replace that cipher with a stronger one

PATENT ISSUES

In 2005, a number of companies (including Cisco Systems and Ericsson) were sued for

infringement of U.S. Patent No. 5,561,706 for offering products alleged to be compliant with

the GSM 3.60 standard.

SATELLITE ISSUES

GSM also uses various satellites to redirect the voice and data packets to users across different

countries, because it would be virtually impossible to connect instantly to a GSM phone

located in parts of the world where they don't have a high speed wired network.

The world is demanding more from wireless communication technologies than ever before as

more people around the world are subscribing to wireless. Add in exciting Third-Generation

(3G) wireless data services and applications - such as wireless email, web, digital picture

taking/sending, assisted-GPS position location applications, video and audio streaming and TV

broadcasting - and wireless networks are doing much more than just a few years ago.

This is where CDMA technology fits in. CDMA consistently provides better capacity for voice

and data communications than other commercial mobile technologies, allowing more

subscribers to connect at any given time, and it is the common platform on which 3G

technologies are built.

CDMA is a "spread spectrum" technology, allowing many users to occupy the same time and

frequency allocations in a given band/space. As its name implies, CDMA (Code Division

Multiple Access) assigns

unique codes to each communication to differentiate it from others in the same spectrum. In a

world of finite spectrum resources, CDMA enables many more people to share the airwaves at

the same time than do alternative technologies.

The CDMA air interface is used in both 2G and 3G networks. 2G CDMA standards are

branded cdmaOne and include IS-95A and IS-95B. CDMA is the foundation for 3G services:

the two dominant IMT-2000 standards, CDMA2000 and WCDMA, are based on CDMA.

cdmaOne: The Family of IS-95 CDMA Technologies

cdmaOne describes a complete wireless system based on the TIA/EIA IS-95 CDMA standard,

including IS-95A and IS-95B revisions. It represents the end-to-end wireless system and all the

necessary specifications that govern its operation. cdmaOne provides a family of related

services including cellular, PCS and fixed wireless (wireless local loop).

CDMA2000: Leading the 3G revolution

CDMA2000 represents a family of ITU-approved, IMT-2000 (3G) standards and includes

CDMA2000 1X and CDMA2000 1xEV technologies. They deliver increased network capacity

to meet growing demand for wireless services and high-speed data services. CDMA2000 1X

was the world's first 3G technology commercially deployed (October 2000).

CDMA Deployments

CDMA is the fastest growing wireless technology and it will continue to grow at a faster pace

than any other technology. It is the platform on which 2G and 3G advanced services are built.

A number of different terms are used to refer to CDMA implementations. The original standard

spearheaded by QUALCOMM was known as IS-95, the IS referring to an Interim Standard of

the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). IS-95 is often referred to as 2G or second

generation cellular. The QUALCOMM brand name cdmaOne may also be used to refer to the

2G CDMA standard

After a couple of revisions, IS-95 was superseded by the IS-2000 standard. This standard was

introduced to meet some of the criteria laid out in the IMT-2000 specification for 3G, or third

generation, cellular. It is also referred to as 1xRTT which simply means "1 times Radio

Transmission Technology" and indicates that IS-2000 uses the same 1.25-MHz shared channel

as the original IS-95 standard. A related scheme called 3xRTT uses three 1.25-MHz carriers

for a 3.75-MHz bandwidth that would allow higher data burst rates for an individual user, but

the 3xRTT scheme has not been commercially deployed. More recently, QUALCOMM has led

the creation of a new CDMA-based technology called 1xEV-DO, or IS-856, which provides

the higher packet data transmission rates required by IMT-2000 and desired by wireless

network operators.

