[typoon]

There are so many different network technologies out there for cell phones how do people know which one to use.

We have
GSM- Cingular, T-Mobile and some AT&T
CDMA- Sprint, Verizon
TDMA- AT&T,Cingular
3G- Sprint

There are also some others I'm probably missing, How do you know which one to use or which is good?

[Mastrap]

GSM because its a worldwide standard. You will still need a tri-band phone but at least it'll work pretty much wherever you go.

GPRS is good and fast. G3 I haven't seen in action yet.

[typoon]

Originally posted by Mastrap:
GSM because its a worldwide standard. You will still need a tri-band phone but at least it'll work pretty much wherever you go.

GPRS is good and fast. G3 I haven't seen in action yet.

I'm just curious. I have cingular and am using GSM.

[ringo]

Really depends where you plan to use the phone and what carrier you use.

GSM is emerging as the international standard, but GSM networks in the US lack the extensive coverage that is provided by CDMA networks (for now, anyway). Check with the individual providers and pick one that has network coverage that will handle your needs. A cool looking phone is worthless if you can't make a call when you want to.

3G is a term that is thrown around a lot, but isn't exclusive to one type of network. 3G (Third Generation) usually means high-speed or data intensive wireless activity. There are examples of 3G speeds and services by a number of carriers who use different networks.

[PorscheBunny]

Wait two years and see who is still in business, that's what I'm doing.

[daimoni]

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[tooki]

Originally posted by typoon:

GSM- Cingular, T-Mobile and some AT&T
CDMA- Sprint, Verizon
TDMA- AT&T,Cingular
3G- Sprint

Sprint's "Vision" network (and anything else they advertise as 3G) is actually 2.5G, not 3G.

Originally posted by ringo:
Really depends where you plan to use the phone and what carrier you use.

GSM is emerging as the international standard,

Emerging? That's a new one! GSM has been THE world standard for years! The only holdouts are Japan, USA, Poland, and some latin-american countries that like to copy-cat the USA! There is no shadow of a doubt that GSM is the far-and-away world standard in mobile networks.

but GSM networks in the US lack the extensive coverage that is provided by CDMA networks (for now, anyway). Check with the individual providers and pick one that has network coverage that will handle your needs. A cool looking phone is worthless if you can't make a call when you want to.

3G is a term that is thrown around a lot, but isn't exclusive to one type of network. 3G (Third Generation) usually means high-speed or data intensive wireless activity. There are examples of 3G speeds and services by a number of carriers who use different networks.

Well, again, only very few (Japan's iMode comes to mind) are true 3G. All the rest are really 2.5G networks that amount to only slightly higher-speed versions of the regular digital (2G) networks.

tooki

[tooki]

P.S. Even the U.S. is starting to figure out that GSM is the way to go... that's why ATT Wireless is building a GSM network (m mode) and making it cheaper than their old TDMA network.

tooki

[ringo]

Originally posted by tooki:
Emerging? That's a new one! GSM has been THE world standard for years! The only holdouts are Japan, USA, Poland, and some latin-american countries that like to copy-cat the USA! There is no shadow of a doubt that GSM is the far-and-away world standard in mobile networks.

Originally posted by tooki:
P.S. Even the U.S. is starting to figure out that GSM is the way to go... that's why ATT Wireless is building a GSM network (m mode) and making it cheaper than their old TDMA network.

Which is why I said emerging. I won't consider GSM an international standard until the holdouts start using it. My knowledge about the Japanese market is limited, but the US is still very dependant on CDMA and will continue to be until the GSM providers can gain more momentum and expand their networks more aggressively.

[typoon]

Cingular And I'm not sure if AT&T or T-Mobile do But Cingular sells a Gait Phone which does both TDMA and GSM. Total Coverage for the US.

[korn]

Originally posted by ringo:




Which is why I said emerging. I won't consider GSM an international standard until the holdouts start using it. My knowledge about the Japanese market is limited, but the US is still very dependant on CDMA and will continue to be until the GSM providers can gain more momentum and expand their networks more aggressively.

The USA is years behind Japan and Europe regarding cellphones, but are picking up quickly.GSM will become the main technology in the USA in the near future.

i-mode is NOT 3G or UMTS, but getting close.

[Mastrap]

Speaking from personal experience, I never had a problem getting a GSM carrier when visiting New York, Chicago, Toronto or Vancouver.

[ringo]

Originally posted by typoon:
Cingular And I'm not sure if AT&T or T-Mobile do But Cingular sells a Gait Phone which does both TDMA and GSM. Total Coverage for the US.

