What are CDMA and GSM? If you are looking for a new smart phone, change your operator or, simply, you are interested in everything that has to do with cell phone networks, you may have encountered these acronyms. How they work, and how do they affect your communications?
Jan Jirous / ShutterstockThese are the two cellular standards that work in different regions, allowing global communication between individuals, with each of them converting incoming and outgoing data into radio waves differently. Unlike what happens with 4G and LTE, it should not be a very determining factor when buying a new phone, although it is definitely worth knowing how they work, since eye not all cell phones are guaranteed to work in both standards. Depending on where you are, what you are looking for and what company you are with. We explain everything below.
What is GSM?
Julian Chokkattu / Digital TrendsThe Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) is probably the technology your telephone network is using right now unless you live in certain parts of the United States or Russia. In other words, it is the standard system in most of the world. GSM networks use TDMA (acronym for Multiple Access by Time Division), which works by assigning time slots to multiple conversation flows, alternating the sequence of each conversation at very short intervals. During these intervals, phones can transmit their information. To let the network know which users are connected to the network, each phone uses a subscriber identification module card, the wonderful SIM card.
SIM cards are one of the key features of GSM networks. They host your service subscription, network identification and address information. The cards are also used to allocate time to the telephone conversation and, in addition, they communicate to the network the services to which you have access. As we said, they store your contacts, in addition to the contact information that corresponds to them. They can even be used to pass information between phones, if an operator allows it.
What is CDMA?
Julian Chokkattu / Digital TrendsThe CDMA Multiple Access by Code Divisions is found in some countries, but also in the US. and Russia The Allied Forces developed this technology during World War II, mainly as a method to prevent Nazi forces from blocking radio signals. Unlike GSM, CDMA gives users full access to the entire band spectrum, allowing more users to connect at any given time. It also encodes the individual conversation of each user through a pseudorandom digital sequence, which means that the voice data remains protected and filtered, so that only those who participate in the call receive the data.
Phones in CDMA networks do not use SIM cards. Instead, each phone is specifically designed to work on that provider's network. What does this mean for consumers? For starters, it means that the phones are linked to an operator and their bands, so if you decide to change providers, you will have to buy a new phone.
Is one better than the other?
Huawei phones rarely use CDMA Julian Chokkattu / Digital TrendsNot necessarily. Both systems are the global standards for cellular communication. The main factor that affects call quality It is the network itself, not the method it uses to transmit information. Of course, there are some things that must be taken into account when choosing between CDMA and GSM phones. For starters, CDMA phones without SIM slots are linked to their operators, and cannot be transferred to other networks. A Verizon phone cannot be transferred to the Sprint network, for example, or vice versa.
But sometimes it's not that easy to use, and although some Verizon devices use CDMA, they also have a SIM slot, so they can be unlocked for use in other networks. Sprint is less accessible with SIM slots unlocked when their devices contain some, although you can usually find ways to get your provider to unlock your phone when you're done with them.
On the contrary, GSM phones are quite easy to unlock and transfer to other networks. In addition, third-party manufacturers often sell phones designed for GSM networks, since they do not require access to the bands of a specific provider. GSM phones will even work in passes with compatible GSM networks.
CDMA networks allow a greater number of users, which means that their communication capacity is greater than that of GSM networks. In addition, CDMA is the infrastructure on which all 3G networks are based, both for GSM and CDMA operators. However, there is now a third type of network that is quickly becoming the leader in terms of quality, and many of the major mobile phone companies are rapidly adopting it. Called LTE (by Long-Term Evolution), this technology represents a more evolved type of GSM, using a technology similar to these networks. The new standard has better voice and function quality, as the basis for high-speed 4G data networks. In this case, the LTE has an advantage over the competition in terms of speed and overall quality.
What does each company use?
If you are in the US the division is (among large companies) of 50/50: AT & Ty T-Mobileson GSM operators, while Verizony Sprint are CDMA. In truth, choosing a new phone or provider based solely on the standard to which it adheres is not necessarily the most important, since the services, features, phones and quality offered by a network do not depend solely on your network infrastructure. . Then, unless you have the particular need to choose one over the other, choose the company that best suits your tastes, needs and above all your budget.
* Updated by Daniel Matus on October 10, 2019.
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