The QUALCOMM CDMA system includes highly accurate time signals (usually referenced to

a GPS receiver in the cell base station), so cell phone CDMA-based clocks are an increasingly

popular type of radio clock for use in computer networks. The main advantage of using CDMA

cell phone signals for reference clock purposes is that they work better inside buildings, thus

often eliminating the need to mount a GPS antenna on the outside of a building. Also

frequently confused with CDMA is W-CDMA. The CDMA technique is used as the principle

of the W-CDMA air interface, and the W-CDMA air interface is used in the global 3G standard

UMTS and the Japanese 3G standard FOMA, by NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone; however, the

CDMA family of standards (including cdmaOne and CDMA2000) are not compatible with the

W-CDMA family of standards

Another important application of CDMA—predating and entirely distinct from CDMA cellular

—is the Global Positioning System, GPS.

Coverage

As CDMA is newer than GSM, it may not be available in some parts of the world. However, as

the signal can be transmitted over greater distances, it may give reception in more remote or

rural areas where a GSM phone does not pick up a signal.

It's probably the understatement of the decade to say that cell phones have become the single

greatest tool in business. In today’s world the ability to communicate with business associates

while on the go is not just an advantage, it’s a necessity. And because of that, the choices we

make when choosing our handheld devices matter more than ever.

When it comes time to select a cell phone or smartphone, the major part of the evaluation we

make focuses on the features and benefits of the handset. Does it provide access to the Internet

and email? Does it contain an organizer that will sync with Outlook, so you can take your

scheduler, contacts, and information on the road? And most importantly, does it look slick?

But if you conduct a lot of your business on the road or internationally, the most important

decision you make regarding your service may not have anything at all to do with the features

we usually consider important for handhelds. Your choice of carrier and the technology it uses

for its network might make the difference between being productive or ending up out of area.

The Major Carrier Technologies

By now, you’ve probably heard all of the acronyms in the alphabet soup of carrier

technologies. The two major terms that pertain to cellular phone communication that you’re

likely to run into are GSM and CDMA, the two major technologies service providers use to

carry voice signals across the network. But what are they and why do they matter? Well, for

starters, let’s define the terms.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). GSM is the “branded” term referring to

a particular use of TDMA (Time-Division Multiple Access) technology. GSM is the dominant

technology used around the globe and is available in more than 100 countries. It is the standard

for communication for most of Asia and Europe. GSM operates on four separate frequencies:

You’ll find the 900MHz and 1,800MHz bands in Europe and Asia and the 850MHz and

1,900MHz (sometimes referred to as 1.9GHz) bands in North America and Latin America.

GSM allows for eight simultaneous calls on the same radio frequency and uses “narrowband”

TDMA, the technology that enables digital transmissions between a mobile phone and a base

station. With TDMA the frequency band is divided into multiple channels which are then

stacked together into a single stream, hence the term narrowband. This technology allows

several callers to share the same channel at the same time.

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). CDMA takes an entirely different approach from

GSM/TDMA. CDMA spreads data out over the channel after the channel is digitized. Multiple

calls can then be overlaid on top of one another across the entire channel, with each assigned

its own “sequence code” to keep the signal distinct. CDMA offers more efficient use of an

analog transmission because it allows greater frequency reuse, as well as increasing battery

life, improving the rate of dropped calls, and offering far greater security than GSM/TDMA.

For this reason CDMA has strong support from experts who favor widespread development of

CDMA networks across the globe. Currently, you will find CDMA mostly in the United States,

Canada, and North and South Korea. (As an interesting aside, CDMA was actually invented for

the military during World War II for field communications.)

The cellular showdown: CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) vs. GSM (Global

System for Mobile Communications).

Because you can find GSM and CDMA in use all across the United States, it might seem at

first that it really doesn’t matter which technology you choose. This is not so. When you travel

abroad, the likelihood that you will reach areas that do not have digital service is quite high.