TDMA is not CDMA. The two network types are not compatible with each other. A more technical overview is here: http://www.ee.washington.edu/class/4...sha/final.html

Originally posted by korn:
The USA is years behind Japan and Europe regarding cellphones, but are picking up quickly. GSM will become the main technology in the USA in the near future.

Why will GSM become the main technology? It is certainly possible that GSM could become dominant at some future date, but the demand for GSM-only technologies will have to build here for cell companies to have both the customers and the incentive to build more GSM towers. "3G" (Really 2.5 G as another poster stated) technologies have been implemented over CDMA networks. 1xRTT is one example of a high-speed data application that has sucessfully launched using CDMA technology.

I'm not saying that GSM won't take over, just that there are no compelling reasons WHY it will take over just yet...especially because the dominant player with the most customers and the most extensive network is still operating over a CDMA network.

Will GSM become dominant in the US? Maybe, but I don't think it will happen in the near future unless our economic situation changes in such a way as to encourage investment in many new GSM towers or a mass of customers leave CDMA carriers in favor of GSM carriers.

In any case, it will be fun to watch

[gyc]

Originally posted by Mastrap:
GSM because its a worldwide standard. You will still need a tri-band phone but at least it'll work pretty much wherever you go.

And where else have we seen this argument made?

Basically, in the U.S., don't pick your service provider by what technology they use or what phones they carry. First and foremost consider which one gets the best reception and coverage where you are. Only then consider the technology and phones.

FWIW, it seems Cingular and ATTWS are poorly positioned in the U.S. market and will probably have to merge with another GSM provider. They're bleeding money like there's no tomorrow upgrading their towers. They have to buy and install completely new equipment to convert from TDMA -> GSM, then upgrade GSM to have GPRS, then upgrade GPRS -> EDGE, then upgrade their system to UTMS. Meanwhile, because the GSM network isn't backwards compatible with TDMA networks, they need to operate both of them at the same time while switching over to GSM and probably for far longer after that. That means they had to spend billions more on new spectrum for GSM, which isn't as spectrally efficient as CDMA-variants. Meanwhile, T-mobile can spend less money upgrading their GSM systems and Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS can spend the least amount of money to upgrade their systems, especially since their new systems are still backwards compatible to their 2G systems.

[typoon]

Originally posted by gyc:


And where else have we seen this argument made?

Basically, in the U.S., don't pick your service provider by what technology they use or what phones they carry. First and foremost consider which one gets the best reception and coverage where you are. Only then consider the technology and phones.

FWIW, it seems Cingular and ATTWS are poorly positioned in the U.S. market and will probably have to merge with another GSM provider. They're bleeding money like there's no tomorrow upgrading their towers. They have to buy and install completely new equipment to convert from TDMA -> GSM, then upgrade GSM to have GPRS, then upgrade GPRS -> EDGE, then upgrade their system to UTMS. Meanwhile, because the GSM network isn't backwards compatible with TDMA networks, they need to operate both of them at the same time while switching over to GSM and probably for far longer after that. That means they had to spend billions more on new spectrum for GSM, which isn't as spectrally efficient as CDMA-variants. Meanwhile, T-mobile can spend less money upgrading their GSM systems and Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS can spend the least amount of money to upgrade their systems, especially since their new systems are still backwards compatible to their 2G systems.

In some areas though Cingular has signed some deals or whatever to use other people's towers I believe. I know they use T-Moile towers in some areas. That can give them time to update there Network. They have a GAIT phone which does both GSM and TDMA. So they have both Networks covered. They are supposedly working with a new frequency of GSM 850 MHz. I know that most GSM networks are 900/1800/1900. Supposedly Cingular isn't that small. I know that people in the Cell industry consider there quality Second to Verizon's I believe there Size is second to them as well.

[daimoni]

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[Mastrap]

Originally posted by gyc:


And where else have we seen this argument made?

No idea - where I live we've got GSM and GPRS. When I visit the US my GSM phone tends to work just fine. What I am saying is that GSM is emerging as the worldwide standard at the moment.

[chabig]

TDMA as a technology is obsolete and will soon be gone.

GSM (as we know it) is based on TDMA, and will soon be gone.

In the near future, all cell phone technologies (even the new GSM) will be based on variations of CDMA, because it has the highest capacity of the technologies.

[daimoni]

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[ringo]

Originally posted by daimoni:
Uh, Cingular has always been GSM. No need to convert anything. It's been this way for years.

Only if years means since late 2001 The majority (70%) of Cingular's network was TDMA until they spent $3 Billion Dollars converting.

[daimoni]

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[ironknee]

what if you just want to talk on the phone?...for me, the whole idea of having cell phones to talk to people alone is amazing...