Anytime you travel between offices via car, train, or bus you will pass through rural and

suburban areas that only offer analog access. Most CDMA cell phones include analog

capability (also known as roaming), so a user can make calls when he is not in a digital cellular

service area. GSM phones usually don’t offer this capability unless you purchase and use a

specialty (read: expensive) handset. Of course in most of Asia and in Europe, this is not a

problem because digital service is available almost everywhere you turn. This does become an

issue for users in North America, however, because digital service is rarely available there.

Another difference between GSM and CDMA is in the data transfer methods. GSM’s high-

speed wireless data technology, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), usually offers a slower

data bandwidth for wireless data connection than CDMA’s high-speed technology (1xRTT,

short for single carrier radio transmission technology), which has the capability of providing

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)-like speeds of as much as 144Kbps (kilobits per

second). However, 1xRTT requires a dedicated connection to the network for use, whereas

GPRS sends in packets, which means that data calls made on a GSM handset don’t block out

voice calls like they do on CDMA phones.

GSM’s real benefit for domestic business use is in its SIM (subscriber identity module) card,

the onboard memory device that identifies a user and stores all of his information on the

handheld. You can swap GSM SIM cards between handsets when a new one is necessary,

which enables you to carry all of your contact and calendar information over to a new handset

with no hassle.

CDMA operators answer this flexibility with their own service that stores user data, including

phone book and scheduler information, on the operator’s database. This service makes it

possible to not only swap over to a new handset with little trouble, but it also gives users the

ability to recover contact date even if their phone is lost or stolen. (This isn’t much of

possibility with GSM, of course, because if you lose your cell phone, your SIM card is lost, as

well.) There are devices on the market you can use to back up you SIM, but these items cost

extra and add a secondary step to safeguarding your data.

Overall, for the strictly domestic business user, CDMA-based handhelds provide more access

in more places, as well as faster data calls and greater ease of transition to new handsets. GSM

phones will better provide hybrid voice and data use (although you cannot use both at the

same time; using the data service won’t block an incoming voice call).

International Use

Where international business travel is an issue, GSM leaps forward in the race for the title of

“Most Accessible.” Because GSM is used in more than 74% of the markets across the globe,

users of tri-band or quad-band handsets can travel to Europe, India, and most of Asia and still

use their cell phones. CDMA offers no multiband capability, however, and therefore you can’t

readily use it in multiple countries.

Unfortunately, the 850MHz/1,900MHz GSM phone you may use in the United States is not

compatible with international standards. If you live in the United States and need to have cell

phone access when you travel overseas, you need to invest in a tri-band or quad-band GSM

phone, or even a multiple-mode phone (which we cover later). Either of these types of phones

will let you use your phone while in the United States and overseas without having to change

handsets. You will, however, need to obtain a SIM card that works overseas. If you need a

prepaid SIM card for your GSM phone, check out Telestial.com.

Although you must interact with the SIM card by removing and replacing it, the switching of

bands and modes happens automatically when you enter the covered area. Oftentimes

handsets come with a default mode set to the band they will most likely use. For instance,

phones sold in the United States will default to the frequencies used here, so the phones will

attempt to connect to this frequency and technology first. If your phone cannot make a

connection, it will automatically begin searching out the appropriate frequency and

technology until it finds one it can connect to.

The Best Of Both Worlds

If you travel often, it might be a worthwhile investment to purchase a dual-mode or tri-mode

handset. Note that multiple band and multiple mode are different terms. Multiple-band phones

offer the capability to switch between bands, while multiple-mode phones offer connectivity

to networks based on different technologies. Although expensive, these handsets allow

maximum flexibility for the international business traveler.

You can move the SIM (subscriber identity module) of a GSM-based

phone to any other GSM-based phone, making GSM the optimal choice for

international travelers who need connectivity.

You can find dual-mode and tri-mode phones, but before you buy, check to see

whichmodes the phone actually connects. The term “tri-mode” can be deceptive. In most

cases it will mean that a handset can support two digital technologies, such as CDMA and

TDMA, as well as analog. In this case the handset is considered to be a true tri-mode

phone.

However, there are manufacturers who advertise tri-mode phones that are actually dual-

mode phones that connect to GSM and analog networks, only the GSM has multiple-band

support for transport between the United States and Europe or Asia. These phones are, by

the very loosest sense of the term, tri-mode, but they won’t fulfill your need to connect to

CDMA and GSM networks if that’s what you need to do.

Technology In Practice

Because there is no true international standard for wireless technology, GSM/TDMA and

CDMA networks have grown across North America, leaving users to decide for

themselves which features and connection options they need. This has produced an

interesting effect on the transmission of these signals.

In cities and densely populated areas, there are often high concentrations of GSM and

CDMA connection bases. In theory, GSM and CDMA are invisible to one another and

should “play nice” with one another. In practice, however, this is not the case. High-

powered CDMA signals have raised the “noise floor” for GSM receivers, meaning there

is less space within the available band to send a clean signal. This sometimes results in

dropped calls in areas where there is a high concentration of CDMA technology.

Conversely, high-powered GSM signals have been shown to cause overloading and

jamming of CDMA receivers due to CDMA’s reliance upon broadcasting across its entire

available band.

The result of this little cross-broadcasting joust has led some cities to pass ordinances

limiting the space between cell towers or the height they can reach, giving one

technology a distinct advantage over the other. This is something to note when choosing

a wireless provider. The distance between towers will severely affect connectivity for

GSM-based phones because the phones need constant access to the tower’s narrow band

broadcasting.

Unlock Your GSM Phone

The good news: Any GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)-based phone

can work with any SIM (subscriber identity module) card. The bad news: Some service

providers “lock” their phones, so users of the phones can only use the provider’s service.

If your phone is locked, you can’t use it with any other service provider locally or

overseas. However, there is hope: You may be able to unlock the phone using a special

code. It is not very likely that your provider will give you this information, but you may

be able to find resources on the Web that will help. Some are free, while some charge a

small fee for the information. The important thing is to know if your phone is locked

before buying an international SIM card.

CDMA: stands for Code Division Multiple Access. Both data and voice are separated

from signals using codes and then transmited using a wide frequency range. Because of

this, there are more space left for data transfer (this was one of the reasons why CDMA is

the prefered technology for the 3G generation, which is broadband access and the use of

big multimedia messages). 14% of the worldwide market goes to CDMA. For the 3G

generation CDMA uses 1x EV-DO and EV-DV. It has a lot of users in Asia, specially in

South Korea.

GSM: stands for Global System Mobile. Even though it is sold as "the latest technology"

in several countries, this technology is older than CDMA (and also TDMA). But keep in

mind that this doesn't mean that GSM is inferior or worse than CDMA. Roaming

readiness and fraud prevention are two major advantages from this technology. GSM is

the most used cell phone technology in the world, with 73% of the worldwide market. It

has a very strong presence in Europe.

TDMA technology is the less used from the three main digital technologies (GSM,

CDMA and TDMA) and we think it will gradually be replaced to CDMA or GSM. That's

why the GSM vs CDMA war. At one corner, GSM operators say it is better "because it

uses a SIM chip, it is the most used technology worldwide, it is more secure and it is

more advanced". On the other corner, CDMA followers say it is better "because it is the

3G generation chosen technology and GSM will migrate to CDMA since CDMA is more

advanced..."

But which one of these statements are correct? Acordingly to Nokia, "this discussion is

not about technology anymore, but about market". We think this is the best way to

describe the war between these two cell phone technologies.

In the beginning, GSM was in fact superior. It had more services and allowed more data

transfer. But CDMA, facing the advantages of the competitor standard, soon delivered

the same features found on GSM. Nowadays, it is not possible to say that GSM services

are better than CDMA. Multimedia messages, video, high-speed Internet access, digital

camera and even PDA function are some of the features we can found on both

technologies. The new CDMA 1XRTT technology, which previews what G3 cell phones

will bring, is more advanced than EDGE, technology from the beginning of 3G

generation, allowing higher transfer rates.

Even the GSM SIM card advantage, that allows you to change your cell phone and keep

your phone list, is being surplaced by some CDMA operators with a service that allows

you to store your phone book on the operator's database, allowing you to recover your

phone book even if your cell phone is stolen (which is not possible with GSM, since if

your cell phone is stolen, your SIM card will be stolen together). Notice that recently a

new accessory called SIM backup was released, which allows you to backup the data

stored in your SIM card. Also some GSM operators are offering a similar backup service.

So, nowadays both technologies are equiparated in technology, but this picture won't be like that

in the future. Afterall, CDMA evolution ground is wider and in a few years it will be superior

than GSM. This means that GSM operators will disapear? Not at all. They will migrate over

CDMA and the war will continue, because the existing CDMA operators chose to use 1xEV-DO

and1XEV-DV technologies for their 3G network and the existing GSM operators have opted for

a different technology, called WCDMA. Also, even though the current GSM operators will

migrate to WCDMA, they still can use their existing GSM network. So users won't feel anything

special when the operators shift to the new cell generation (3G), independently from the

technology they choose.

GSM SERVICE PROVIDER:

Airtel

Hutch

Idea

Bsnl

Aircel

CDMA SERVICE PROVIDER

Reliance Communication

Tata Indicom

Types Of Research:

This Is Descripitve Research As This Research Includes Survey And Fact Finding

Enquries Of Differernt Kinds.So Descripitve Research Help In Knowing About Particular Item

Or Group Of Items In Other Words It Describes The State As Its Exists At Present.

Data Collected :

The Data Collected In This Research Is First Hand So If Primary Data.It Is Collected

Directory From The Respondent Through Questionaire.

Data Collection Method:

The Data Is Collected For Research Questionaire Method.A Questionaire Is Framed Then

Data Collected By Making It Fill By Different Respondent.

Data Collection Instrument :

It Is Closed Ended And Undisguised Questionaire .The Form Of Questions Are Closed

(That Is Of The Type “Yes Or No”).

Sample Size:

The Size Of A Sample Is 100.

Samples Technique:

Sampling Technique Used Is Judgement Sampling .As The Selection Sample Was

Done According To The Researcher Convenience.

Sample Unit:

From Resident of AGRA

Access the market size and determine the market potential of the target segments to

this had be done by simple random survey of the potential buyers and estimate the no.

Try to understand that what promotion activites appeal to the targeted customers.

Identify the strenght of the gsm and cdma technology.

In the same way identify the weakness of these technologies.

Build the main difference in the gsm and cdma technology.

CDMA: stands for Code Division Multiple Access. Both data and voice are separated from

signals using codes and then transmited using a wide frequency range. Because of this,

there are more space left for data transfer (this was one of the reasons why CDMA is

the prefered technology for the 3G generation, which is broadband access and the use of

big multimedia messages). 14% of the worldwide market goes to CDMA. For the 3G

generation CDMA uses 1x EV-DO and EV-DV. It has a lot of users in Asia, specially in

South Korea.

GSM: stands for Global System Mobile. Even though it is sold as "the latest technology" in

several countries, this technology is older than CDMA (and also TDMA). But keep in

mind that this doesn't mean that GSM is inferior or worse than CDMA. Roaming

readiness and fraud prevention are two major advantages from this technology. GSM is

the most used cell phone technology in the world, with 73% of the worldwide market. It

has a very strong presence in Europe.

TDMA technology is the less used from the three main digital technologies (GSM,

CDMA and TDMA) and we think it will gradually be replaced to CDMA or GSM. That's

why the GSM vs CDMA war. At one corner, GSM operators say it is better "because it

uses a SIM chip, it is the most used technology worldwide, it is more secure and it is

more advanced". On the other corner, CDMA followers say it is better "because it is the

3G generation chosen technology and GSM will migrate to CDMA since CDMA is more

advanced..."

But which one of these statements are correct? Acordingly to Nokia, "this discussion is

not about technology anymore, but about market". We think this is the best way to

describe the war between these two cell phone technologies.

In the beginning, GSM was in fact superior. It had more services and allowed more data

transfer. But CDMA, facing the advantages of the competitor standard, soon delivered

the same features found on GSM. Nowadays, it is not possible to say that GSM services

are better than CDMA. Multimedia messages, video, high-speed Internet access, digital

camera and even PDA function are some of the features we can found on both

technologies. The new CDMA 1XRTT technology, which previews what G3 cell phones

will bring, is more advanced than EDGE, technology from the beginning of 3G

generation, allowing higher transfer rates.

Even the GSM SIM card advantage, that allows you to change your cell phone and keep

your phone list, is being surplaced by some CDMA operators with a service that allows

you to store your phone book on the operator's database, allowing you to recover your

phone book even if your cell phone is stolen (which is not possible with GSM, since if

your cell phone is stolen, your SIM card will be stolen together). Notice that recently a

new accessory called SIM backup was released, which allows you to backup the data

stored in your SIM card. Also some GSM operators are offering a similar backup service.

So, nowadays both technologies are equiparated in technology, but this picture won't be

like that in the future. Afterall, CDMA evolution ground is wider and in a few years it

will be superior than GSM. This means that GSM operators will disapear? Not at all.

They will migrate over CDMA and the war will continue, because the existing CDMA

operators chose to use 1xEV-DO and 1XEV-DV technologies for their 3G network and

the existing GSM operators have opted for a different technology, called WCDMA. Also,

even though the current GSM operators will migrate to WCDMA, they still can use their

existing GSM network. So users won't feel anything special when the operators shift to

the new cell generation (3G), independently from the technology they choose.

AS THE TIME WAS LESS.SO THE SURVEY COULD NOT BE CONDUCTED IN

A LARGER AREA SO THERE WAS A TIME CONSTRAINT.

ALL THE FINDINGS ARE BASED ON THE RESPONSE GIVEN BY THE

RESPONDENT ,SO ANY FALSE INFORMATION GIVEN BY RESPONDENT

COULD MAKE THE RESULT WRONG.

SOME PEOPLE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO FILL UP THE

QUESTIONAIRE.

SOME PEOPLE WERE TOLERATING TO FILL UP THE QUESTIONAIRE AND

THEY WERE REACTING AS THE SURVEY IS CONDUCTED FOR FALSE

PURPOSE.

THERE WAS A LANGUAGE PROBLEM ALSO.

1. NAME OF USERS_______________________________________________________________

2. AGE_______________________________________________________________

3. OCCUPATION_______________________________________________________________

4. CONTACT DETAILS.

ADDRESS_____________________________________________________

E-MAIL_____________________________________________________

PH./MOBILE _____________________________________________________

5. WHICH TECHNOLOGY YOU PREFERED

GSM----- CDMA--------

6. WHAT INFLUENCE YOU FOR THE CHOOSE OF GSM/CDMA TECHNOLOGY

CALL RATES ….. NETWORK CONNECTIVITY……

SERVICES …….. CUSTOMER SERVICES ………

7.HOW MUCH ADVERTISING INFLUNCES YOUR PURCHASING

VERY MUCH…. AVERAGE…… FAIR……. NO EFFECT……

8-ABOUT GSM/CDMA TECHNOLOGY

5-EXCELLENT.. 4-GOOD… 3-AVERAGE… .2- FAIR.. 1- POOR…

BRAND 5…. 4…. 3…. 2… 1…

NETWORK 5… 4… 3…. 2…. 1….

VOICE CLEARITY 5… 4… 3… 2… 1….

DATA SPEED 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

FEATURES 5… 4…. 3…. 2… 1…..

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